# 1988 United States presidential election in North Carolina

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vte :
The 1988 United States presidential election in North Carolina took place on November 8, 1988, and was part of the 1988 United States presidential election. Voters chose 13 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.
North Carolina voted for the Vice President George H. W. Bush, running with U.S Senator Dan Quayle, against Governor Michael Dukakis, running with U.S. Senator Lloyd Bentsen.

## Background

With the exception of Jimmy Carter's victory in North Carolina in 1976, the state had voted for the Republican presidential nominee in every election since 1968. Republican membership in the United States House of Representatives from North Carolina peaked in elections held concurrently with the presidential elections and shrank in the following midterms. Jesse Helms's victory in the 1972 senatorial election made him the state's first Republican senator in the 20th century and John Porter East was elected to the state's other seat in 1980, but lost in the 1986 election. Republican identification among voters in the state rose from 27% to 37% between 1968 and 1986 while identification among Democrats fell from 68% to 58%.

## Campaign
### Primaries

Al Gore won 51% of the white vote while Dukakis won 30%. The racial composition of the Democratic primary was 71% white and 29% black. 36% of white voters participated in the Republican primary.

### General

North Carolina was one of the southern states that Michael Dukakis's campaign viewed as winnable. The North Carolina Democratic Party used $500,000 from the national party to hire over 100 workers and organize phone banks in every county, which contacted over 200,000 households. The North Carolina Republican Party received $700,000 from the national party, but only hired ten workers and instead used the money to conduct polling and hire mailing organizations.
George H. W. Bush campaign in the state three times, and Dan Quayle, Dukakis, and Lloyd Bentsen each came twice. 68% of white voters supported Bush while 32% supported Dukakis.

## Results

1988 United States presidential election in North Carolina :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Electoral votes |
| | Republican | George H. W. Bush | 1,237,258 | 57.97% | 13 |
| | Democratic | Michael Dukakis | 890,167 | 41.71% | 0 |
| | New Alliance | Lenora Fulani | 5,682 | 0.27% | 0 |
| | Write-in | Ron Paul | 1,263 | 0.06% | 0 |
| Invalid or blank votes | Invalid or blank votes | Invalid or blank votes | | | — |
| Totals | Totals | Totals | 2,134,370 | 100.00% | 13 |
| Voter turnout | Voter turnout | Voter turnout | | | — |

### Results by county

| County | George H.W. Bush Republican | George H.W. Bush Republican | Michael Dukakis Democratic | Michael Dukakis Democratic | Lenora Fulani New Alliance | Lenora Fulani New Alliance | Ron Paul Write-in | Ron Paul Write-in | Margin | Margin | Total |
| County | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | Total |
| Alamance | 24,131 | 65.48% | 12,642 | 34.31% | 69 | 0.19% | 9 | 0.02% | 11,489 | 31.17% | 36,851 |
| Alexander | 7,968 | 65.56% | 4,148 | 34.13% | 33 | 0.27% | 5 | 0.04% | 3,820 | 31.43% | 12,154 |
| Alleghany | 2,174 | 50.98% | 2,087 | 48.94% | 3 | 0.07% | 0 | 0.00% | 87 | 2.04% | 4,264 |
| Anson | 2,782 | 36.45% | 4,831 | 63.29% | 20 | 0.26% | 0 | 0.00% | -2,049 | -26.84% | 7,633 |
| Ashe | 6,019 | 59.69% | 4,034 | 40.01% | 17 | 0.17% | 13 | 0.13% | 1,985 | 19.68% | 10,083 |
| Avery | 4,277 | 75.33% | 1,367 | 24.08% | 22 | 0.39% | 12 | 0.21% | 2,910 | 51.25% | 5,678 |
| Beaufort | 8,190 | 60.35% | 5,352 | 39.44% | 28 | 0.21% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,838 | 20.91% | 13,570 |
| Bertie | 2,145 | 36.24% | 3,762 | 63.56% | 12 | 0.20% | 0 | 0.00% | -1,617 | -27.32% | 5,919 |
| Bladen | 3,770 | 42.77% | 5,031 | 57.08% | 13 | 0.15% | 0 | 0.00% | -1,261 | -14.31% | 8,814 |
| Brunswick | 10,007 | 55.78% | 7,881 | 43.93% | 32 | 0.18% | 19 | 0.11% | 2,126 | 11.85% | 17,938 |
| Buncombe | 36,828 | 57.55% | 26,964 | 42.14% | 185 | 0.29% | 15 | 0.02% | 9,864 | 15.41% | 63,992 |
| Burke | 15,933 | 59.41% | 10,848 | 40.45% | 26 | 0.10% | 12 | 0.04% | 5,085 | 18.96% | 26,819 |
| Cabarrus | 22,524 | 67.75% | 10,686 | 32.14% | 26 | 0.08% | 12 | 0.04% | 11,838 | 35.61% | 33,248 |
| Caldwell | 15,176 | 65.78% | 7,862 | 34.08% | 33 | 0.14% | 0 | 0.00% | 7,314 | 31.70% | 23,071 |
| Camden | 1,144 | 50.87% | 1,081 | 48.07% | 24 | 1.07% | 0 | 0.00% | 63 | 2.80% | 2,249 |
| Carteret | 11,076 | 61.55% | 6,859 | 38.12% | 51 | 0.28% | 8 | 0.04% | 4,217 | 23.43% | 17,994 |
| Caswell | 3,299 | 43.93% | 4,189 | 55.79% | 20 | 0.27% | 1 | 0.01% | -890 | -11.86% | 7,509 |
| Catawba | 28,872 | 69.01% | 12,922 | 30.89% | 44 | 0.11% | 0 | 0.00% | 15,950 | 38.12% | 41,838 |
| Chatham | 6,999 | 47.81% | 7,600 | 51.92% | 27 | 0.18% | 13 | 0.09% | -601 | -4.11% | 14,639 |
| Cherokee | 4,557 | 63.78% | 2,567 | 35.93% | 21 | 0.29% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,990 | 27.85% | 7,145 |
| Chowan | 1,884 | 51.56% | 1,756 | 48.06% | 14 | 0.38% | 0 | 0.00% | 128 | 3.50% | 3,654 |
| Clay | 2,174 | 62.47% | 1,289 | 37.04% | 13 | 0.37% | 4 | 0.11% | 885 | 25.43% | 3,480 |
| Cleveland | 14,039 | 57.54% | 10,321 | 42.30% | 28 | 0.11% | 9 | 0.04% | 3,718 | 15.24% | 24,397 |
| Columbus | 6,659 | 41.93% | 9,172 | 57.75% | 51 | 0.32% | 0 | 0.00% | -2,513 | -15.82% | 15,882 |
| Craven | 12,057 | 62.10% | 7,313 | 37.66% | 46 | 0.24% | 1 | 0.01% | 4,744 | 24.44% | 19,417 |
| Cumberland | 27,057 | 53.07% | 23,789 | 46.66% | 121 | 0.24% | 12 | 0.02% | 3,268 | 6.41% | 50,979 |
| Currituck | 2,443 | 60.98% | 1,555 | 38.82% | 5 | 0.12% | 3 | 0.07% | 888 | 22.16% | 4,006 |
| Dare | 5,234 | 64.85% | 2,806 | 34.77% | 29 | 0.36% | 2 | 0.02% | 2,428 | 30.08% | 8,071 |
| Davidson | 28,374 | 68.11% | 13,215 | 31.72% | 70 | 0.17% | 3 | 0.01% | 15,159 | 36.39% | 41,662 |
| Davie | 7,988 | 71.37% | 3,166 | 28.29% | 38 | 0.34% | 0 | 0.00% | 4,822 | 43.08% | 11,192 |
| Duplin | 5,774 | 49.24% | 5,945 | 50.70% | 7 | 0.06% | 0 | 0.00% | -171 | -1.46% | 11,726 |
| Durham | 29,928 | 45.43% | 35,441 | 53.79% | 478 | 0.73% | 36 | 0.05% | -5,513 | -8.36% | 65,883 |
| Edgecombe | 6,831 | 42.92% | 9,044 | 56.82% | 31 | 0.19% | 10 | 0.06% | -2,213 | -13.90% | 15,916 |
| Forsyth | 57,688 | 59.02% | 39,726 | 40.65% | 302 | 0.31% | 19 | 0.02% | 17,962 | 18.37% | 97,735 |
| Franklin | 5,499 | 50.17% | 5,438 | 49.62% | 22 | 0.20% | 1 | 0.01% | 61 | 0.55% | 10,960 |
| Gaston | 34,775 | 70.32% | 14,582 | 29.49% | 87 | 0.18% | 7 | 0.01% | 20,193 | 40.83% | 49,451 |
| Gates | 1,451 | 41.64% | 2,024 | 58.08% | 10 | 0.29% | 0 | 0.00% | -573 | -16.44% | 3,485 |
| Graham | 2,091 | 61.16% | 1,313 | 38.40% | 15 | 0.44% | 0 | 0.00% | 778 | 22.76% | 3,419 |
| Granville | 4,880 | 46.75% | 5,280 | 50.58% | 274 | 2.62% | 5 | 0.05% | -400 | -3.83% | 10,439 |
| Greene | 2,498 | 47.69% | 2,729 | 52.10% | 11 | 0.21% | 0 | 0.00% | -231 | -4.41% | 5,238 |
| Guilford | 66,060 | 56.35% | 50,351 | 42.95% | 276 | 0.24% | 545 | 0.46% | 15,709 | 13.40% | 117,232 |
| Halifax | 7,462 | 46.03% | 8,726 | 53.83% | 23 | 0.14% | 0 | 0.00% | -1,264 | -7.80% | 16,211 |
| Harnett | 9,749 | 57.25% | 7,259 | 42.63% | 21 | 0.12% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,490 | 14.62% | 17,029 |
| Haywood | 8,957 | 49.68% | 9,010 | 49.98% | 48 | 0.27% | 13 | 0.07% | -53 | -0.30% | 18,028 |
| Henderson | 19,711 | 67.68% | 9,338 | 32.06% | 58 | 0.20% | 18 | 0.06% | 10,373 | 35.62% | 29,125 |
| Hertford | 2,977 | 37.54% | 4,943 | 62.33% | 9 | 0.11% | 1 | 0.01% | -1,966 | -24.79% | 7,930 |
| Hoke | 2,020 | 37.88% | 3,281 | 61.52% | 32 | 0.60% | 0 | 0.00% | -1,261 | -23.64% | 5,333 |
| Hyde | 940 | 41.52% | 1,316 | 58.13% | 8 | 0.35% | 0 | 0.00% | -376 | -16.61% | 2,264 |
| Iredell | 21,536 | 67.02% | 10,530 | 32.77% | 62 | 0.19% | 7 | 0.02% | 11,006 | 34.25% | 32,135 |
| Jackson | 5,166 | 51.03% | 4,933 | 48.73% | 24 | 0.24% | 0 | 0.00% | 233 | 2.30% | 10,123 |
| Johnston | 15,563 | 63.97% | 8,717 | 35.83% | 35 | 0.14% | 14 | 0.06% | 6,846 | 28.14% | 24,329 |
| Jones | 1,649 | 45.78% | 1,946 | 54.03% | 7 | 0.19% | 0 | 0.00% | -297 | -8.25% | 3,602 |
| Lee | 7,104 | 62.47% | 4,231 | 37.21% | 34 | 0.30% | 2 | 0.02% | 2,873 | 25.26% | 11,371 |
| Lenoir | 10,669 | 58.13% | 7,649 | 41.68% | 34 | 0.19% | 1 | 0.01% | 3,020 | 16.45% | 18,353 |
| Lincoln | 11,651 | 64.26% | 6,444 | 35.54% | 32 | 0.18% | 3 | 0.02% | 5,207 | 28.72% | 18,130 |
| Macon | 6,026 | 61.39% | 3,773 | 38.44% | 13 | 0.13% | 4 | 0.04% | 2,253 | 22.95% | 9,816 |
| Madison | 3,453 | 53.07% | 3,033 | 46.62% | 20 | 0.31% | 0 | 0.00% | 420 | 6.45% | 6,506 |
| Martin | 3,149 | 46.61% | 3,598 | 53.26% | 7 | 0.10% | 2 | 0.03% | -449 | -6.65% | 6,756 |
| McDowell | 6,526 | 59.34% | 4,449 | 40.46% | 22 | 0.20% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,077 | 18.88% | 10,997 |
| Mecklenburg | 106,236 | 59.42% | 71,907 | 40.22% | 619 | 0.35% | 34 | 0.02% | 34,329 | 19.20% | 178,796 |
| Mitchell | 4,620 | 76.82% | 1,377 | 22.90% | 17 | 0.28% | 0 | 0.00% | 3,243 | 53.92% | 6,014 |
| Montgomery | 4,504 | 52.80% | 3,995 | 46.83% | 31 | 0.36% | 0 | 0.00% | 509 | 5.97% | 8,530 |
| Moore | 14,543 | 65.37% | 7,642 | 34.35% | 27 | 0.12% | 36 | 0.16% | 6,901 | 31.02% | 22,248 |
| Nash | 15,906 | 64.34% | 8,740 | 35.35% | 32 | 0.13% | 44 | 0.18% | 7,166 | 28.99% | 24,722 |
| New Hanover | 23,807 | 60.56% | 15,401 | 39.18% | 82 | 0.21% | 23 | 0.06% | 8,406 | 21.38% | 39,313 |
| Northampton | 2,415 | 34.34% | 4,599 | 65.39% | 19 | 0.27% | 0 | 0.00% | -2,184 | -31.05% | 7,033 |
| Onslow | 12,253 | 62.87% | 7,162 | 36.75% | 71 | 0.36% | 2 | 0.01% | 5,091 | 26.12% | 19,488 |
| Orange | 14,503 | 39.13% | 22,326 | 60.23% | 131 | 0.35% | 107 | 0.29% | -7,823 | -21.10% | 37,067 |
| Pamlico | 2,297 | 50.98% | 2,188 | 48.56% | 21 | 0.47% | 0 | 0.00% | 109 | 2.42% | 4,506 |
| Pasquotank | 4,006 | 50.76% | 3,860 | 48.91% | 25 | 0.32% | 1 | 0.01% | 146 | 1.85% | 7,892 |
| Pender | 4,926 | 52.84% | 4,377 | 46.95% | 13 | 0.14% | 7 | 0.08% | 549 | 5.89% | 9,323 |
| Perquimans | 1,781 | 53.32% | 1,543 | 46.20% | 14 | 0.42% | 2 | 0.06% | 238 | 7.12% | 3,340 |
| Person | 4,832 | 56.00% | 3,777 | 43.78% | 17 | 0.20% | 2 | 0.02% | 1,055 | 12.22% | 8,628 |
| Pitt | 18,245 | 55.08% | 14,777 | 44.61% | 72 | 0.22% | 33 | 0.10% | 3,468 | 10.47% | 33,127 |
| Polk | 3,874 | 60.31% | 2,534 | 39.45% | 13 | 0.20% | 2 | 0.03% | 1,340 | 20.86% | 6,423 |
| Randolph | 23,881 | 73.32% | 8,641 | 26.53% | 49 | 0.15% | 0 | 0.00% | 15,240 | 46.79% | 32,571 |
| Richmond | 5,073 | 41.39% | 7,151 | 58.34% | 26 | 0.21% | 7 | 0.06% | -2,078 | -16.95% | 12,257 |
| Robeson | 9,908 | 36.70% | 16,988 | 62.92% | 104 | 0.39% | 0 | 0.00% | -7,080 | -26.22% | 27,000 |
| Rockingham | 14,591 | 55.77% | 11,551 | 44.15% | 21 | 0.08% | 1 | 0.00% | 3,040 | 11.62% | 26,164 |
| Rowan | 23,192 | 65.48% | 12,127 | 34.24% | 96 | 0.27% | 1 | 0.00% | 11,065 | 31.24% | 35,416 |
| Rutherford | 10,337 | 59.73% | 6,926 | 40.02% | 43 | 0.25% | 0 | 0.00% | 3,411 | 19.71% | 17,306 |
| Sampson | 8,524 | 51.49% | 8,009 | 48.38% | 22 | 0.13% | 0 | 0.00% | 515 | 3.11% | 16,555 |
| Scotland | 3,199 | 45.16% | 3,865 | 54.56% | 20 | 0.28% | 0 | 0.00% | -666 | -9.40% | 7,084 |
| Stanly | 11,885 | 64.13% | 6,627 | 35.76% | 17 | 0.09% | 3 | 0.02% | 5,258 | 28.37% | 18,532 |
| Stokes | 8,661 | 61.81% | 5,319 | 37.96% | 27 | 0.19% | 5 | 0.04% | 3,342 | 23.85% | 14,012 |
| Surry | 11,393 | 61.06% | 7,245 | 38.83% | 22 | 0.12% | 0 | 0.00% | 4,148 | 22.23% | 18,660 |
| Swain | 1,795 | 49.52% | 1,821 | 50.23% | 9 | 0.25% | 0 | 0.00% | -26 | -0.71% | 3,625 |
| Transylvania | 7,009 | 61.86% | 4,280 | 37.78% | 19 | 0.17% | 22 | 0.19% | 2,729 | 24.08% | 11,330 |
| Tyrrell | 637 | 44.70% | 785 | 55.09% | 3 | 0.21% | 0 | 0.00% | -148 | -10.39% | 1,425 |
| Union | 17,015 | 65.71% | 8,820 | 34.06% | 46 | 0.18% | 15 | 0.06% | 8,195 | 31.65% | 25,896 |
| Vance | 5,625 | 49.88% | 5,631 | 49.94% | 18 | 0.16% | 2 | 0.02% | -6 | -0.06% | 11,276 |
| Wake | 81,613 | 56.87% | 61,352 | 42.75% | 482 | 0.34% | 57 | 0.04% | 20,261 | 14.12% | 143,504 |
| Warren | 2,163 | 33.64% | 4,249 | 66.09% | 17 | 0.26% | 0 | 0.00% | -2,086 | -32.45% | 6,429 |
| Washington | 2,186 | 43.69% | 2,806 | 56.08% | 11 | 0.22% | 1 | 0.02% | -620 | -12.39% | 5,004 |
| Watauga | 8,662 | 58.59% | 6,048 | 40.91% | 57 | 0.39% | 18 | 0.12% | 2,614 | 17.68% | 14,785 |
| Wayne | 15,292 | 62.48% | 9,135 | 37.33% | 47 | 0.19% | 0 | 0.00% | 6,157 | 25.15% | 24,474 |
| Wilkes | 15,231 | 67.65% | 7,230 | 32.11% | 53 | 0.24% | 0 | 0.00% | 8,001 | 35.54% | 22,514 |
| Wilson | 10,997 | 57.11% | 8,214 | 42.65% | 40 | 0.21% | 6 | 0.03% | 2,783 | 14.46% | 19,257 |
| Yadkin | 7,918 | 71.10% | 3,195 | 28.69% | 24 | 0.22% | 0 | 0.00% | 4,723 | 42.41% | 11,137 |
| Yancey | 4,160 | 52.00% | 3,803 | 47.54% | 37 | 0.46% | 0 | 0.00% | 357 | 4.46% | 8,000 |
| Totals | 1,237,258 | 57.97% | 890,167 | 41.71% | 5,682 | 0.27% | 1,263 | 0.06% | 347,091 | 16.26% | 2,134,370 |

### Results by congressional district

Bush carried 10 of the 11 congressional districts, including seven held by Democrats.
| District | Bush | Dukakis |
| 1st | 53.9% | 46.1% |
| 2nd | 49.7% | 50.3% |
| 3rd | 57.7% | 42.3% |
| 4th | 55.7% | 44.3% |
| 5th | 60.3% | 39.7% |
| 6th | 60.9% | 39.1% |
| 7th | 51.4% | 48.3% |
| 8th | 61.9% | 38.1% |
| 9th | 61.2% | 38.8% |
| 10th | 65.5% | 35.5% |
| 11th | 59.4% | 40.6% |

## Analysis
### Voter demographics

The 1988 presidential vote by demographic subgroup :
| Demographic subgroup | Dukakis | Bush | % of total vote |
| Total vote | 42 | 58 | 100 |
| Party ||||
| Republican | | 94 | |
| Independent | | 70 | |
| Democratic | | 18 | |
| Ideology ||||
| Liberals | | 27 | |
| Moderates | | 49 | |
| Conservatives | | 83 | |
| Gender ||||
| Men | | 63 | |
| Women | | 53 | |
| Race ||||
| White | | 68 | |
| Black | | 8 | |
| Occupation ||||
| Blue collar | | 60 | |
| White collar | | 63 | |
| Professional | | 61 | |
| Education ||||
| Less than high school graduate | | 51 | |
| High school graduate | | 64 | |
| College | | 60 | |
| Graduate/professional work | | 52 | |
| Age ||||
| 18–24 years old | | 65 | |
| 25–49 years old | | 59 | |
| 50–64 years old | | 56 | |
| 65 and older | | 52 | |
| Family income ||||
| Under $20,000 | | 42 | |
| $20,000–50,000 | | 61 | |
| Over $50,000 | | 68 | |
| Religion ||||
| Protestant | | 65 | |
| Catholic | | 48 | |
Source: NBC exit poll (2,516 surveyed) and CBS News exit poll (1,503 surveyed)