Herbert Hoover defeated Al Smith.
Al Smith (D) vs Herbert Hoover (R). Every state below links to its full contest page with county-level results.
Nominees: Al Smith (D) · Herbert Hoover (R)
The 1928 cycle at a glance
The popular vote in the long run
National Democratic-minus-Republican margin, 1892–1928. Blue above the line is a Democratic margin, red below Republican.
| Year | Margin (D minus R) |
|---|---|
| 1892 | +1.7% |
| 1896 | −6.1% |
| 1900 | −7.5% |
| 1904 | −19.7% |
| 1908 | −9.6% |
| 1912 | +19.5% |
| 1916 | +3.1% |
| 1920 | −26.2% |
| 1924 | −25.2% |
| 1928 | −17.5% |
The path to 266
Hoover's states, safest to closest — the running electoral-vote total crosses 266 at the tipping-point state.
How the country moved
Every county that voted in both cycles, placed by how its margin swung and sized by its turnout. 2,030 of 3,081 moved toward the Republicans. The median county swung R+9.9; weighted by turnout — the average voter's county — the shift was D+8.4.
The sharpest county swings
Of the counties reporting in both cycles, the biggest shifts in presidential margin since 1924. Each links to the county's full record.
| County | State | Swing | 1924 margin | 1928 margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lamb County | TX | R+125.8 | D+77.4 | R+48.4 |
| Dawson County | TX | R+123.3 | D+68.8 | R+54.5 |
| Scurry County | TX | R+118.6 | D+63.5 | R+55.1 |
| Chesapeake city | VA | R+116.6 | D+47.5 | R+69.1 |
| Chambers County | AL | R+110.9 | D+84.1 | R+26.8 |
| Taylor County | TX | R+110.5 | D+74.2 | R+36.3 |
Results by state
Every row links to the state's contest page with its county map. Electoral votes reflect the 1928 apportionment. The Swing column is the change in margin since 1924; the faint tick on each bar marks where the state stood then.
| State | Won | Electoral votes | Margin | Swing | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | D | 12 | R+39.7 | 127,797 | 120,275 | 248,341 | |
| Arkansas | D | 9 | R+11.0 | 119,196 | 77,784 | 197,726 | |
| Arizona | R | 3 | R+9.5 | 38,537 | 52,533 | 91,254 | |
| California | R | 13 | D+18.5 | 614,365 | 1,162,323 | 1,796,656 | |
| Colorado | R | 6 | D+4.3 | 133,131 | 253,872 | 392,242 | |
| Connecticut | R | 7 | D+26.0 | 252,079 | 296,633 | 553,104 | |
| Delaware | R | 3 | R+11.1 | 35,354 | 68,860 | 104,602 | |
| Florida | R | 6 | R+45.5 | 101,764 | 144,168 | 253,672 | |
| Georgia | D | 14 | R+43.9 | 129,604 | 101,800 | 231,404 | |
| Iowa | R | 13 | D+14.4 | 379,011 | 623,570 | 1,009,189 | |
| Idaho | R | 4 | D+1.5 | 52,926 | 97,322 | 151,541 | |
| Illinois | R | 29 | D+20.8 | 1,313,817 | 1,769,141 | 3,107,489 | |
| Indiana | R | 15 | R+3.5 | 562,691 | 848,290 | 1,421,314 | |
| Kansas | R | 10 | R+7.0 | 193,003 | 513,672 | 713,200 | |
| Kentucky | R | 13 | R+15.9 | 381,070 | 558,734 | 941,286 | |
| Louisiana | D | 10 | R+3.6 | 164,655 | 51,160 | 215,833 | |
| Massachusetts | D | 18 | D+38.3 | 792,758 | 775,566 | 1,577,823 | |
| Maryland | R | 8 | R+10.7 | 223,626 | 301,479 | 528,348 | |
| Maine | R | 6 | D+12.5 | 81,179 | 179,923 | 262,171 | |
| Michigan | R | 15 | D+20.8 | 396,762 | 965,396 | 1,372,082 | |
| Minnesota | R | 12 | D+27.4 | 396,451 | 560,977 | 970,976 | |
| Missouri | R | 18 | R+5.8 | 662,684 | 834,080 | 1,500,845 | |
| Mississippi | D | 10 | R+17.5 | 124,539 | 27,052 | 151,591 | |
| Montana | R | 4 | D+5.2 | 78,578 | 113,300 | 194,108 | |
| North Carolina | R | 12 | R+29.3 | 286,227 | 348,923 | 635,150 | |
| North Dakota | R | 5 | D+30.4 | 106,648 | 131,419 | 239,845 | |
| Nebraska | R | 8 | R+9.5 | 197,959 | 345,745 | 547,138 | |
| New Hampshire | R | 4 | D+7.5 | 80,715 | 115,404 | 196,757 | |
| New Jersey | R | 14 | D+14.8 | 616,162 | 925,285 | 1,548,195 | |
| New Mexico | R | 3 | R+12.7 | 48,211 | 69,708 | 118,077 | |
| Nevada | R | 3 | D+6.7 | 14,090 | 18,327 | 32,417 | |
| New York | R | 45 | D+24.3 | 2,089,863 | 2,193,344 | 4,405,626 | |
| Ohio | R | 24 | D+4.2 | 864,210 | 1,627,546 | 2,508,346 | |
| Oklahoma | R | 10 | R+34.0 | 219,174 | 394,046 | 618,427 | |
| Oregon | R | 5 | R+3.2 | 109,223 | 205,341 | 319,942 | |
| Pennsylvania | R | 38 | D+14.9 | 1,067,586 | 2,055,382 | 3,150,612 | |
| Rhode Island | D | 5 | D+23.8 | 118,973 | 117,522 | 237,194 | |
| South Carolina | D | 9 | R+11.5 | 62,700 | 5,858 | 68,605 | |
| South Dakota | R | 5 | D+15.4 | 102,660 | 157,603 | 261,857 | |
| Tennessee | R | 12 | R+20.4 | 156,169 | 195,195 | 352,024 | |
| Texas | R | 20 | R+56.5 | 344,542 | 372,324 | 717,733 | |
| Utah | R | 4 | D+11.6 | 80,985 | 94,618 | 176,603 | |
| Virginia | R | 12 | R+37.7 | 140,146 | 164,609 | 304,755 | |
| Vermont | R | 4 | D+28.6 | 44,440 | 90,404 | 135,191 | |
| Washington | R | 7 | D+6.3 | 156,772 | 335,844 | 500,840 | |
| Wisconsin | R | 13 | D+19.7 | 450,259 | 544,205 | 1,016,831 | |
| West Virginia | R | 8 | R+12.0 | 263,784 | 375,551 | 642,752 | |
| Wyoming | R | 3 | D+8.0 | 29,299 | 52,748 | 82,835 |
Source. Compiled historical county records — 1928 presidential returns · official state + county-level results. Real returns — nothing estimated.