George H. W. Bush carried California R+3.6.

Michael Dukakis (D) vs George H. W. Bush (R) in California, 1988. The state ran 4.2 points more Democratic than the nation (R+7.7 nationally). A US Senate contest shared the 1988 ballot here.

Nominees: Michael Dukakis (D) · George H. W. Bush (R)

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California result

9,887,064 votes counted

Dukakis (D)

4,702,233

47.6%

Bush (R)

5,054,917

51.1%

All others

129,914

1.3%

Margin

R+3.6

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1988 presidential election

California, 1988

BushR+3.6

How it voted

Share of the 1988 vote

George H. W. Bush ✓Republican	51.1%	5,054,917
Michael DukakisDemocratic	47.6%	4,702,233
OtherAll other candidates	1.3%	129,914

D+60

R+60

58 counties, each filled by 1988 D-vs-R margin. Hover any county for its result.

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California's presidential margins

1876–2024, the 1988 contest in context

California's presidential margins

Year	Margin (D minus R)
1876	−1.8%
1880	+0.1%
1884	−6.7%
1888	−2.8%
1892	+1.2%
1896	−0.6%
1900	−13.1%
1904	−34.9%
1908	−22.5%
1912	+41.8%
1916	+0.4%
1920	−41.9%
1924	−49.0%
1928	−30.5%
1932	+21.0%
1936	+35.3%
1940	+16.1%
1944	+13.5%
1948	+0.4%
1952	−13.6%
1956	−11.1%
1960	−0.5%
1964	+18.3%
1968	−3.1%
1972	−13.5%
1976	−1.8%
1980	−16.8%
1984	−16.2%
1988	−3.6%
1992	+13.4%
1996	+12.9%
2000	+11.8%
2004	+9.9%
2008	+24.0%
2012	+23.1%
2016	+30.0%
2020	+29.1%
2024	+20.1%

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County results — 1988

58 counties; every row links to the county's full page.

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County	Won	Margin	Democratic	Republican	Total
Alameda County	D	+30.8%	310,283	162,815	478,997
Alpine County	R	−13.8%	230	306	552
Amador County	R	−13.7%	5,197	6,893	12,338
Butte County	R	−13.6%	30,406	40,143	71,631
Calaveras County	R	−14.5%	5,674	7,640	13,574
Colusa County	R	−20.4%	2,022	3,077	5,172
Contra Costa County	D	+3.2%	169,411	158,652	331,511
Del Norte County	R	−1.7%	3,587	3,714	7,468
El Dorado County	R	−20.2%	19,801	30,021	50,603
Fresno County	R	−1.2%	92,635	94,835	189,870
Glenn County	R	−25.7%	2,894	4,944	7,966
Humboldt County	D	+16.0%	29,781	21,460	52,146
Imperial County	R	−11.3%	10,243	12,889	23,365
Inyo County	R	−30.5%	2,653	5,042	7,837
Kern County	R	−24.1%	55,083	90,550	147,293
Kings County	R	−13.9%	9,142	12,118	21,482
Lake County	D	+2.4%	9,828	9,366	19,502
Lassen County	R	−19.4%	3,446	5,157	8,802
Los Angeles County	D	+5.0%	1,372,352	1,239,716	2,644,671
Madera County	R	−10.8%	10,642	13,255	24,281
Marin County	D	+19.1%	69,394	46,855	117,920
Mariposa County	R	−11.1%	2,998	3,768	6,910
Mendocino County	D	+13.5%	17,152	12,979	30,947
Merced County	R	−3.8%	20,105	21,717	42,414
Modoc County	R	−27.4%	1,416	2,518	4,017
Mono County	R	−25.2%	1,284	2,177	3,547
Monterey County	R	−1.0%	48,998	50,022	100,381
Napa County	R	−2.1%	22,283	23,235	46,290
Nevada County	R	−17.3%	14,980	21,383	37,023
Orange County	R	−36.7%	269,013	586,230	865,307
Placer County	R	−20.6%	27,516	42,096	70,642
Plumas County	R	−3.9%	4,251	4,603	9,015
Riverside County	R	−19.9%	133,122	199,979	336,348
Sacramento County	R	−3.4%	188,557	201,832	395,690
San Benito County	R	−9.9%	4,559	5,578	10,308
San Bernardino County	R	−21.4%	151,118	235,167	392,008
San Diego County	R	−21.8%	333,264	523,143	869,195
San Francisco County	D	+46.6%	201,887	72,503	277,394
San Joaquin County	R	−9.8%	61,699	75,309	138,453
San Luis Obispo County	R	−13.1%	35,667	46,613	83,467
San Mateo County	D	+12.8%	141,859	109,261	254,480
Santa Barbara County	R	−9.8%	63,586	77,524	142,940
Santa Clara County	D	+4.3%	277,810	254,442	541,528
Santa Cruz County	D	+24.8%	63,133	37,728	102,611
Shasta County	R	−20.6%	21,171	32,402	54,585
Sierra County	R	−4.1%	791	860	1,696
Siskiyou County	R	−3.9%	8,365	9,056	17,797
Solano County	D	+3.8%	54,344	50,314	106,088
Sonoma County	D	+14.6%	91,262	67,725	161,583
Stanislaus County	R	−7.2%	44,685	51,648	97,315
Sutter County	R	−36.1%	6,557	14,100	20,898
Tehama County	R	−15.1%	7,213	9,854	17,434
Trinity County	R	−12.5%	2,518	3,267	5,980
Tulare County	R	−20.6%	30,711	46,891	78,669
Tuolumne County	R	−9.8%	8,717	10,646	19,715
Ventura County	R	−24.4%	89,065	147,604	239,473
Yolo County	D	+15.1%	30,429	22,358	53,372
Yuba County	R	−24.0%	5,444	8,937	14,563