Elections / 1988 · President · KY
Kentucky — 1988 presidential election
Recent presidential results
Akashicstate1988 presidential electionKentucky · PresidentBushR+11.6
How it voted
Share of the 1988 vote
| George H. W. Bush ✓Republican | 55.5% | 734,281 |
|---|---|---|
| Michael DukakisDemocratic | 43.9% | 580,368 |
| OtherAll other candidates | 0.6% | 7,868 |
1988presidential margin
D+60R+60
120 counties, each filled by 1988 D-vs-R margin. Hover any county for its result.
Kentucky cast 9 electoral votes this cycle.
County-level results (120 counties) — table
| County | Winner | Margin |
|---|---|---|
| Adair County, KY | Republican | R+42.9 |
| Allen County, KY | Republican | R+35.9 |
| Anderson County, KY | Republican | R+19.2 |
| Ballard County, KY | Democratic | D+19.3 |
| Barren County, KY | Republican | R+16.1 |
| Bath County, KY | Democratic | D+13.0 |
| Bell County, KY | Republican | R+5.2 |
| Boone County, KY | Republican | R+40.1 |
| Bourbon County, KY | Republican | R+8.3 |
| Boyd County, KY | Democratic | D+0.9 |
| Boyle County, KY | Republican | R+14.0 |
| Bracken County, KY | Republican | R+16.1 |
| Breathitt County, KY | Democratic | D+22.2 |
| Breckinridge County, KY | Republican | R+16.2 |
| Bullitt County, KY | Republican | R+19.0 |
| Butler County, KY | Republican | R+44.8 |
| Caldwell County, KY | Republican | R+7.0 |
| Calloway County, KY | Republican | R+8.1 |
| Campbell County, KY | Republican | R+33.8 |
| Carlisle County, KY | Democratic | D+12.6 |
| Carroll County, KY | Democratic | D+5.8 |
| Carter County, KY | Democratic | D+2.7 |
| Casey County, KY | Republican | R+51.6 |
| Christian County, KY | Republican | R+23.6 |
| Clark County, KY | Republican | R+11.2 |
| Clay County, KY | Republican | R+41.6 |
| Clinton County, KY | Republican | R+56.3 |
| Crittenden County, KY | Republican | R+20.9 |
| Cumberland County, KY | Republican | R+49.3 |
| Daviess County, KY | Republican | R+7.8 |
| Edmonson County, KY | Republican | R+34.3 |
| Elliott County, KY | Democratic | D+52.9 |
| Estill County, KY | Republican | R+28.9 |
| Fayette County, KY | Republican | R+19.0 |
| Fleming County, KY | Republican | R+7.1 |
| Floyd County, KY | Democratic | D+39.6 |
| Franklin County, KY | Republican | R+2.8 |
| Fulton County, KY | Democratic | D+1.9 |
| Gallatin County, KY | Democratic | D+9.2 |
| Garrard County, KY | Republican | R+21.8 |
| Grant County, KY | Republican | R+19.6 |
| Graves County, KY | Democratic | D+6.5 |
| Grayson County, KY | Republican | R+33.3 |
| Green County, KY | Republican | R+32.5 |
| Greenup County, KY | Democratic | D+2.9 |
| Hancock County, KY | Republican | R+7.9 |
| Hardin County, KY | Republican | R+29.0 |
| Harlan County, KY | Democratic | D+17.3 |
| Harrison County, KY | Republican | R+4.1 |
| Hart County, KY | Republican | R+7.5 |
| Henderson County, KY | Democratic | D+5.0 |
| Henry County, KY | Democratic | D+5.3 |
| Hickman County, KY | Democratic | D+0.7 |
| Hopkins County, KY | Republican | R+3.4 |
| Jackson County, KY | Republican | R+70.5 |
| Jefferson County, KY | Republican | R+4.4 |
| Jessamine County, KY | Republican | R+40.5 |
| Johnson County, KY | Republican | R+13.2 |
| Kenton County, KY | Republican | R+34.7 |
| Knott County, KY | Democratic | D+50.4 |
| Knox County, KY | Republican | R+25.2 |
| Larue County, KY | Republican | R+17.4 |
| Laurel County, KY | Republican | R+43.7 |
| Lawrence County, KY | Republican | R+2.1 |
| Lee County, KY | Republican | R+23.3 |
| Leslie County, KY | Republican | R+49.3 |
| Letcher County, KY | Democratic | D+13.1 |
| Lewis County, KY | Republican | R+32.8 |
| Lincoln County, KY | Republican | R+13.7 |
| Livingston County, KY | Democratic | D+5.6 |
| Logan County, KY | Republican | R+11.9 |
| Lyon County, KY | Democratic | D+10.7 |
| Madison County, KY | Republican | R+19.6 |
| Magoffin County, KY | Democratic | D+14.5 |
| Marion County, KY | Democratic | D+11.5 |
| Marshall County, KY | Democratic | D+5.7 |
| Martin County, KY | Republican | R+24.0 |
| Mason County, KY | Republican | R+7.4 |
| McCracken County, KY | Democratic | D+0.2 |
| McCreary County, KY | Republican | R+35.3 |
| McLean County, KY | Democratic | D+10.7 |
| Meade County, KY | Republican | R+5.5 |
| Menifee County, KY | Democratic | D+23.8 |
| Mercer County, KY | Republican | R+15.7 |
| Metcalfe County, KY | Republican | R+12.1 |
| Monroe County, KY | Republican | R+60.6 |
| Montgomery County, KY | Republican | R+5.4 |
| Morgan County, KY | Democratic | D+23.0 |
| Muhlenberg County, KY | Democratic | D+12.5 |
| Nelson County, KY | Republican | R+4.9 |
| Nicholas County, KY | Republican | R+1.1 |
| Ohio County, KY | Republican | R+15.2 |
| Oldham County, KY | Republican | R+36.7 |
| Owen County, KY | Democratic | D+10.7 |
| Owsley County, KY | Republican | R+57.1 |
| Pendleton County, KY | Republican | R+22.3 |
| Perry County, KY | Democratic | D+3.7 |
| Pike County, KY | Democratic | D+24.1 |
| Powell County, KY | Republican | R+0.4 |
| Pulaski County, KY | Republican | R+47.4 |
| Robertson County, KY | Democratic | D+0.4 |
| Rockcastle County, KY | Republican | R+57.4 |
| Rowan County, KY | Republican | R+2.1 |
| Russell County, KY | Republican | R+49.1 |
| Scott County, KY | Republican | R+13.9 |
| Shelby County, KY | Republican | R+13.1 |
| Simpson County, KY | Republican | R+11.5 |
| Spencer County, KY | Republican | R+9.9 |
| Taylor County, KY | Republican | R+30.0 |
| Todd County, KY | Republican | R+16.4 |
| Trigg County, KY | Republican | R+9.8 |
| Trimble County, KY | Democratic | D+10.6 |
| Union County, KY | Democratic | D+18.2 |
| Warren County, KY | Republican | R+26.5 |
| Washington County, KY | Republican | R+11.1 |
| Wayne County, KY | Republican | R+28.1 |
| Webster County, KY | Democratic | D+16.5 |
| Whitley County, KY | Republican | R+31.7 |
| Wolfe County, KY | Democratic | D+24.2 |
| Woodford County, KY | Republican | R+25.8 |
complete certified result
Kentucky candidate results
Top three shown first · expand for every reported candidate and write-in category
Source: MIT Election Data + Science Lab — U.S. President 1976–2024 state candidate returns
Nominees: Michael Dukakis (D) · George H. W. Bush (R)
Kentucky's presidential margins
1892–2024, the 1988 contest in context
| Year | Margin (D minus R) |
|---|---|
| 1892 | +11.7% |
| 1896 | −0.1% |
| 1900 | +1.7% |
| 1904 | +2.7% |
| 1908 | +1.7% |
| 1912 | +23.2% |
| 1916 | +5.4% |
| 1920 | +0.4% |
| 1924 | −2.9% |
| 1928 | −18.9% |
| 1932 | +18.9% |
| 1936 | +18.6% |
| 1940 | +15.1% |
| 1944 | +9.2% |
| 1948 | +15.3% |
| 1952 | +0.1% |
| 1956 | −9.1% |
| 1960 | −7.2% |
| 1964 | +28.4% |
| 1968 | −6.1% |
| 1972 | −28.6% |
| 1976 | +7.2% |
| 1980 | −1.5% |
| 1984 | −20.7% |
| 1988 | −11.6% |
| 1992 | +3.2% |
| 1996 | +1.0% |
| 2000 | −15.1% |
| 2004 | −19.9% |
| 2008 | −16.2% |
| 2012 | −22.7% |
| 2016 | −29.8% |
| 2020 | −25.9% |
| 2024 | −30.5% |
County-by-county results — 120 counties
| County | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adair County | R | 1,723 | 4,346 | 6,113 | |
| Allen County | R | 1,573 | 3,342 | 4,923 | |
| Anderson County | R | 2,176 | 3,225 | 5,450 | |
| Ballard County | D | 2,162 | 1,460 | 3,629 | |
| Barren County | R | 4,799 | 6,653 | 11,506 | |
| Bath County | D | 2,099 | 1,614 | 3,724 | |
| Bell County | R | 5,182 | 5,759 | 11,193 | |
| Boone County | R | 5,382 | 12,667 | 18,157 | |
| Bourbon County | R | 2,793 | 3,308 | 6,175 | |
| Boyd County | D | 9,552 | 9,379 | 18,988 | |
| Boyle County | R | 3,575 | 4,746 | 8,354 | |
| Bracken County | R | 1,176 | 1,630 | 2,824 | |
| Breathitt County | D | 3,387 | 2,149 | 5,580 | |
| Breckinridge County | R | 2,765 | 3,841 | 6,623 | |
| Bullitt County | R | 6,005 | 8,859 | 15,013 | |
| Butler County | R | 1,245 | 3,278 | 4,539 | |
| Caldwell County | R | 2,564 | 2,952 | 5,577 | |
| Calloway County | R | 5,287 | 6,225 | 11,546 | |
| Campbell County | R | 9,553 | 19,387 | 29,104 | |
| Carlisle County | D | 1,428 | 1,104 | 2,564 | |
| Carroll County | D | 1,913 | 1,702 | 3,636 | |
| Carter County | D | 4,570 | 4,325 | 8,944 | |
| Casey County | R | 1,216 | 3,857 | 5,117 | |
| Christian County | R | 5,704 | 9,250 | 15,008 | |
| Clark County | R | 4,252 | 5,329 | 9,622 | |
| Clay County | R | 1,709 | 4,156 | 5,884 | |
| Clinton County | R | 899 | 3,248 | 4,175 | |
| Crittenden County | R | 1,443 | 2,211 | 3,666 | |
| Cumberland County | R | 753 | 2,231 | 2,995 | |
| Daviess County | R | 14,815 | 17,356 | 32,445 | |
| Edmonson County | R | 1,243 | 2,555 | 3,828 | |
| Elliott County | D | 1,797 | 550 | 2,357 | |
| Estill County | R | 1,692 | 3,077 | 4,794 | |
| Fayette County | R | 32,554 | 48,065 | 81,525 | |
| Fleming County | R | 2,086 | 2,409 | 4,522 | |
| Floyd County | D | 12,327 | 5,296 | 17,764 | |
| Franklin County | R | 9,271 | 9,805 | 19,271 | |
| Fulton County | D | 1,531 | 1,474 | 3,016 | |
| Gallatin County | D | 1,060 | 881 | 1,952 | |
| Garrard County | R | 1,710 | 2,681 | 4,455 | |
| Grant County | R | 1,896 | 2,835 | 4,801 | |
| Graves County | D | 7,153 | 6,274 | 13,545 | |
| Grayson County | R | 2,575 | 5,186 | 7,842 | |
| Green County | R | 1,595 | 3,139 | 4,751 | |
| Greenup County | D | 6,956 | 6,559 | 13,558 | |
| Hancock County | R | 1,478 | 1,733 | 3,243 | |
| Hardin County | R | 7,262 | 13,240 | 20,599 | |
| Harlan County | D | 7,341 | 5,166 | 12,576 | |
| Harrison County | R | 2,748 | 2,983 | 5,753 | |
| Hart County | R | 2,519 | 2,927 | 5,468 | |
| Henderson County | D | 7,648 | 6,911 | 14,620 | |
| Henry County | D | 2,544 | 2,286 | 4,866 | |
| Hickman County | D | 1,158 | 1,142 | 2,315 | |
| Hopkins County | R | 7,453 | 7,979 | 15,505 | |
| Jackson County | R | 678 | 3,926 | 4,610 | |
| Jefferson County | R | 127,936 | 139,711 | 268,629 | |
| Jessamine County | R | 2,955 | 7,057 | 10,116 | |
| Johnson County | R | 3,538 | 4,619 | 8,211 | |
| Kenton County | R | 14,838 | 30,738 | 45,793 | |
| Knott County | D | 5,185 | 1,691 | 6,926 | |
| Knox County | R | 2,919 | 4,903 | 7,882 | |
| Larue County | R | 1,822 | 2,590 | 4,423 | |
| Laurel County | R | 3,620 | 9,296 | 12,994 | |
| Lawrence County | R | 2,198 | 2,294 | 4,508 | |
| Lee County | R | 984 | 1,588 | 2,590 | |
| Leslie County | R | 1,105 | 3,280 | 4,409 | |
| Letcher County | D | 4,697 | 3,601 | 8,344 | |
| Lewis County | R | 1,568 | 3,108 | 4,696 | |
| Lincoln County | R | 2,677 | 3,530 | 6,232 | |
| Livingston County | D | 2,052 | 1,834 | 3,909 | |
| Logan County | R | 3,379 | 4,295 | 7,705 | |
| Lyon County | D | 1,337 | 1,077 | 2,422 | |
| Madison County | R | 6,672 | 9,958 | 16,766 | |
| Magoffin County | D | 2,895 | 2,158 | 5,080 | |
| Marion County | D | 3,152 | 2,500 | 5,673 | |
| Marshall County | D | 5,888 | 5,256 | 11,171 | |
| Martin County | R | 1,581 | 2,587 | 4,196 | |
| Mason County | R | 2,721 | 3,158 | 5,895 | |
| McCracken County | D | 12,208 | 12,160 | 24,643 | |
| McCreary County | R | 1,644 | 3,477 | 5,193 | |
| McLean County | D | 2,269 | 1,829 | 4,111 | |
| Meade County | R | 3,079 | 3,441 | 6,545 | |
| Menifee County | D | 1,096 | 670 | 1,788 | |
| Mercer County | R | 2,832 | 3,904 | 6,843 | |
| Metcalfe County | R | 1,705 | 2,179 | 3,915 | |
| Monroe County | R | 1,025 | 4,214 | 5,266 | |
| Montgomery County | R | 3,082 | 3,435 | 6,537 | |
| Morgan County | D | 2,329 | 1,452 | 3,817 | |
| Muhlenberg County | D | 6,912 | 5,369 | 12,322 | |
| Nelson County | R | 4,788 | 5,283 | 10,179 | |
| Nicholas County | R | 1,242 | 1,271 | 2,559 | |
| Ohio County | R | 3,612 | 4,910 | 8,545 | |
| Oldham County | R | 4,025 | 8,716 | 12,792 | |
| Owen County | D | 1,823 | 1,468 | 3,311 | |
| Owsley County | R | 345 | 1,266 | 1,613 | |
| Pendleton County | R | 1,576 | 2,487 | 4,091 | |
| Perry County | D | 5,557 | 5,154 | 10,772 | |
| Pike County | D | 16,339 | 9,976 | 26,416 | |
| Powell County | R | 2,113 | 2,128 | 4,258 | |
| Pulaski County | R | 4,788 | 13,482 | 18,342 | |
| Robertson County | D | 515 | 511 | 1,035 | |
| Rockcastle County | R | 1,041 | 3,880 | 4,948 | |
| Rowan County | R | 2,968 | 3,093 | 6,077 | |
| Russell County | R | 1,455 | 4,292 | 5,777 | |
| Scott County | R | 3,380 | 4,482 | 7,908 | |
| Shelby County | R | 3,834 | 4,998 | 8,871 | |
| Simpson County | R | 2,138 | 2,699 | 4,859 | |
| Spencer County | R | 1,121 | 1,368 | 2,505 | |
| Taylor County | R | 2,879 | 5,362 | 8,280 | |
| Todd County | R | 1,632 | 2,282 | 3,958 | |
| Trigg County | R | 1,991 | 2,427 | 4,434 | |
| Trimble County | D | 1,342 | 1,083 | 2,440 | |
| Union County | D | 3,316 | 2,292 | 5,628 | |
| Warren County | R | 9,684 | 16,703 | 26,484 | |
| Washington County | R | 1,950 | 2,445 | 4,454 | |
| Wayne County | R | 2,057 | 3,672 | 5,747 | |
| Webster County | D | 3,019 | 2,159 | 5,202 | |
| Whitley County | R | 3,794 | 7,337 | 11,188 | |
| Wolfe County | D | 1,516 | 916 | 2,480 | |
| Woodford County | R | 2,653 | 4,512 | 7,204 |
Same ballot, 1988KY
Source. MIT Election Data + Science Lab — 1988 presidential returns · official county-level results. Real returns — nothing estimated.