Massachusetts — 1988 presidential election
Recent presidential results
Akashicstate1988 presidential electionMassachusetts · PresidentDukakisD+7.9
How it voted
Share of the 1988 vote
| Michael Dukakis ✓Democratic | 53.2% | 1,401,415 |
|---|---|---|
| George H. W. BushRepublican | 45.4% | 1,194,635 |
| OtherAll other candidates | 1.4% | 36,755 |
1988presidential margin
D+60R+60
14 counties, each filled by 1988 D-vs-R margin. Hover any county for its result.
Massachusetts cast 13 electoral votes this cycle.
County-level results (14 counties) — table
| County | Winner | Margin |
|---|---|---|
| Barnstable County, MA | Republican | R+0.9 |
| Berkshire County, MA | Democratic | D+22.4 |
| Bristol County, MA | Democratic | D+12.4 |
| Dukes County, MA | Democratic | D+29.2 |
| Essex County, MA | Democratic | D+1.0 |
| Franklin County, MA | Democratic | D+17.6 |
| Hampden County, MA | Democratic | D+13.0 |
| Hampshire County, MA | Democratic | D+23.9 |
| Middlesex County, MA | Democratic | D+10.7 |
| Nantucket County, MA | Democratic | D+19.8 |
| Norfolk County, MA | Democratic | D+3.2 |
| Plymouth County, MA | Republican | R+10.9 |
| Suffolk County, MA | Democratic | D+29.7 |
| Worcester County, MA | Republican | R+2.3 |
Massachusetts results by county
14 counties. Third-party and independent votes are reported by the county source as one combined figure; every named candidate is listed in the complete result below.
| Led by | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnstable County | George H. W. Bush+929 | 48,74748.8% | 49,67649.7% | 1,4491.5% | 99,872 |
| Berkshire County | Michael Dukakis+14,101 | 38,21760.8% | 24,11638.4% | 5260.8% | 62,859 |
| Bristol County | Michael Dukakis+24,057 | 107,85455.7% | 83,79743.3% | 1,8791.0% | 193,530 |
| Dukes County | Michael Dukakis+2,054 | 4,49564.0% | 2,44134.7% | 891.3% | 7,025 |
| Essex County | Michael Dukakis+3,202 | 151,81649.7% | 148,61448.6% | 5,0701.7% | 305,500 |
| Franklin County | Michael Dukakis+5,835 | 19,31058.3% | 13,47540.7% | 3381.0% | 33,123 |
| Hampden County | Michael Dukakis+22,460 | 97,33256.1% | 74,87243.2% | 1,2160.7% | 173,420 |
| Hampshire County | Michael Dukakis+15,503 | 39,83461.4% | 24,33137.5% | 7501.2% | 64,915 |
| Middlesex County | Michael Dukakis+71,211 | 361,56354.6% | 290,35243.8% | 10,7131.6% | 662,628 |
| Nantucket County | Michael Dukakis+740 | 2,20959.2% | 1,46939.4% | 531.4% | 3,731 |
| Norfolk County | Michael Dukakis+9,983 | 160,28950.9% | 150,30647.7% | 4,4611.4% | 315,056 |
| Plymouth County | George H. W. Bush+21,097 | 84,58743.7% | 105,68454.6% | 3,2091.7% | 193,480 |
| Suffolk County | Michael Dukakis+66,540 | 143,67764.0% | 77,13734.4% | 3,5961.6% | 224,410 |
| Worcester County | George H. W. Bush+6,880 | 141,48548.2% | 148,36550.6% | 3,4061.2% | 293,256 |
Nominees: Michael Dukakis (D) · George H. W. Bush (R)
Massachusetts's presidential margins
1892–2024, the 1988 contest in context
| Year | Margin (D minus R) |
|---|---|
| 1892 | −6.6% |
| 1896 | −43.1% |
| 1900 | −19.7% |
| 1904 | −20.7% |
| 1908 | −24.2% |
| 1912 | +3.6% |
| 1916 | −3.9% |
| 1920 | −40.7% |
| 1924 | −37.3% |
| 1928 | +1.1% |
| 1932 | +4.0% |
| 1936 | +9.5% |
| 1940 | +6.7% |
| 1944 | +5.8% |
| 1948 | +11.5% |
| 1952 | −8.8% |
| 1956 | −18.9% |
| 1960 | +20.7% |
| 1964 | +52.7% |
| 1968 | +30.1% |
| 1972 | +9.0% |
| 1976 | +15.7% |
| 1980 | −0.2% |
| 1984 | −2.8% |
| 1988 | +7.9% |
| 1992 | +18.5% |
| 1996 | +33.4% |
| 2000 | +27.3% |
| 2004 | +25.2% |
| 2008 | +25.8% |
| 2012 | +23.1% |
| 2016 | +26.8% |
| 2020 | +33.2% |
| 2024 | +25.2% |
Same ballot, 1988MA
Source. MIT Election Data + Science Lab — 1988 presidential returns · official county-level results. Real returns — nothing estimated.