Elections / 1988 · President · NJ
New Jersey — 1988 presidential election
Recent presidential results
Akashicstate1988 presidential electionNew Jersey · PresidentBushR+13.6
How it voted
Share of the 1988 vote
| George H. W. Bush ✓Republican | 56.2% | 1,743,192 |
|---|---|---|
| Michael DukakisDemocratic | 42.6% | 1,320,352 |
| OtherAll other candidates | 1.2% | 36,009 |
1988presidential margin
D+60R+60
21 counties, each filled by 1988 D-vs-R margin. Hover any county for its result.
New Jersey cast 16 electoral votes this cycle.
County-level results (21 counties) — table
| County | Winner | Margin |
|---|---|---|
| Atlantic County, NJ | Republican | R+13.5 |
| Bergen County, NJ | Republican | R+17.0 |
| Burlington County, NJ | Republican | R+17.5 |
| Camden County, NJ | Republican | R+4.9 |
| Cape May County, NJ | Republican | R+30.9 |
| Cumberland County, NJ | Republican | R+8.6 |
| Essex County, NJ | Democratic | D+16.1 |
| Gloucester County, NJ | Republican | R+18.4 |
| Hudson County, NJ | Democratic | D+7.7 |
| Hunterdon County, NJ | Republican | R+39.3 |
| Mercer County, NJ | Democratic | D+2.5 |
| Middlesex County, NJ | Republican | R+9.9 |
| Monmouth County, NJ | Republican | R+23.0 |
| Morris County, NJ | Republican | R+36.7 |
| Ocean County, NJ | Republican | R+31.5 |
| Passaic County, NJ | Republican | R+13.9 |
| Salem County, NJ | Republican | R+20.6 |
| Somerset County, NJ | Republican | R+28.5 |
| Sussex County, NJ | Republican | R+44.7 |
| Union County, NJ | Republican | R+9.5 |
| Warren County, NJ | Republican | R+29.9 |
complete certified result
New Jersey 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)
New Jersey's presidential margins
1892–2024, the 1988 contest in context
| Year | Margin (D minus R) |
|---|---|
| 1892 | +4.4% |
| 1896 | −23.6% |
| 1900 | −14.2% |
| 1904 | −18.7% |
| 1908 | −17.7% |
| 1912 | +20.7% |
| 1916 | −11.7% |
| 1920 | −39.2% |
| 1924 | −34.8% |
| 1928 | −20.0% |
| 1932 | +1.9% |
| 1936 | +20.0% |
| 1940 | +3.6% |
| 1944 | +1.4% |
| 1948 | −4.4% |
| 1952 | −14.8% |
| 1956 | −30.5% |
| 1960 | +0.8% |
| 1964 | +31.7% |
| 1968 | −2.1% |
| 1972 | −24.8% |
| 1976 | −2.2% |
| 1980 | −13.4% |
| 1984 | −20.9% |
| 1988 | −13.6% |
| 1992 | +2.4% |
| 1996 | +17.9% |
| 2000 | +15.8% |
| 2004 | +6.7% |
| 2008 | +15.6% |
| 2012 | +17.7% |
| 2016 | +14.0% |
| 2020 | +16.0% |
| 2024 | +5.9% |
County-by-county results — 21 counties
| County | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic County | R | 34,047 | 44,748 | 79,442 | |
| Bergen County | R | 160,655 | 226,885 | 389,933 | |
| Burlington County | R | 61,140 | 87,416 | 149,949 | |
| Camden County | R | 90,704 | 100,072 | 192,515 | |
| Cape May County | R | 15,105 | 28,738 | 44,117 | |
| Cumberland County | R | 21,869 | 26,024 | 48,349 | |
| Essex County | D | 156,098 | 111,491 | 276,967 | |
| Gloucester County | R | 35,479 | 51,708 | 88,117 | |
| Hudson County | D | 98,507 | 84,334 | 184,463 | |
| Hunterdon County | R | 13,758 | 31,907 | 46,182 | |
| Mercer County | D | 68,712 | 65,384 | 135,345 | |
| Middlesex County | R | 117,149 | 143,422 | 264,119 | |
| Monmouth County | R | 91,844 | 147,320 | 240,957 | |
| Morris County | R | 58,721 | 127,420 | 187,249 | |
| Ocean County | R | 64,474 | 124,587 | 190,558 | |
| Passaic County | R | 66,254 | 88,070 | 157,513 | |
| Salem County | R | 9,956 | 15,240 | 25,606 | |
| Somerset County | R | 37,406 | 67,658 | 106,193 | |
| Sussex County | R | 13,676 | 36,086 | 50,160 | |
| Union County | R | 93,158 | 112,967 | 208,153 | |
| Warren County | R | 11,640 | 21,715 | 33,666 |
Same ballot, 1988NJ
Source. MIT Election Data + Science Lab — 1988 presidential returns · official county-level results. Real returns — nothing estimated.