Elections / 1988 · President · TN
Tennessee — 1988 presidential election
Recent presidential results
Akashicstate1988 presidential electionTennessee · PresidentBushR+16.3
How it voted
Share of the 1988 vote
| George H. W. Bush ✓Republican | 57.9% | 947,233 |
|---|---|---|
| Michael DukakisDemocratic | 41.5% | 679,794 |
| OtherAll other candidates | 0.6% | 9,224 |
1988presidential margin
D+60R+60
95 counties, each filled by 1988 D-vs-R margin. Hover any county for its result.
Tennessee cast 11 electoral votes this cycle.
County-level results (95 counties) — table
| County | Winner | Margin |
|---|---|---|
| Anderson County, TN | Republican | R+22.1 |
| Bedford County, TN | Republican | R+9.1 |
| Benton County, TN | Democratic | D+13.2 |
| Bledsoe County, TN | Republican | R+18.6 |
| Blount County, TN | Republican | R+35.0 |
| Bradley County, TN | Republican | R+44.1 |
| Campbell County, TN | Republican | R+10.7 |
| Cannon County, TN | Democratic | D+3.6 |
| Carroll County, TN | Republican | R+15.1 |
| Carter County, TN | Republican | R+44.1 |
| Cheatham County, TN | Republican | R+14.7 |
| Chester County, TN | Republican | R+22.5 |
| Claiborne County, TN | Republican | R+15.4 |
| Clay County, TN | Republican | R+4.3 |
| Cocke County, TN | Republican | R+43.7 |
| Coffee County, TN | Republican | R+15.8 |
| Crockett County, TN | Republican | R+11.9 |
| Cumberland County, TN | Republican | R+31.0 |
| Davidson County, TN | Republican | R+4.9 |
| Decatur County, TN | Republican | R+9.7 |
| DeKalb County, TN | Democratic | D+7.7 |
| Dickson County, TN | Republican | R+2.0 |
| Dyer County, TN | Republican | R+27.5 |
| Fayette County, TN | Republican | R+4.1 |
| Fentress County, TN | Republican | R+25.0 |
| Franklin County, TN | Democratic | D+0.6 |
| Gibson County, TN | Republican | R+5.4 |
| Giles County, TN | Democratic | D+5.3 |
| Grainger County, TN | Republican | R+31.4 |
| Greene County, TN | Republican | R+40.1 |
| Grundy County, TN | Democratic | D+25.6 |
| Hamblen County, TN | Republican | R+34.4 |
| Hamilton County, TN | Republican | R+24.7 |
| Hancock County, TN | Republican | R+27.2 |
| Hardeman County, TN | Republican | R+0.3 |
| Hardin County, TN | Republican | R+20.4 |
| Hawkins County, TN | Republican | R+28.3 |
| Haywood County, TN | Democratic | D+4.2 |
| Henderson County, TN | Republican | R+39.9 |
| Henry County, TN | Democratic | D+3.5 |
| Hickman County, TN | Democratic | D+8.1 |
| Houston County, TN | Democratic | D+24.7 |
| Humphreys County, TN | Democratic | D+17.4 |
| Jackson County, TN | Democratic | D+25.3 |
| Jefferson County, TN | Republican | R+36.4 |
| Johnson County, TN | Republican | R+47.0 |
| Knox County, TN | Republican | R+27.1 |
| Lake County, TN | Democratic | D+7.4 |
| Lauderdale County, TN | Republican | R+0.2 |
| Lawrence County, TN | Republican | R+12.3 |
| Lewis County, TN | Democratic | D+3.4 |
| Lincoln County, TN | Republican | R+7.7 |
| Loudon County, TN | Republican | R+34.1 |
| Macon County, TN | Republican | R+31.4 |
| Madison County, TN | Republican | R+21.2 |
| Marion County, TN | Republican | R+2.7 |
| Marshall County, TN | Republican | R+3.1 |
| Maury County, TN | Republican | R+14.3 |
| McMinn County, TN | Republican | R+29.8 |
| McNairy County, TN | Republican | R+13.6 |
| Meigs County, TN | Republican | R+17.9 |
| Monroe County, TN | Republican | R+22.7 |
| Montgomery County, TN | Republican | R+15.8 |
| Moore County, TN | Republican | R+3.6 |
| Morgan County, TN | Republican | R+14.0 |
| Obion County, TN | Republican | R+11.5 |
| Overton County, TN | Democratic | D+14.5 |
| Perry County, TN | Democratic | D+17.1 |
| Pickett County, TN | Republican | R+27.6 |
| Polk County, TN | Republican | R+5.1 |
| Putnam County, TN | Republican | R+18.1 |
| Rhea County, TN | Republican | R+32.8 |
| Roane County, TN | Republican | R+24.8 |
| Robertson County, TN | Democratic | D+1.5 |
| Rutherford County, TN | Republican | R+24.9 |
| Scott County, TN | Republican | R+22.7 |
| Sequatchie County, TN | Republican | R+16.1 |
| Sevier County, TN | Republican | R+53.0 |
| Shelby County, TN | Republican | R+2.5 |
| Smith County, TN | Democratic | D+8.2 |
| Stewart County, TN | Democratic | D+20.5 |
| Sullivan County, TN | Republican | R+30.6 |
| Sumner County, TN | Republican | R+24.9 |
| Tipton County, TN | Republican | R+22.5 |
| Trousdale County, TN | Democratic | D+10.3 |
| Unicoi County, TN | Republican | R+34.1 |
| Union County, TN | Republican | R+19.1 |
| Van Buren County, TN | Democratic | D+1.0 |
| Warren County, TN | Democratic | D+1.3 |
| Washington County, TN | Republican | R+31.9 |
| Wayne County, TN | Republican | R+38.2 |
| Weakley County, TN | Republican | R+14.6 |
| White County, TN | Republican | R+1.6 |
| Williamson County, TN | Republican | R+45.0 |
| Wilson County, TN | Republican | R+22.7 |
Nominees: Michael Dukakis (D) · George H. W. Bush (R)
Tennessee's presidential margins
1892–2024, the 1988 contest in context
| Year | Margin (D minus R) |
|---|---|
| 1892 | +13.5% |
| 1896 | +6.0% |
| 1900 | +8.1% |
| 1904 | +10.8% |
| 1908 | +6.9% |
| 1912 | +28.9% |
| 1916 | +13.6% |
| 1920 | −2.8% |
| 1924 | +9.3% |
| 1928 | −11.1% |
| 1932 | +34.0% |
| 1936 | +37.9% |
| 1940 | +34.9% |
| 1944 | +21.2% |
| 1948 | +12.3% |
| 1952 | −0.3% |
| 1956 | −0.6% |
| 1960 | −7.1% |
| 1964 | +11.0% |
| 1968 | −9.7% |
| 1972 | −38.0% |
| 1976 | +13.0% |
| 1980 | −0.3% |
| 1984 | −16.3% |
| 1988 | −16.3% |
| 1992 | +4.7% |
| 1996 | +2.4% |
| 2000 | −3.9% |
| 2004 | −14.3% |
| 2008 | −15.0% |
| 2012 | −20.4% |
| 2016 | −26.0% |
| 2020 | −23.2% |
| 2024 | −29.7% |
County-by-county results — 95 counties
| County | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anderson County | R | 9,589 | 15,056 | 24,788 | |
| Bedford County | R | 4,046 | 4,856 | 8,939 | |
| Benton County | D | 2,826 | 2,167 | 5,009 | |
| Bledsoe County | R | 1,274 | 1,858 | 3,147 | |
| Blount County | R | 9,602 | 20,027 | 29,776 | |
| Bradley County | R | 6,122 | 15,829 | 22,031 | |
| Campbell County | R | 4,188 | 5,197 | 9,416 | |
| Cannon County | D | 1,726 | 1,604 | 3,348 | |
| Carroll County | R | 4,151 | 5,635 | 9,830 | |
| Carter County | R | 4,634 | 12,036 | 16,778 | |
| Cheatham County | R | 3,067 | 4,132 | 7,250 | |
| Chester County | R | 1,757 | 2,781 | 4,555 | |
| Claiborne County | R | 2,977 | 4,071 | 7,082 | |
| Clay County | R | 1,183 | 1,291 | 2,493 | |
| Cocke County | R | 2,115 | 5,430 | 7,579 | |
| Coffee County | R | 5,686 | 7,837 | 13,615 | |
| Crockett County | R | 1,742 | 2,214 | 3,970 | |
| Cumberland County | R | 3,964 | 7,557 | 11,594 | |
| Davidson County | R | 89,270 | 98,599 | 188,946 | |
| Decatur County | R | 1,880 | 2,286 | 4,191 | |
| DeKalb County | D | 2,452 | 2,098 | 4,581 | |
| Dickson County | R | 5,129 | 5,343 | 10,536 | |
| Dyer County | R | 3,690 | 6,508 | 10,243 | |
| Fayette County | R | 3,292 | 3,573 | 6,921 | |
| Fentress County | R | 1,856 | 3,103 | 4,992 | |
| Franklin County | D | 5,442 | 5,381 | 10,886 | |
| Gibson County | R | 7,542 | 8,415 | 16,038 | |
| Giles County | D | 3,918 | 3,518 | 7,478 | |
| Grainger County | R | 1,423 | 2,734 | 4,174 | |
| Greene County | R | 5,077 | 11,947 | 17,132 | |
| Grundy County | D | 2,415 | 1,429 | 3,857 | |
| Hamblen County | R | 5,061 | 10,418 | 15,565 | |
| Hamilton County | R | 40,990 | 68,111 | 109,709 | |
| Hancock County | R | 737 | 1,303 | 2,082 | |
| Hardeman County | R | 3,526 | 3,547 | 7,138 | |
| Hardin County | R | 2,808 | 4,252 | 7,089 | |
| Hawkins County | R | 5,212 | 9,356 | 14,646 | |
| Haywood County | D | 2,923 | 2,687 | 5,640 | |
| Henderson County | R | 2,296 | 5,418 | 7,819 | |
| Henry County | D | 5,138 | 4,784 | 9,975 | |
| Hickman County | D | 2,643 | 2,246 | 4,918 | |
| Houston County | D | 1,467 | 882 | 2,367 | |
| Humphreys County | D | 3,037 | 2,132 | 5,188 | |
| Jackson County | D | 1,962 | 1,168 | 3,144 | |
| Jefferson County | R | 3,168 | 6,832 | 10,069 | |
| Johnson County | R | 1,329 | 3,715 | 5,079 | |
| Knox County | R | 41,829 | 73,092 | 115,521 | |
| Lake County | D | 935 | 806 | 1,750 | |
| Lauderdale County | R | 3,296 | 3,308 | 6,639 | |
| Lawrence County | R | 4,903 | 6,273 | 11,183 | |
| Lewis County | D | 1,419 | 1,324 | 2,761 | |
| Lincoln County | R | 3,672 | 4,288 | 8,017 | |
| Loudon County | R | 3,480 | 7,122 | 10,679 | |
| Macon County | R | 1,538 | 2,962 | 4,531 | |
| Madison County | R | 11,001 | 16,952 | 28,039 | |
| Marion County | R | 4,175 | 4,407 | 8,618 | |
| Marshall County | R | 2,795 | 2,975 | 5,791 | |
| Maury County | R | 6,280 | 8,397 | 14,788 | |
| McMinn County | R | 4,568 | 8,462 | 13,078 | |
| McNairy County | R | 3,510 | 4,625 | 8,191 | |
| Meigs County | R | 1,048 | 1,507 | 2,568 | |
| Monroe County | R | 4,000 | 6,355 | 10,393 | |
| Montgomery County | R | 9,145 | 12,599 | 21,856 | |
| Moore County | R | 731 | 786 | 1,530 | |
| Morgan County | R | 1,941 | 2,576 | 4,546 | |
| Obion County | R | 4,785 | 6,037 | 10,858 | |
| Overton County | D | 2,511 | 1,873 | 4,397 | |
| Perry County | D | 1,208 | 854 | 2,076 | |
| Pickett County | R | 634 | 1,118 | 1,756 | |
| Polk County | R | 2,073 | 2,297 | 4,391 | |
| Putnam County | R | 6,606 | 9,547 | 16,285 | |
| Rhea County | R | 2,595 | 5,144 | 7,776 | |
| Roane County | R | 6,535 | 10,881 | 17,497 | |
| Robertson County | D | 5,884 | 5,714 | 11,672 | |
| Rutherford County | R | 12,245 | 20,397 | 32,801 | |
| Scott County | R | 1,611 | 2,562 | 4,193 | |
| Sequatchie County | R | 1,196 | 1,659 | 2,869 | |
| Sevier County | R | 3,643 | 11,920 | 15,631 | |
| Shelby County | R | 149,759 | 157,457 | 308,988 | |
| Smith County | D | 2,522 | 2,138 | 4,686 | |
| Stewart County | D | 1,979 | 1,302 | 3,296 | |
| Sullivan County | R | 17,396 | 32,996 | 50,977 | |
| Sumner County | R | 11,702 | 19,523 | 31,389 | |
| Tipton County | R | 3,824 | 6,052 | 9,918 | |
| Trousdale County | D | 1,193 | 969 | 2,173 | |
| Unicoi County | R | 1,794 | 3,664 | 5,486 | |
| Union County | R | 1,431 | 2,110 | 3,564 | |
| Van Buren County | D | 796 | 780 | 1,580 | |
| Warren County | D | 4,646 | 4,529 | 9,218 | |
| Washington County | R | 10,087 | 19,615 | 29,887 | |
| Wayne County | R | 1,516 | 3,405 | 4,951 | |
| Weakley County | R | 4,239 | 5,701 | 9,989 | |
| White County | R | 2,562 | 2,646 | 5,249 | |
| Williamson County | R | 7,864 | 20,847 | 28,823 | |
| Wilson County | R | 8,360 | 13,317 | 21,793 |
Same ballot, 1988TN
Source. MIT Election Data + Science Lab — 1988 presidential returns · official county-level results. Real returns — nothing estimated.