Ohio's Electoral Crucible
An analytical deep dive into the Buckeye State's pivotal role in the 1988 presidential election, detailing the contest between George H.W. Bush and Michael Dukakis.
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Election Overview
The Contest
The 1988 United States presidential election in Ohio was held on November 8, 1988. Ohio, a key swing state, played a crucial role in the national election. Voters in Ohio cast ballots for 23 electors to the Electoral College.
The Nominees
The election featured Republican nominee George H.W. Bush, the incumbent Vice President, running alongside Senator Dan Quayle. They faced Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis, the Governor of Massachusetts, with Senator Lloyd Bentsen as his running mate.
Ohio's Political Climate
In 1988, Ohio leaned Republican, exhibiting a partisan preference approximately 3% more Republican than the national average. This election marked a significant shift, being the first time since 1924 that Ohio's presidential vote diverged from Wisconsin's outcome.
Statewide Results
Vote Distribution
George H.W. Bush secured a decisive victory in Ohio, capturing the state's electoral votes and a majority of the popular vote. The election demonstrated a strong Republican performance across most of the state.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Electoral Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | George H. W. Bush | 2,416,549 | 55.00% | 23 | |
| Democratic | Michael Dukakis | 1,939,629 | 44.15% | 0 | |
| Not Designated | Lenora Fulani | 12,017 | 0.27% | 0 | |
| Not Designated | Ron Paul | 11,989 | 0.27% | 0 | |
| Not Designated | Lyndon LaRouche | 7,733 | 0.18% | 0 | |
| Not Designated | Edward Winn | 5,432 | 0.12% | 0 | |
| Write-Ins | 216 | >0.01% | 0 | ||
| Not Designated | Larry Holmes | 134 | >0.01% | 0 | |
| Totals | 4,393,699 | 100.0% | 23 | ||
County-Level Analysis
Vote Breakdown by County
The following table details the vote distribution across Ohio's counties, highlighting the performance of the major candidates and the margin of victory in each locality. Counties leaning Republican are indicated with a red hue, while those favoring Democrats are shown in blue.
| County | George H.W. Bush Republican |
Michael Dukakis Democratic |
Various candidates Other parties |
Margin | Total Votes Cast | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Adams | 5,916 | 60.71% | 3,740 | 38.38% | 88 | 0.91% | 2,176 | 22.33% | 9,744 |
| Allen | 31,021 | 68.97% | 13,727 | 30.52% | 227 | 0.51% | 17,294 | 38.45% | 44,975 |
| Ashland | 12,726 | 67.19% | 6,072 | 32.06% | 141 | 0.75% | 6,654 | 35.13% | 18,939 |
| Ashtabula | 17,654 | 45.79% | 20,536 | 53.26% | 366 | 0.95% | -2,882 | -7.47% | 38,556 |
| Athens | 9,314 | 45.92% | 10,795 | 53.23% | 172 | 0.85% | -1,481 | -7.31% | 20,281 |
| Auglaize | 13,562 | 73.39% | 4,756 | 25.74% | 161 | 0.87% | 8,806 | 47.65% | 18,479 |
| Belmont | 12,214 | 38.20% | 19,515 | 61.04% | 244 | 0.76% | -7,301 | -22.84% | 31,973 |
| Brown | 7,539 | 59.37% | 5,047 | 39.75% | 112 | 0.88% | 2,492 | 19.62% | 12,698 |
| Butler | 75,725 | 68.71% | 33,770 | 30.64% | 713 | 0.65% | 41,955 | 38.07% | 110,208 |
| Carroll | 6,179 | 56.20% | 4,667 | 42.45% | 148 | 1.35% | 1,512 | 13.75% | 10,994 |
| Champaign | 8,995 | 67.29% | 4,272 | 31.96% | 101 | 0.75% | 4,723 | 35.33% | 13,368 |
| Clark | 32,729 | 57.92% | 23,247 | 41.14% | 527 | 0.94% | 9,482 | 16.78% | 56,503 |
| Clermont | 37,417 | 70.49% | 15,352 | 28.92% | 316 | 0.59% | 22,065 | 41.57% | 53,085 |
| Clinton | 8,856 | 69.74% | 3,746 | 29.50% | 97 | 0.76% | 5,110 | 40.24% | 12,699 |
| Columbiana | 21,175 | 49.08% | 21,581 | 50.03% | 384 | 0.89% | -406 | -0.95% | 43,140 |
| Coshocton | 8,282 | 57.09% | 6,020 | 41.50% | 204 | 1.41% | 2,262 | 15.59% | 14,506 |
| Crawford | 12,472 | 66.70% | 6,018 | 32.18% | 210 | 1.12% | 6,454 | 34.52% | 18,700 |
| Cuyahoga | 242,439 | 40.33% | 353,401 | 58.79% | 5,277 | 0.88% | -110,962 | -18.46% | 601,117 |
| Darke | 14,914 | 67.93% | 6,851 | 31.21% | 189 | 0.86% | 8,063 | 36.72% | 21,954 |
| Defiance | 9,566 | 63.13% | 5,448 | 35.95% | 139 | 0.92% | 4,118 | 27.18% | 15,153 |
| Delaware | 20,693 | 72.61% | 7,590 | 26.63% | 215 | 0.76% | 13,103 | 45.98% | 28,498 |
| Erie | 16,670 | 51.77% | 15,097 | 46.89% | 431 | 1.34% | 1,573 | 4.88% | 32,198 |
| Fairfield | 29,208 | 69.46% | 12,504 | 29.74% | 339 | 0.80% | 16,704 | 39.72% | 42,051 |
| Fayette | 6,186 | 69.72% | 2,623 | 29.56% | 64 | 0.72% | 3,563 | 40.16% | 8,873 |
| Franklin | 226,265 | 59.96% | 147,585 | 39.11% | 3,507 | 0.93% | 78,680 | 20.85% | 377,357 |
| Fulton | 10,230 | 66.31% | 5,076 | 32.90% | 122 | 0.79% | 5,154 | 33.41% | 15,428 |
| Gallia | 7,399 | 59.92% | 4,834 | 39.14% | 116 | 0.94% | 2,565 | 20.78% | 12,349 |
| Geauga | 22,339 | 64.55% | 11,874 | 34.31% | 395 | 1.14% | 10,465 | 30.24% | 34,608 |
| Greene | 34,432 | 65.14% | 18,025 | 34.10% | 399 | 0.76% | 16,407 | 31.04% | 52,856 |
| Guernsey | 8,507 | 58.42% | 5,926 | 40.69% | 130 | 0.89% | 2,581 | 17.73% | 14,563 |
| Hamilton | 227,004 | 61.29% | 140,354 | 37.89% | 3,026 | 0.82% | 86,650 | 23.40% | 370,384 |
| Hancock | 19,896 | 71.97% | 7,435 | 26.90% | 312 | 1.13% | 12,461 | 45.07% | 27,643 |
| Hardin | 7,291 | 62.82% | 4,145 | 35.71% | 170 | 1.47% | 3,146 | 27.11% | 11,606 |
| Harrison | 3,298 | 45.48% | 3,881 | 53.52% | 73 | 1.00% | -583 | -8.04% | 7,252 |
| Henry | 8,618 | 69.12% | 3,764 | 30.19% | 86 | 0.69% | 4,854 | 38.93% | 12,468 |
| Highland | 8,776 | 66.60% | 4,278 | 32.46% | 124 | 0.94% | 4,498 | 34.14% | 13,178 |
| Hocking | 5,426 | 58.70% | 3,706 | 40.10% | 111 | 1.20% | 1,720 | 18.60% | 9,243 |
| Holmes | 5,064 | 69.22% | 2,179 | 29.78% | 73 | 1.00% | 2,885 | 39.44% | 7,316 |
| Huron | 12,633 | 61.20% | 7,794 | 37.76% | 215 | 1.04% | 4,839 | 23.44% | 20,642 |
| Jackson | 6,671 | 59.21% | 4,505 | 39.98% | 91 | 0.81% | 2,166 | 19.23% | 11,267 |
| Jefferson | 14,141 | 38.73% | 22,095 | 60.52% | 273 | 0.75% | -7,954 | -21.79% | 36,509 |
| Knox | 12,180 | 63.44% | 6,882 | 35.84% | 138 | 0.72% | 5,298 | 27.60% | 19,200 |
| Lake | 52,963 | 56.63% | 39,667 | 42.41% | 894 | 0.96% | 13,296 | 14.22% | 93,524 |
| Lawrence | 12,937 | 52.23% | 11,628 | 46.95% | 203 | 0.82% | 1,309 | 5.28% | 24,768 |
| Licking | 34,540 | 66.72% | 16,793 | 32.44% | 434 | 0.84% | 17,747 | 34.28% | 51,767 |
| Logan | 11,099 | 70.71% | 4,484 | 28.57% | 114 | 0.72% | 6,615 | 42.14% | 15,697 |
| Lorain | 50,410 | 47.14% | 55,600 | 52.00% | 916 | 0.86% | -5,190 | -4.86% | 106,926 |
| Lucas | 83,788 | 45.27% | 99,755 | 53.89% | 1,552 | 0.84% | -15,967 | -8.62% | 185,095 |
| Madison | 8,303 | 70.26% | 3,421 | 28.95% | 93 | 0.79% | 4,882 | 41.31% | 11,817 |
| Mahoning | 43,722 | 36.40% | 75,524 | 62.87% | 880 | 0.73% | -31,802 | -26.47% | 120,126 |
| Marion | 14,864 | 60.13% | 9,596 | 38.82% | 258 | 1.05% | 5,268 | 21.31% | 24,718 |
| Medina | 29,962 | 60.08% | 19,505 | 39.11% | 407 | 0.81% | 10,457 | 20.97% | 49,874 |
| Meigs | 5,486 | 59.14% | 3,699 | 39.88% | 91 | 0.98% | 1,787 | 19.26% | 9,276 |
| Mercer | 11,162 | 68.54% | 4,978 | 30.57% | 146 | 0.89% | 6,184 | 37.97% | 16,286 |
| Miami | 24,915 | 68.38% | 11,138 | 30.57% | 381 | 1.05% | 13,777 | 37.81% | 36,434 |
| Monroe | 2,557 | 37.20% | 4,269 | 62.10% | 48 | 0.70% | -1,712 | -24.90% | 6,874 |
| Montgomery | 131,596 | 57.48% | 95,737 | 41.82% | 1,610 | 0.70% | 35,859 | 15.66% | 228,943 |
| Morgan | 3,713 | 63.37% | 2,085 | 35.59% | 61 | 1.04% | 1,628 | 27.78% | 5,859 |
| Morrow | 7,130 | 66.26% | 3,515 | 32.67% | 115 | 1.07% | 3,615 | 33.59% | 10,760 |
| Muskingum | 19,736 | 62.31% | 11,691 | 36.91% | 247 | 0.78% | 8,045 | 25.40% | 31,674 |
| Noble | 3,155 | 59.44% | 2,079 | 39.17% | 74 | 1.39% | 1,076 | 20.27% | 5,308 |
| Ottawa | 9,352 | 53.39% | 8,038 | 45.89% | 127 | 0.72% | 1,314 | 7.50% | 17,517 |
| Paulding | 5,381 | 62.78% | 3,114 | 36.33% | 76 | 0.89% | 2,267 | 26.45% | 8,571 |
| Perry | 6,602 | 56.28% | 5,011 | 42.72% | 118 | 1.00% | 1,591 | 13.56% | 11,731 |
| Pickaway | 10,796 | 68.36% | 4,905 | 31.06% | 93 | 0.58% | 5,891 | 37.30% | 15,794 |
| Pike | 5,611 | 51.39% | 5,191 | 47.54% | 117 | 1.07% | 420 | 3.85% | 10,919 |
| Portage | 26,334 | 50.18% | 25,607 | 48.79% | 539 | 1.03% | 727 | 1.39% | 52,480 |
| Preble | 10,297 | 66.95% | 4,937 | 32.10% | 147 | 0.95% | 5,360 | 34.85% | 15,381 |
| Putnam | 11,183 | 73.09% | 4,004 | 26.17% | 114 | 0.74% | 7,179 | 46.92% | 15,301 |
| Richland | 30,047 | 60.04% | 19,617 | 39.20% | 383 | 0.76% | 10,430 | 20.84% | 50,047 |
| Ross | 14,563 | 60.39% | 9,271 | 38.45% | 279 | 1.16% | 5,292 | 21.94% | 24,113 |
| Sandusky | 14,203 | 58.61% | 9,709 | 40.07% | 320 | 1.32% | 4,494 | 18.54% | 24,232 |
| Scioto | 16,029 | 52.11% | 14,442 | 46.95% | 289 | 0.94% | 1,587 | 5.16% | 30,760 |
| Seneca | 13,704 | 58.49% | 9,504 | 40.56% | 222 | 0.95% | 4,200 | 17.93% | 23,430 |
| Shelby | 12,198 | 70.00% | 5,065 | 29.07% | 162 | 0.93% | 7,133 | 40.93% | 17,425 |
| Stark | 87,087 | 55.08% | 69,639 | 44.05% | 1,370 | 0.87% | 17,448 | 11.03% | 158,096 |
| Summit | 101,155 | 46.92% | 112,612 | 52.23% | 1,822 | 0.85% | -11,457 | -5.31% | 215,589 |
| Trumbull | 38,815 | 39.51% | 58,674 | 59.72% | 761 | 0.77% | -19,859 | -20.21% | 98,250 |
| Tuscarawas | 17,145 | 54.28% | 14,185 | 44.90% | 259 | 0.82% | 2,960 | 9.38% | 31,589 |
| Union | 8,846 | 73.28% | 3,130 | 25.93% | 95 | 0.79% | 5,716 | 47.35% | 12,071 |
| Van Wert | 9,410 | 70.56% | 3,848 | 28.85% | 78 | 0.59% | 5,562 | 41.71% | 13,336 |
| Vinton | 2,652 | 52.19% | 2,385 | 46.94% | 44 | 0.87% | 267 | 5.25% | 5,081 |
| Warren | 31,419 | 73.38% | 11,145 | 26.03% | 254 | 0.59% | 20,274 | 47.35% | 42,818 |
| Washington | 14,767 | 59.27% | 9,967 | 40.00% | 182 | 0.73% | 4,800 | 19.27% | 24,916 |
| Wayne | 22,320 | 61.64% | 13,571 | 37.48% | 317 | 0.88% | 8,749 | 24.16% | 36,208 |
| Williams | 10,782 | 69.18% | 4,666 | 29.94% | 137 | 0.88% | 6,116 | 39.24% | 15,585 |
| Wood | 26,013 | 57.89% | 18,579 | 41.35% | 341 | 0.76% | 7,434 | 16.54% | 44,933 |
| Wyandot | 6,178 | 66.87% | 2,936 | 31.78% | 125 | 1.35% | 3,242 | 35.09% | 9,239 |
| Totals | 2,416,549 | 55.00% | 1,939,629 | 44.15% | 37,521 | 0.85% | 476,920 | 10.85% | 4,393,699 |
Key Trends and Observations
County Shifts
A notable aspect of the 1988 election in Ohio was the number of counties that shifted their allegiance from the Republican column in previous elections to the Democratic column in this contest. These shifts often indicate subtle changes in the electorate's mood or specific local dynamics.
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic support in 1988 included:
- Ashtabula
- Athens
- Columbiana
- Harrison
- Lorain
- Lucas
- Summit
Bellwether Status
Ohio's consistent role as a bellwether state in presidential elections underscores its importance. The 1988 outcome, with Bush securing a double-digit victory, reflected a broader national trend favoring the Republican party, building on the Reagan era's popularity.
Urban vs. Rural Divide
The results illustrate a common pattern in American elections: urban centers and surrounding suburban areas tended to favor the Democratic candidate, Michael Dukakis. Conversely, rural counties and more conservative suburban regions predominantly supported the Republican nominee, George H.W. Bush. This contrast is particularly evident when comparing Cuyahoga County (Cleveland) with more rural or exurban areas.
National Context
The National Landscape
The 1988 election took place during the final year of Ronald Reagan's presidency. George H.W. Bush, as Reagan's Vice President, largely campaigned on continuity and the success of Reagan's economic policies. His campaign slogan, "Read my lips: no new taxes," resonated with many voters.
Campaign Themes
Michael Dukakis's campaign focused on competence and economic management, but struggled to connect with voters on an emotional level and faced effective attacks from the Bush campaign regarding his record as Governor of Massachusetts. The national outcome mirrored Ohio's results, with Bush winning the presidency.
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Important Considerations
This content has been generated by an AI model for educational purposes, drawing upon data from Wikipedia. While efforts have been made to ensure accuracy and adherence to the source material, users should critically evaluate the information presented.
This is not political commentary or endorsement. The data presented reflects historical election results and analysis derived from publicly available sources. It is intended for academic study and understanding electoral patterns, not as a basis for political decision-making or opinion formation.
The creators of this page are not responsible for any interpretations or actions taken based on the information provided herein. Always consult primary sources and scholarly analyses for comprehensive understanding.