The 1988 United States presidential election in Massachusetts took place on November 8, 1988, as part of the 1988 United States presidential election, which was held throughout all 50 states and D.C. Voters chose 13 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Massachusetts voted for Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis, the state's governor, over Republican Vice President George H. W. Bush. The Commonwealth was both candidates' birth state and 1988 was the most recent cycle in which both major party candidates have shared a birth state.

Dukakis, the sitting governor of Massachusetts, won his home state with 53.23% of the vote to Bush's 45.38%, a 7.85% margin of victory. This made it one of ten states (plus the District of Columbia) to vote for Dukakis, even though Bush won a convincing electoral victory nationwide. Massachusetts was a solid 16% more Democratic than the national average in 1988. Massachusetts had been a Democratic-leaning state since 1928, and a Democratic stronghold since 1960. Although it was already a Democratic-leaning state, this would be the last time that Republicans would be at all competitive in Massachusetts. Not only has it continued to vote Democratic in every presidential election that followed, but no Republican since has broken 40% in Massachusetts, or even won a single county or congressional district in the state.

This was also the last time that a Republican presidential nominee won any of the state's 14 counties, namely Barnstable, Plymouth, and Worcester Counties. Dukakis won 11 counties in Massachusetts to Bush's three. Dukakis's strongest county was Suffolk County, home to the state's capital and largest city, Boston, where he took 64.02% of the vote. Bush's strongest county win was suburban Plymouth County, where he took 54.62% of the vote; however, Bush became the first Republican president to win the White House without carrying Franklin County and Nantucket County. Since favorite son presidential nominee John F. Kennedy won the presidency in 1960, Dukakis became the first of three major party nominees from Massachusetts to lose a presidential race. John Kerry (U.S. senator) and Mitt Romney (former governor) lost the 2004 and 2012 presidential elections, respectively.

As of 2024, this was the last time that the cities of Amesbury, Attleboro, Beverly, Braintree, Brockton, Franklin, Leominster, Marlborough, and Methuen and the towns of Abington, Alford, Auburn, Avon, Ayer, Barnstable, Bedford, Bernardston, Bolton, Boxborough, Buckland, Burlington, Canton, Carlisle, Charlemont, Chelmsford, Clinton, Cummington, Danvers, Dedham, Dennis, Erving, Essex Gosnold, Grafton, Groton, Hancock, Harvard, Harwich, Hawley, Holbrook, Holliston, Hopedale, Hudson, Ipswich, Littleton, Longmeadow, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Mansfield, Marblehead, Marion, Mattapoisett, Medway, Milton, Mount Washington, Needham, New Ashford, New Salem, Newbury, Northborough, Norton, Peru, Petersham, Plymouth, Reading, Savoy, Sheffield, Shelburne, Shirley, Shrewsbury, Southborough, Southampton, Stow, Sudbury, Wakefield, Wellesley, West Newbury, Westborough, Westford, Westhampton, Weston, Winchester, Windsor, and Yarmouth voted Republican.

Results 1988 United States presidential election in MassachusettsPartyCandidateVotesPercentageElectoral votes Democratic Michael Dukakis 1,401,406 53.23% 13 Republican George H. W. Bush 1,194,644 45.38% 0 Libertarian Ron Paul 24,251 0.92% 0 New Alliance Lenora Fulani 9,561 0.36% 0 Write-ins Write-ins 2,910 0.11% 0 Prohibition (Write-in) Earl Dodge 18 0.00% 0 Socialist (Write-in) Willa Kenoyer 15 0.00% 0 Totals 2,632,805 100.00% 13 Voter Turnout (Voting age/Registered) 58%/80%

Results by congressional district Dukakis won 9 of 11 congressional districts, including the 1st district, which simultaneously elected Republican Silvio O. Conte to the House of Representatives. Bush won the 3rd and 5th districts, which simultaneously elected Democrats to the House. District Bush Dukakis Representative 41% 58%Silvio O. Conte47%52%Edward BolandRichard Neal 50% 49%Joseph D. Early 42% 57%Barney Frank 51% 47%Chester G. Atkins 48% 50%Nicholas Mavroules 45% 53%Ed Markey 33% 66%Joseph P. Kennedy II 45% 54%Joe Moakley 48% 51%Gerry Studds 47% 51%Brian J. Donnelly

Results by county County Michael DukakisDemocratic George H.W. BushRepublican Various candidatesOther parties Margin Total votes cast # % # % # % # % Barnstable 48,747 48.81% 49,676 49.74% 1,449 1.45% -929 -0.93% 99,872 Berkshire 38,208 60.78% 24,125 38.38% 526 0.84% 14,083 22.40% 62,859 Bristol 107,854 55.73% 83,797 43.30% 1,879 0.97% 24,057 12.43% 193,530 Dukes 4,495 63.99% 2,441 34.75% 89 1.26% 2,054 29.24% 7,025 Essex 151,816 49.69% 148,614 48.65% 5,070 1.66% 3,202 1.04% 305,500 Franklin 19,310 58.30% 13,475 40.68% 338 1.02% 5,835 17.62% 33,123 Hampden 97,332 56.13% 74,872 43.17% 1,216 0.70% 22,460 12.96% 173,420 Hampshire 39,834 61.36% 24,331 37.48% 750 1.16% 15,503 23.88% 64,915 Middlesex 361,563 54.57% 290,352 43.82% 10,713 1.61% 71,211 10.75% 662,628 Nantucket 2,209 59.21% 1,469 39.37% 53 1.42% 740 19.84% 3,731 Norfolk 160,289 50.88% 150,306 47.71% 4,461 1.41% 9,983 3.17% 315,056 Plymouth 84,587 43.72% 105,684 54.62% 3,209 1.66% -21,097 -10.90% 193,480 Suffolk 143,677 64.02% 77,137 34.37% 3,596 1.61% 66,540 29.65% 224,410 Worcester 141,485 48.25% 148,365 50.59% 3,406 1.16% -6,880 -2.34% 293,256Totals1,401,41553.23%1,194,63545.37%36,7551.40%206,7807.86%2,632,805

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

Berkshire Essex Franklin Hampden Nantucket Norfolk

See also Presidency of George H. W. Bush United States presidential elections in Massachusetts

References