1988 United States presidential election in New Jersey

The 1988 United States presidential election in New Jersey took place on November 8, 1988. All 50 states and the District of Columbia, were part of the 1988 United States presidential election. Voters chose 16 electors to the Electoral College, which selected the president and vice president. New Jersey was won by incumbent Republican Vice President George H. W. Bush of Texas, who was running against Democratic Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis. Bush ran with Indiana Senator Dan Quayle while Dukakis ran with Texas Senator Lloyd Bentsen.

Bush carried New Jersey with 56.24% of the vote, while Dukakis received 42.60%, a 13.64% margin of victory. New Jersey weighed in for this election as almost 6 percentage points more Republican than the national average. Bush won 18 of New Jersey's 21 counties, with Dukakis only winning the heavily Democratic counties of Mercer, Essex, and Hudson.

As of the 2024 presidential election, this is the last time that New Jersey would vote Republican in a presidential election, as well as the last time that the Republican nominee has carried the following counties: Burlington, Camden, Middlesex, and Union.Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016 All of these counties would become reliably Democratic in every election that has followed, as northern suburban voters shifted away from the GOP in the 1990s. Gloucester County would not vote Republican again until 2016. Atlantic and Cumberland counties would not vote Republican again until 2024.

Campaign Opinion polling Poll sourceDate(s) administeredSample sizeMarginMichaelDukakis (D)GeorgeBush (R)Other/ UndecidedThe Star-Ledger/EagletonMay 18–26, 1988570 LV±4.2%50%36%15%54%40%6%The Star-Ledger/EagletonSeptember 16–22, 1988505 LV±4.5%44%47%9%47%49%4%The Star-Ledger/EagletonSeptember 26–29, 1988514 LV±4.5%42%47%11%46%49%5%The Star-Ledger/EagletonOctober 17–25, 1988774 RV±3.5%38%52%10%39%55%6%The Star-Ledger/EagletonNovember 3–6, 19881,183 RV±2.9%35%54%11%37%56%7%954 LV±3.3%35%54%11%37%56%7%

Results 1988 United States presidential election in New JerseyPartyCandidateVotesPercentageElectoral votes Republican George H. W. Bush 1,743,192 56.24% 16 Democratic Michael Dukakis 1,320,352 42.60% 0 Peace and Freedom Party Herbert Lewin 9,953 0.32% 0 Libertarian Ron Paul 8,421 0.27% 0 New Alliance Party Lenora Fulani 5,139 0.17% 0 Progressive Eugene McCarthy 3,454 0.11% 0 Socialist Willa Kenoyer 2,587 0.08% 0 America First David Duke 2,446 0.08% 0 Socialist Workers Party James Warren 2,298 0.07% 0 Workers World Larry Holmes 1,020 0.03% 0 Socialist Equality Party Edward Winn 691 0.02% 0 Totals 3,099,553 100.0% 16 Voter Turnout (Voting age/Registered) 52%/77%

Results by county County George H.W. BushRepublican Michael DukakisDemocratic Various candidatesOther parties Margin Total votes cast # % # % # % # % Atlantic 44,748 56.33% 34,047 42.86% 647 0.81% 10,701 13.47% 79,442 Bergen 226,885 58.19% 160,655 41.20% 2,393 0.61% 66,230 16.99% 389,933 Burlington 87,416 58.30% 61,140 40.77% 1,393 0.93% 26,276 17.53% 149,949 Camden 100,072 51.98% 90,704 47.12% 1,739 0.90% 9,368 4.86% 192,515 Cape May 28,738 65.14% 15,105 34.24% 274 0.62% 13,633 30.90% 44,117 Cumberland 26,024 53.83% 21,869 45.23% 456 0.94% 4,155 8.60% 48,349 Essex 111,491 40.25% 156,098 56.36% 9,378 3.39% -44,607 -16.11% 276,967 Gloucester 51,708 58.68% 35,479 40.26% 930 1.06% 16,229 18.42% 88,117 Hudson 84,334 45.72% 98,507 53.40% 1,622 0.88% -14,173 -7.68% 184,463 Hunterdon 31,907 69.09% 13,758 29.79% 517 1.12% 18,149 39.30% 46,182 Mercer 65,384 48.31% 68,712 50.77% 1,249 0.92% -3,328 -2.46% 135,345 Middlesex 143,422 54.30% 117,149 44.35% 3,548 1.34% 26,273 9.95% 264,119 Monmouth 147,320 61.14% 91,844 38.12% 1,793 0.74% 55,476 23.02% 240,957 Morris 127,420 68.05% 58,721 31.36% 1,108 0.59% 68,699 36.69% 187,249 Ocean 124,587 65.38% 64,474 33.83% 1,497 0.79% 60,113 31.55% 190,558 Passaic 88,070 55.91% 66,254 42.06% 3,189 2.02% 21,816 13.85% 157,513 Salem 15,240 59.52% 9,956 38.88% 410 1.60% 5,284 20.64% 25,606 Somerset 67,658 63.71% 37,406 35.22% 1,129 1.06% 30,252 28.49% 106,193 Sussex 36,086 71.94% 13,676 27.26% 398 0.79% 22,410 44.68% 50,160 Union 112,967 54.27% 93,158 44.75% 2,028 0.97% 19,809 9.52% 208,153 Warren 21,715 64.50% 11,640 34.57% 311 0.92% 10,075 29.93% 33,666Totals1,743,19256.24%1,320,35242.60%36,0091.16%422,84013.64%3,099,553 Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic Hudson Mercer

By congressional district Bush won 12 of 14 congressional districts, including six that elected Democrats.

District Dukakis Bush Representative 47.5% 52.5%James Florio 41.2% 58.8%William J. Hughes 37.5% 62.5%James J. HowardFrank Pallone 44.2% 55.8%Chris Smith 33.3% 66.7%Marge Roukema 46.7% 53.3%Bernard J. Dwyer 40.7% 59.3%Matthew J. Rinaldo 45.5% 54.5%Robert A. Roe 46.4% 53.6%Robert Torricelli 74.3% 19.7%Peter RodinoDonald M. Payne 35.2% 64.8%Dean Gallo 37.7% 62.3%Jim Courter 38.2% 61.8%Jim Saxton 55.1% 44.9%Frank Guarini

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

References