Who won Kentucky in the 1888 presidential election?

Cleveland (Democratic) carried Kentucky in 1888, winning its 13 electoral votes.

How many electoral votes did Kentucky have in 1888?

Kentucky cast 13 electoral votes in the 1888 presidential election.

Did Kentucky vote for the national winner in 1888?

No. Kentucky backed Cleveland, while Benjamin Harrison won the presidency nationally.

Gilded AgeKY · 13 EV

1888

Kentucky: Cleveland carries 13 EV.

Kentucky cast its 13 electoral votes for Cleveland (Democratic). National winner: Benjamin Harrison (Republican) — Kentucky voted against the national winner this cycle.

What happened in Kentucky, 1888

In 1888, Kentucky awarded its 13 electoral votes to Cleveland of the Democratic party. The presidency went elsewhere: Benjamin Harrison (Republican) won nationally, while Kentucky had backed a different ticket.

Kentucky stayed in the Democratic column for the 7th straight cycle, extending a run that began in 1864. The region divided — Virginia, Tennessee, and Missouri joined Kentucky for the Democratic ticket, while Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, and Illinois did not. Over its 59 recorded presidential cycles, Kentucky has backed the Democratic party more than any other — 28 times in all. The vote fell within the Gilded Age — Industrialization, narrow margins, and patronage politics.

Nationally, Benjamin Harrison finished with 233 of the 401 electoral votes to Grover Cleveland's 168. Though Benjamin Harrison won the Electoral College, Grover Cleveland drew more of the national popular vote — 48.63% to 47.8%.

The 1888 national map

Kentucky full history →