Who won California in the 1988 presidential election?

Bush (Republican) carried California in 1988, winning its 47 electoral votes.

How many electoral votes did California have in 1988?

California cast 47 electoral votes in the 1988 presidential election.

Did California vote for the national winner in 1988?

Yes. California backed George H. W. Bush, who won the presidency that year.

Cold War RealignmentCA · 47 EV

1988

California: Bush carries 47 EV.

California cast its 47 electoral votes for Bush (Republican). National winner: George H. W. Bush (Republican) — California voted with the national winner this cycle.

Reading the 1988 result in California

California backed Bush (Republican) in the 1988 presidential election, casting 47 electoral votes for the ticket. California ended up on the winning side — George H. W. Bush captured the White House that year.

It marked the 6th consecutive election in which California backed the Republican party, a streak reaching back to 1968. The region divided — Nevada and Arizona joined California for the Republican ticket, while Oregon did not. Across the 44 presidential elections California has taken part in, it has most often sided with the Republican party (22 times). The vote fell within the Cold War Realignment — Nixon, Reagan, and the Republican South.

In the national count, George H. W. Bush took 426 of the 538 electoral votes, against Michael Dukakis's 111. George H. W. Bush led the national popular vote with 53.37% of the ballots cast.

The 1988 national map

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