Who won Rhode Island in the 1988 presidential election?

Dukakis (Democratic) carried Rhode Island in 1988, winning its 4 electoral votes.

How many electoral votes did Rhode Island have in 1988?

Rhode Island cast 4 electoral votes in the 1988 presidential election.

Did Rhode Island vote for the national winner in 1988?

No. Rhode Island backed Dukakis, while George H. W. Bush won the presidency nationally.

Cold War RealignmentRI · 4 EV

1988

Rhode Island: Dukakis carries 4 EV.

Rhode Island cast its 4 electoral votes for Dukakis (Democratic). National winner: George H. W. Bush (Republican) — Rhode Island voted against the national winner this cycle.

What happened in Rhode Island, 1988

In 1988, Rhode Island awarded its 4 electoral votes to Dukakis of the Democratic party. The presidency went elsewhere: George H. W. Bush (Republican) won nationally, while Rhode Island had backed a different ticket.

The result flipped Rhode Island away from the Republican it had supported in 1984. The region divided — Massachusetts joined Rhode Island for the Democratic ticket, while Connecticut did not. Over its 59 recorded presidential cycles, Rhode Island has backed the Democratic party more than any other — 25 times in all. The vote fell within the Cold War Realignment — Nixon, Reagan, and the Republican South.

Nationally, George H. W. Bush finished with 426 of the 538 electoral votes to Michael Dukakis's 111. George H. W. Bush led the national popular vote with 53.37% of the ballots cast.

The 1988 national map

Rhode Island full history →