1988
West Virginia in 1988
The 1988 contest saw West Virginia line up behind Dukakis, delivering 6 electoral votes to the Democratic ticket. The presidency went elsewhere: George H. W. Bush (Republican) won nationally, while West Virginia had backed a different ticket.
The result flipped West Virginia away from the Republican it had supported in 1984. The region divided — Pennsylvania and Maryland joined West Virginia for the Democratic ticket, while Ohio, Virginia, and Kentucky did not. Over its 41 recorded presidential cycles, West Virginia has backed the Democratic party more than any other — 22 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.
West Virginia in nearby cycles
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