U.S. presidential election, 1988

Presidential Candidate	Electoral Vote	Popular Vote	Pct	Party	Running Mate (Electoral Votes)
George H. W. Bush of Texas (W)	426	47,946,000		Republican	James Danforth Quayle of Indiana (426)
Michael Dukakis of Massachusetts	111	41,016,000		Democrat	Lloyd Bentsen of Texas (111)
Lloyd Bentsen of Texas	1			Democrat	Michael Dukakis of Massachusetts (1)
Ron Paul		432,179		Libertarian	Andre V. Marrou
Lenora B. Fulani		217,219		New Alliance
Other
Total		91,591,486	100.0%
Other elections: 1976, 1980, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000
Source: U.S. Office of the Federal Register

The election was held on November 8, 1988.

The 1988 presidential election was a wide open primary for both major parties. Ronald Reagan, the incumbant president, was vacating the position after serving the maximum two terms allowed by the Twenty-Second Amendment.

Table of contents

1 Democratic Primary
2 Republican Primary
3 General Election
4 Results

Democratic Primary

Having been badly defeated in the 1984 presidential election, the Democrats were eager to find a new approach to the presidency. Among the field of candidates were the following:

Bruce Babbitt, former Governor from Arizona
Joseph Biden, Senator from Delaware
Michael Dukakis, Governor from Massachusetts
Dick Gephardt, Representative from Missouri
Al Gore, Senator from Tennessee
Gary Hart, Senator from Colorado
Jesse Jackson, Reverend and civil rights activist
Paul Simon, Senator from Illinois

In early 1987, Senator Gary Hart was the clear frontrunner in the field (Democratic party efforts to recruit New York Governor Mario Cuomo aside). Hart had put in a strong showing in the 1984 presidential election, and had refined his campaign in the intervening years.

However, questions about extramarital affairs dogged the charismatic candidate. An exasperated Hart challenged the press to tail him. The Miami Herald did exactly that, to uncover damaging evidence of an affair with 29-year-old model Donna Rice, getting a photograph of Rice sitting on Hart's lap. On May 8, 1987, a week after the Donna Rice story broke, Hart dropped out of the race.

In December of 1987, Hart returned to the race. However the damage had been done.

Republican Primary

Notable quote: George H. W. Bush: "Read my lips: no new taxes"

General Election

Tank photograph of Dukakis
Willie Horton campaign ads
Vice Presidential debate: Bentsen to Quayle: "you're no Jack Kennedy"

Results

A West Virginia elector voted for Bentsen as President and Dukakis as Vice President in order to make a statement against the U.S. Electoral College.