United States presidential election in Alaska, 1988

United States presidential election in Alaska, 1988
Alaska
November 8, 1988

 
Nominee George H. W. Bush Michael Dukakis
Party Republican Democratic
Home state Texas Massachusetts
Running mate Dan Quayle Lloyd Bentsen
Electoral vote 3 0
Popular vote 119,251 72,584
Percentage 59.6% 36.3%

County Results
  Dukakis—70-80%
  Dukakis—60-70%
  Dukakis—50-60%
  Bush—50-60%
  Bush—60-70%
  Bush—70-80%

President before election

Ronald Reagan
Republican

Elected President

George H. W. Bush
Republican

The 1988 United States presidential election in Alaska took place on November 8, 1988. All 50 states and the District of Columbia, were part of the 1988 United States presidential election. Alaska voters chose 3 electors to the Electoral College, which selected the President and Vice President.

Alaska was won by incumbent United States Vice President George H. W. Bush of Texas, who was running against Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis. Bush ran with Indiana Senator Dan Quayle as Vice President, and Dukakis ran with Texas Senator Lloyd Bentsen.

Alaska weighed in for this election as 6% more Republican than the national average.

Partisan background

Bush's largely socially conservative rhetoric garnered him much support among social-conservatives nationwide. Seen here at campaign rally in Omaha, Nebraska.

The presidential election of 1988 was a rather multi-partisan election for Alaska, with nearly 5% of the votes going to third party candidates.[1] Leading the third party turnout in Alaska, and with one of his best turnouts nationwide, Texas congressman Ron Paul was able to pull nearly 3% of votes in the states with the backing of the newly reformed Libertarian Party.

Republican victory

Bush won the election in Alaska with a resounding 23 point sweep-out landslide. Alaska has sent Republican electors to the electoral college during every election in its history - except in 1964, for Lyndon B. Johnson. The election results in Alaska are reflective of a nationwide reconsolidation of base for the Republican Party, which took place through the 1980s. Through the passage of some very controversial economic programs, spearheaded by then President Ronald Reagan (called, collectively, "Reaganomics"), the mid-to-late 1980's saw a period of economic growth and stability. The hallmark for Reaganomics was, in part, the wide-scale deregulation of corporate interests, and tax cuts for the wealthy.[2]

Dukakis ran on a notably socially liberal agenda, and advocated for higher economic regulation and environmental protection. Bush, alternatively, ran on a campaign of continuing the social and economic policies of former President Reagan - which gained him much support with social conservatives and people living in rural areas, who largely associated the Republican Party with the economic growth of the 1980s. Additionally, while the economic programs passed under Reagan, and furthered under Bush and Clinton, may have boosted the economy for a brief period, they are criticized by many analysts as "setting the stage" for economic troubles in the United State after 2007, such as the Great Recession.[3]

Results

United States presidential election in Alaska, 1988
Party Candidate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Republican George H. W. Bush 119,251 59.59% 3
Democratic Michael Dukakis 72,584 36.27% 0
Libertarian Ron Paul 5,484 2.74% 0
New Alliance Party Lenora Fulani 1,024 0.51% 0
Write-Ins 957 0.48% 0
Democrats for Economic Recovery Lyndon LaRouche 816 0.41% 0
Totals 200,116 100.0% 3

See also

References

  1. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". Uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved 2013-07-21.
  2. "Since 1980s, the Kindest of Tax Cuts for the Rich". The New York Times. 2012-01-18. Retrieved 2013-07-21.
  3. Jerry Lanson (2008-11-06). "A historic victory. A changed nation. Now, can Obama deliver?". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 2013-07-21.
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