1988 United States elections
| ← electoral votes won by each candidate. | |
| Senate elections | |
|---|---|
| Overall control | Democratic hold |
| Seats contested | 33 of 100 seats |
| Net seat change | Democratic +1 |
 | |
| 1988 Senate results
Democratic gain Democratic hold | |
| House elections | |
| Overall control | Democratic hold |
| Seats contested | All 435 voting members |
| Popular vote margin | Democratic +7.7% |
| Net seat change | Democratic +2 |
 | |
| 1988 House of Representatives results
Democratic gain Democratic hold | |
| Gubernatorial elections | |
| Seats contested | 14 (12 states, 2 territories) |
| Net seat change | Democratic +1 |
 | |
| 1988 gubernatorial election results Territorial races not shown Democratic gain Democratic hold | |
The 1988 United States elections were held on November 8 and elected the President of the United States and members of the 101st United States Congress. Republican Vice President George H. W. Bush defeated Democratic Governor of Massachusetts Michael Dukakis. Despite Dukakis' defeat, the Democratic Party built on their majorities in Congress.
In the
Neither the Senate nor the House saw any significant partisan change, and the Democratic Party retained control of both chambers. In the gubernatorial elections, the Democratic Party picked up one governorship. This was the first election since 1960 to see the winning presidential candidate's party fail to have any coattails in either house of Congress. This is the second and most recent time since 1889 that a newly elected President's party did not control either house of Congress.
Federal elections
Presidential election
Incumbent
Running an aggressive campaign, Bush concentrated on the economy and continuing Reagan's policies. He attacked Dukakis as an elitist "
Senate elections
Despite Bush's victory, the Democrats gained a net of one seat in the Senate. Seven seats changed parties, with four incumbents being defeated. The Democratic majority in the Senate increased by one from 54–46 to 55–45.
House of Representatives elections
Democrats won the nationwide popular vote for the House of Representatives by a margin of 7.7 percentage points, picking up a net of two seats.[2]
State elections
The Democrats had a net gain of one seat in the gubernatorial elections.
References
- ^ "1988 Presidential Election". The American Presidency Project. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
- ^ "Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 8, 1988" (PDF). U.S. House of Reps, Office of the Clerk. Retrieved 10 April 2017.