The 1988 United States presidential election in New York took place on November 8, 1988, as part of the 1988 United States presidential election. Voters chose 36 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.
New York was won by Democratic Governor Michael Dukakis of Massachusetts with 51.62% of the popular vote over Republican Vice President George H. W. Bush of Texas, who took 47.52%, a victory margin of 4.10%. This result made New York roughly 12% more Democratic than the nation-at-large. Dukakisâ statewide victory is largely attributable to winning four of five boroughs of New York City overall with 66.2% of the vote.
Bush became the first Republican to win the White House without carrying Broome County and the first to win the White House without carrying Montgomery County since Rutherford B. Hayes in 1876.
This was the last time until 2024 that the Republican candidate would receive at least 30% of the vote in New York City.
This was the last election in which a Republican presidential nominee won heavily populated Westchester County, as well as Monroe, Onondaga, and Ulster Counties, and also the last election in which New York was decided by a single-digit margin. Beginning in 1992, the Democrats would make substantial inroads in the suburbs around New York City as well as parts of upstate, making New York a solid blue state that has gone Democratic by double-digit margins in every election since. Consequently, this is the last time a Democrat lost the state outside of the five boroughs of New York City until 2024. Rensselaer, Franklin, and St. Lawrence counties would not vote Republican again until 2016. Nassau County would not vote Republican again until 2024.