1988 United States presidential election in Illinois

The 1988 United States presidential election in Illinois took place on November 8, 1988. All 50 states and the District of Columbia were part of the 1988 United States presidential election. State voters chose 24 electors to the Electoral College, which selected the president and vice president.

Illinois 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.

Illinois weighed in for this election as 5.4% more Democratic than the national average. Bush won the election in rapidly liberalizing Illinois with a narrow 2-point margin. Like the neighboring state of Missouri, Bush's performance here was far below that of President Ronald Reagan's just four years earlier. Bush's loss of many down-state rural counties, combined with Dukakis's stronger than normal performance across much of the state, especially in Cook County, which houses the Chicago area, made the election results in this state much closer than usual.

The presidential election of 1988 was a very partisan election for Illinois, with more than 99% of the electorate voting for either the Democratic or Republican parties, and only five political parties listed as options on the ballot statewide. As of the 2020 presidential election, this was the last time that Illinois voted Republican in a presidential election. 1988 is also the most recent election in which Peoria County and Champaign County voted for a Republican presidential candidate, as well as the last time a Republican candidate won more than 40% of the vote in Cook County, home to Chicago. This was the last time that Illinois was not the most Democratic state in the Midwest at the presidential level.

Primaries
The primaries and general elections coincided with those for congress, as well as those for state offices.

Turnout
Turnout during the state-run primaries was 39.82%, with 2,359,737 votes cast.

Turnout during the general election was 71.72%, 4,559,120 votes cast.

Democratic
The 1988 Illinois Democratic presidential primary was held on March 15, 1988 in the U.S. state of Illinois as one of the Democratic Party's statewide nomination contests ahead of the 1988 presidential election.

Republican
The 1988 Illinois Republican presidential primary was held on March 15, 1988 in the U.S. state of Illinois as one of the Republican Party's statewide nomination contests ahead of the 1988 presidential election.

Illinois Solidarity
The 1988 Illinois Solidarity presidential primary was held on March 15, 1988, in the U.S. state of Illinois. Lenora Fulani won, running unopposed.

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

 * Calhoun
 * Cass
 * Christian
 * Fulton
 * Hancock
 * Henderson
 * Henry
 * Jackson
 * Jefferson
 * Jersey
 * Knox
 * LaSalle
 * Macon
 * Macoupin
 * Madison
 * Mercer
 * Montgomery
 * Perry
 * Pike
 * Pulaski
 * Putnam
 * Randolph
 * Saline
 * Vermilion
 * Williamson