Election of 1948

LINKS

Abbreviations Definitions Sources

BASICS

Category Result
Incumbent Harry Truman (D)
Prior streak D (4)
Prior five elections D (4), R (1)
Population 146,631,302
States 48
Electoral votes 531
Popular votes 48,691,494
Voter turnout 51.1%

FIELD OF QUALIFIED CANDIDATES

Candidate Party PI Age State Position Nom Win CS ROP
Harry Truman D 7.6 64.48 Missouri President X X 79.72 105
Thomas Dewey R 6.6 46.61 New York Former nominee X 69.67 106
Strom Thurmond SRD 2.2 45.91 South Carolina Governor 34.75 158
Richard Russell D 4.4 51.00 Georgia Senator 22.93 52
Robert Taft R 5.6 59.15 Ohio Senator 22.57 40
Harold Stassen R 4.5 41.55 Minnesota Former governor 22.01 49
Earl Warren R 5.7 57.62 California Governor 19.04 33
Henry Wallace D/P 3.1 60.07 Iowa Former vice president 17.65 57
Arthur Vandenberg R 5.1 64.61 Michigan Senator 13.55 27
Dwight Green R 6.5 51.81 Illinois Governor 13.05 20

GENERAL ELECTION

Candidate Party SC PV PV% EV EV% PV*EQ EV*EQ
Harry Truman D 28 24,105,810 49.51% 303 57.06% 49,507,230 307
Thomas Dewey R 16 21,970,064 45.12% 189 35.59% 45,120,949 191
Strom Thurmond SRD 4 1,169,156 2.40% 39 7.35% 2,401,150 40
Henry Wallace P 0 1,157,172 2.38% 0 0.00% 2,376,538 0

REGIONAL SPLITS

Candidate Party PV% East South Midwest West EV East South Midwest West
Harry Truman D 49.51% 47.68% 52.23% 50.33% 49.38% 303 28 109 101 65
Thomas Dewey R 45.12% 47.65% 29.62% 48.02% 46.33% 189 129 0 54 6
Strom Thurmond SRD 2.40% 0.01% 17.50% 0.00% 0.02% 39 0 39 0 0
Henry Wallace P 2.38% 3.94% 0.48% 1.02% 3.67% 0 0 0 0 0

PV BY STATES

State Total PV Truman Dewey Thurmond Wallace Other
Alabama 214,980 40,930 171,443 1,522 1,085
Arizona 177,065 95,251 77,597 3,310 907
Arkansas 242,475 149,659 50,959 40,068 751 1,038
California 4,021,538 1,913,134 1,895,269 1,228 190,381 21,526
Colorado 515,237 267,288 239,714 6,115 2,120
Connecticut 883,518 423,297 437,754 13,713 8,754
Delaware 139,073 67,813 69,588 1,050 622
Florida 577,643 281,988 194,280 89,755 11,620
Georgia 418,844 254,646 76,691 85,135 1,636 736
Idaho 214,816 107,370 101,514 4,972 960
Illinois 3,984,046 1,994,715 1,961,103 28,228
Indiana 1,656,212 807,831 821,079 9,649 17,653
Iowa 1,038,264 522,380 494,018 12,125 9,741
Kansas 788,819 351,902 423,039 4,603 9,275
Kentucky 822,658 466,756 341,210 10,411 1,567 2,714
Louisiana 416,336 136,344 72,657 204,290 3,035 10
Maine 264,787 111,916 150,234 1,884 753
Maryland 596,748 286,521 294,814 2,489 9,983 2,941
Massachusetts 2,107,146 1,151,788 909,370 38,157 7,831
Michigan 2,109,609 1,003,448 1,038,595 46,515 21,051
Minnesota 1,212,226 692,966 483,617 27,866 7,777
Mississippi 192,190 19,384 5,043 167,538 225
Missouri 1,578,628 917,315 655,039 42 3,998 2,234
Montana 224,278 119,071 96,770 7,313 1,124
Nebraska 488,940 224,165 264,774 1
Nevada 62,117 31,291 29,357 1,469
New Hampshire 231,440 107,995 121,299 7 1,970 169
New Jersey 1,949,555 895,455 981,124 42,683 30,293
New Mexico 187,063 105,464 80,303 1,037 259
New York 6,177,337 2,780,204 2,841,163 509,559 46,411
North Carolina 791,209 459,070 258,572 69,652 3,915
North Dakota 220,716 95,812 115,139 374 8,391 1,000
Ohio 2,936,071 1,452,791 1,445,684 37,596
Oklahoma 721,599 452,782 268,817
Oregon 524,080 243,147 260,904 14,978 5,051
Pennsylvania 3,735,348 1,752,426 1,902,197 55,161 25,564
Rhode Island 327,702 188,736 135,787 2,619 560
South Carolina 142,571 34,423 5,386 102,607 154 1
South Dakota 250,105 117,653 129,651 2,801
Tennessee 550,283 270,402 202,914 73,815 1,864 1,288
Texas 1,147,245 750,700 282,240 106,909 3,764 3,632
Utah 276,306 149,151 124,402 2,679 74
Vermont 123,382 45,557 75,926 1,279 620
Virginia 419,256 200,786 172,070 43,393 2,047 960
Washington 905,058 476,165 386,314 31,692 10,887
West Virginia 748,750 429,188 316,251 3,311
Wisconsin 1,276,800 647,310 590,959 25,282 13,249
Wyoming 101,425 52,354 47,947 931 193
Total 48,691,494 24,105,810 21,970,064 1,169,156 1,157,172 289,292

PV% BY STATES

State PV winner Truman Dewey Thurmond Wallace Other
Alabama Thurmond 19.04% 79.75% 0.71% 0.51%
Arizona Truman 53.79% 43.82% 1.87% 0.51%
Arkansas Truman 61.72% 21.02% 16.53% 0.31% 0.43%
California Truman 47.57% 47.13% 0.03% 4.73% 0.54%
Colorado Truman 51.88% 46.53% 1.19% 0.41%
Connecticut Dewey 47.91% 49.55% 1.55% 0.99%
Delaware Dewey 48.76% 50.04% 0.76% 0.45%
Florida Truman 48.82% 33.63% 15.54% 2.01%
Georgia Truman 60.80% 18.31% 20.33% 0.39% 0.18%
Idaho Truman 49.98% 47.26% 2.32% 0.45%
Illinois Truman 50.07% 49.22% 0.71%
Indiana Dewey 48.78% 49.58% 0.58% 1.07%
Iowa Truman 50.31% 47.58% 1.17% 0.94%
Kansas Dewey 44.61% 53.63% 0.58% 1.18%
Kentucky Truman 56.74% 41.48% 1.27% 0.19% 0.33%
Louisiana Thurmond 32.75% 17.45% 49.07% 0.73% 0.00%
Maine Dewey 42.27% 56.74% 0.71% 0.28%
Maryland Dewey 48.01% 49.40% 0.42% 1.67% 0.49%
Massachusetts Truman 54.66% 43.16% 1.81% 0.37%
Michigan Dewey 47.57% 49.23% 2.21% 1.00%
Minnesota Truman 57.17% 39.90% 2.30% 0.64%
Mississippi Thurmond 10.09% 2.62% 87.17% 0.12%
Missouri Truman 58.11% 41.49% 0.00% 0.25% 0.14%
Montana Truman 53.09% 43.15% 3.26% 0.50%
Nebraska Dewey 45.85% 54.15% 0.00%
Nevada Truman 50.37% 47.26% 2.37%
New Hampshire Dewey 46.66% 52.41% 0.00% 0.85% 0.07%
New Jersey Dewey 45.93% 50.33% 2.19% 1.55%
New Mexico Truman 56.38% 42.93% 0.55% 0.14%
New York Dewey 45.01% 45.99% 8.25% 0.75%
North Carolina Truman 58.02% 32.68% 8.80% 0.50%
North Dakota Dewey 43.41% 52.17% 0.17% 3.80% 0.45%
Ohio Truman 49.48% 49.24% 1.28%
Oklahoma Truman 62.75% 37.25%
Oregon Dewey 46.40% 49.78% 2.86% 0.96%
Pennsylvania Dewey 46.92% 50.92% 1.48% 0.68%
Rhode Island Truman 57.59% 41.44% 0.80% 0.17%
South Carolina Thurmond 24.14% 3.78% 71.97% 0.11% 0.00%
South Dakota Dewey 47.04% 51.84% 1.12%
Tennessee Truman 49.14% 36.87% 13.41% 0.34% 0.23%
Texas Truman 65.44% 24.60% 9.32% 0.33% 0.32%
Utah Truman 53.98% 45.02% 0.97% 0.03%
Vermont Dewey 36.92% 61.54% 1.04% 0.50%
Virginia Truman 47.89% 41.04% 10.35% 0.49% 0.23%
Washington Truman 52.61% 42.68% 3.50% 1.20%
West Virginia Truman 57.32% 42.24% 0.44%
Wisconsin Truman 50.70% 46.28% 1.98% 1.04%
Wyoming Truman 51.62% 47.27% 0.92% 0.19%
Total Truman 49.51% 45.12% 2.40% 2.38% 0.59%

EV BY STATES

State Total EV Truman Dewey Thurmond
Alabama 11 0 0 11
Arizona 4 4 0 0
Arkansas 9 9 0 0
California 25 25 0 0
Colorado 6 6 0 0
Connecticut 8 0 8 0
Delaware 3 0 3 0
Florida 8 8 0 0
Georgia 12 12 0 0
Idaho 4 4 0 0
Illinois 28 28 0 0
Indiana 13 0 13 0
Iowa 10 10 0 0
Kansas 8 0 8 0
Kentucky 11 11 0 0
Louisiana 10 0 0 10
Maine 5 0 5 0
Maryland 8 0 8 0
Massachusetts 16 16 0 0
Michigan 19 0 19 0
Minnesota 11 11 0 0
Mississippi 9 0 0 9
Missouri 15 15 0 0
Montana 4 4 0 0
Nebraska 6 0 6 0
Nevada 3 3 0 0
New Hampshire 4 0 4 0
New Jersey 16 0 16 0
New Mexico 4 4 0 0
New York 47 0 47 0
North Carolina 14 14 0 0
North Dakota 4 0 4 0
Ohio 25 25 0 0
Oklahoma 10 10 0 0
Oregon 6 0 6 0
Pennsylvania 35 0 35 0
Rhode Island 4 4 0 0
South Carolina 8 0 0 8
South Dakota 4 0 4 0
Tennessee 12 11 0 1
Texas 23 23 0 0
Utah 4 4 0 0
Vermont 3 0 3 0
Virginia 11 11 0 0
Washington 8 8 0 0
West Virginia 8 8 0 0
Wisconsin 12 12 0 0
Wyoming 3 3 0 0
Total 531 303 189 39

MARGINS AND FLIPS

State PV winner Runnerup Gap (votes) Gap (points) Flip
Alabama Thurmond Dewey 130,513 60.71 65,257
Arizona Truman Dewey 17,654 9.97 8,828
Arkansas Truman Dewey 98,700 40.71 49,351
California Truman Dewey 17,865 0.44 8,933
Colorado Truman Dewey 27,574 5.35 13,788
Connecticut Dewey Truman 14,457 1.64 7,229
Delaware Dewey Truman 1,775 1.28 888
Florida Truman Dewey 87,708 15.18 43,855
Georgia Truman Thurmond 169,511 40.47 84,756
Idaho Truman Dewey 5,856 2.73 2,929
Illinois Truman Dewey 33,612 0.84 16,807
Indiana Dewey Truman 13,248 0.80 6,625
Iowa Truman Dewey 28,362 2.73 14,182
Kansas Dewey Truman 71,137 9.02 35,569
Kentucky Truman Dewey 125,546 15.26 62,774
Louisiana Thurmond Truman 67,946 16.32 33,974
Maine Dewey Truman 38,318 14.47 19,160
Maryland Dewey Truman 8,293 1.39 4,147
Massachusetts Truman Dewey 242,418 11.51 121,210
Michigan Dewey Truman 35,147 1.67 17,574
Minnesota Truman Dewey 209,349 17.27 104,675
Mississippi Thurmond Truman 148,154 77.09 74,078
Missouri Truman Dewey 262,276 16.61 131,139
Montana Truman Dewey 22,301 9.94 11,151
Nebraska Dewey Truman 40,609 8.31 20,305
Nevada Truman Dewey 1,934 3.11 968
New Hampshire Dewey Truman 13,304 5.75 6,653
New Jersey Dewey Truman 85,669 4.40 42,835
New Mexico Truman Dewey 25,161 13.45 12,581
New York Dewey Truman 60,959 0.99 30,480
North Carolina Truman Dewey 200,498 25.34 100,250
North Dakota Dewey Truman 19,327 8.76 9,664
Ohio Truman Dewey 7,107 0.24 3,554
Oklahoma Truman Dewey 183,965 25.49 91,983
Oregon Dewey Truman 17,757 3.39 8,879
Pennsylvania Dewey Truman 149,771 4.01 74,886
Rhode Island Truman Dewey 52,949 16.16 26,475
South Carolina Thurmond Truman 68,184 47.83 34,093
South Dakota Dewey Truman 11,998 4.80 6,000
Tennessee Truman Dewey 67,488 12.27 33,745
Texas Truman Dewey 468,460 40.83 234,231
Utah Truman Dewey 24,749 8.96 12,375
Vermont Dewey Truman 30,369 24.61 15,185
Virginia Truman Dewey 28,716 6.85 14,359
Washington Truman Dewey 89,851 9.93 44,926
West Virginia Truman Dewey 112,937 15.08 56,469
Wisconsin Truman Dewey 56,351 4.41 28,176
Wyoming Truman Dewey 4,407 4.35 2,204
Total Truman Dewey 2,135,746 4.39 1,067,874
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