Election 1948 Results
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1948 presidential election results by state and county
Harry S. Truman pulled off the most famous upset in American presidential history, beating Thomas E. Dewey 303 electoral votes to 189 despite polls showing him well behind.
Harry S. Truman (Democrat) beat Thomas E. Dewey in 1948, winning 303 electoral votes to 189, with 39 going to Strom Thurmond (States' Rights Democratic). Harry S. Truman carried 28 states and Thomas E. Dewey 16; Strom Thurmond (States' Rights Democratic) carried Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and South Carolina. Across the states, the Democratic and Republican vote came to 24,178,347 and 21,991,292 (D+4.5 of all votes cast).
The closest states were Ohio (D+0.2), California (D+0.4) and Indiana (R+0.8). 18 states changed party from 1944: Alabama to the third party, Colorado to the Democrats, Connecticut to the Republicans, Delaware to the Republicans, Iowa to the Democrats, Louisiana to the third party, Maryland to the Republicans, Michigan to the Republicans, Mississippi to the third party, New Hampshire to the Republicans, New Jersey to the Republicans, New York to the Republicans, Ohio to the Democrats, Oregon to the Republicans, Pennsylvania to the Republicans, South Carolina to the third party, Wisconsin to the Democrats and Wyoming to the Democrats.
Early projection, based on early and incomplete polling: the likely matchups, each weighted by the betting markets' odds of both nominations, not a result. Each county is its 2024 presidential margin moved by its state's projected swing; set a national vote and every state, district and county moves by the same amount from our projection. Colours run in 100 steps from a safe Republican to a safe Democratic margin. Boundaries: US Census Bureau.
About the 1948 presidential election
Truman had become president on Roosevelt's death in 1945 and faced inflation, labor unrest and a Republican Congress elected in 1946. His own party split three ways. Southern Democrats angry at his civil rights proposals formed the States' Rights Democratic Party, the Dixiecrats, and nominated Strom Thurmond, governor of South Carolina. On the left, former Vice President Henry Wallace ran as a Progressive. Republicans nominated Thomas E. Dewey again. The major polls showed Dewey comfortably ahead and some stopped surveying weeks before the vote. Truman ran an aggressive whistle-stop campaign against the "do-nothing" Congress and won 303 electoral votes to Dewey's 189. The Chicago Tribune's early headline "Dewey Defeats Truman" became a symbol of the pollsters' failure. The race was decided by very close margins in big states. Truman won Ohio by 0.2 points, California by 0.4 and Illinois by 0.8. Dewey took Indiana by 0.8 and swept much of the Northeast, including New York. Thurmond carried Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and South Carolina for 39 electoral votes, the first serious crack in the Democrats' Solid South. Democrats also regained control of both houses of Congress.
Every state
| State | Democrat | Votes | Republican | Votes | Others | Margin | EV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama flip | none | Thomas E. Dewey | 40,930 (19.0%) | Strom Thurmond (States' Rights Democratic) 171,443 (79.7%) |
Third party +60.7 | 11 | |
| Arizona | Harry S. Truman | 95,251 (53.8%) | Thomas E. Dewey | 77,597 (43.8%) | 4,217 | D+10.0 | 4 |
| Arkansas | Harry S. Truman | 149,659 (61.7%) | Thomas E. Dewey | 50,959 (21.0%) | Strom Thurmond (States' Rights Democratic) 40,068 (16.5%) |
D+40.7 | 9 |
| California | Harry S. Truman | 1,913,134 (47.6%) | Thomas E. Dewey | 1,895,269 (47.1%) | 213,135 | D+0.4 | 25 |
| Colorado flip | Harry S. Truman | 267,288 (51.9%) | Thomas E. Dewey | 239,714 (46.5%) | 8,235 | D+5.4 | 6 |
| Connecticut flip | Harry S. Truman | 423,297 (47.9%) | Thomas E. Dewey | 437,754 (49.5%) | 22,467 | R+1.6 | 8 |
| Delaware flip | Harry S. Truman | 67,813 (48.8%) | Thomas E. Dewey | 69,588 (50.0%) | 1,672 | R+1.3 | 3 |
| Florida | Harry S. Truman | 281,988 (48.8%) | Thomas E. Dewey | 194,280 (33.6%) | Strom Thurmond (States' Rights Democratic) 89,755 (15.5%) |
D+15.2 | 8 |
| Georgia | Harry S. Truman | 254,646 (60.8%) | Thomas E. Dewey | 76,691 (18.3%) | Strom Thurmond (States' Rights Democratic) 85,135 (20.3%) |
D+42.5 | 12 |
| Idaho | Harry S. Truman | 107,370 (50.0%) | Thomas E. Dewey | 101,514 (47.3%) | 5,932 | D+2.7 | 4 |
| Illinois | Harry S. Truman | 1,994,715 (50.1%) | Thomas E. Dewey | 1,961,103 (49.2%) | 28,228 | D+0.8 | 28 |
| Indiana | Harry S. Truman | 807,833 (48.8%) | Thomas E. Dewey | 821,079 (49.6%) | 27,302 | R+0.8 | 13 |
| Iowa flip | Harry S. Truman | 522,380 (50.3%) | Thomas E. Dewey | 494,018 (47.6%) | 21,866 | D+2.7 | 10 |
| Kansas | Harry S. Truman | 351,902 (44.6%) | Thomas E. Dewey | 423,039 (53.6%) | 13,878 | R+9.0 | 8 |
| Kentucky | Harry S. Truman | 466,756 (56.7%) | Thomas E. Dewey | 341,210 (41.5%) | 14,692 | D+15.3 | 11 |
| Louisiana flip | Harry S. Truman | 136,344 (32.7%) | Thomas E. Dewey | 72,657 (17.5%) | Strom Thurmond (States' Rights Democratic) 204,290 (49.1%) |
Third party +16.3 | 10 |
| Maine | Harry S. Truman | 111,916 (42.3%) | Thomas E. Dewey | 150,234 (56.7%) | 2,637 | R+14.5 | 5 |
| Maryland flip | Harry S. Truman | 286,521 (48.0%) | Thomas E. Dewey | 294,814 (49.4%) | 15,400 | R+1.4 | 8 |
| Massachusetts | Harry S. Truman | 1,151,788 (54.7%) | Thomas E. Dewey | 909,370 (43.2%) | 45,988 | D+11.5 | 16 |
| Michigan flip | Harry S. Truman | 1,003,448 (47.6%) | Thomas E. Dewey | 1,038,595 (49.2%) | 67,566 | R+1.7 | 19 |
| Minnesota | Harry S. Truman | 692,966 (57.2%) | Thomas E. Dewey | 483,617 (39.9%) | 35,643 | D+17.3 | 11 |
| Mississippi flip | Harry S. Truman | 19,384 (10.1%) | Thomas E. Dewey | 5,043 (2.6%) | Strom Thurmond (States' Rights Democratic) 167,538 (87.2%) |
Third party +77.1 | 9 |
| Missouri | Harry S. Truman | 917,315 (58.1%) | Thomas E. Dewey | 655,039 (41.5%) | 6,274 | D+16.6 | 15 |
| Montana | Harry S. Truman | 119,071 (53.1%) | Thomas E. Dewey | 96,770 (43.1%) | 8,437 | D+9.9 | 4 |
| Nebraska | Harry S. Truman | 224,165 (45.8%) | Thomas E. Dewey | 264,774 (54.2%) | 1 | R+8.3 | 6 |
| Nevada | Harry S. Truman | 31,291 (50.4%) | Thomas E. Dewey | 29,357 (47.3%) | 1,469 | D+3.1 | 3 |
| New Hampshire flip | Harry S. Truman | 107,995 (46.7%) | Thomas E. Dewey | 121,299 (52.4%) | 2,146 | R+5.8 | 4 |
| New Jersey flip | Harry S. Truman | 895,455 (45.9%) | Thomas E. Dewey | 981,124 (50.3%) | 72,976 | R+4.4 | 16 |
| New Mexico | Harry S. Truman | 105,464 (56.4%) | Thomas E. Dewey | 80,303 (42.9%) | 1,296 | D+13.5 | 4 |
| New York flip | Harry S. Truman | 2,780,204 (45.0%) | Thomas E. Dewey | 2,841,163 (46.0%) | Henry A. Wallace (Progressive) 509,559 (8.2%) |
R+1.0 | 47 |
| North Carolina | Harry S. Truman | 459,070 (58.0%) | Thomas E. Dewey | 258,572 (32.7%) | Strom Thurmond (States' Rights Democratic) 69,652 (8.8%) |
D+25.3 | 14 |
| North Dakota | Harry S. Truman | 95,812 (43.4%) | Thomas E. Dewey | 115,139 (52.2%) | 9,765 | R+8.8 | 4 |
| Ohio flip | Harry S. Truman | 1,452,791 (49.5%) | Thomas E. Dewey | 1,445,684 (49.2%) | 37,596 | D+0.2 | 25 |
| Oklahoma | Harry S. Truman | 452,782 (62.7%) | Thomas E. Dewey | 268,817 (37.3%) | D+25.5 | 10 | |
| Oregon flip | Harry S. Truman | 243,147 (46.4%) | Thomas E. Dewey | 260,904 (49.8%) | 20,029 | R+3.4 | 6 |
| Pennsylvania flip | Harry S. Truman | 1,752,426 (46.9%) | Thomas E. Dewey | 1,902,197 (50.9%) | 80,525 | R+4.0 | 35 |
| Rhode Island | Harry S. Truman | 188,736 (57.6%) | Thomas E. Dewey | 135,787 (41.4%) | 3,179 | D+16.2 | 4 |
| South Carolina flip | Harry S. Truman | 34,423 (24.1%) | Thomas E. Dewey | 5,386 (3.8%) | Strom Thurmond (States' Rights Democratic) 102,607 (72.0%) |
Third party +47.8 | 8 |
| South Dakota | Harry S. Truman | 117,653 (47.0%) | Thomas E. Dewey | 129,651 (51.8%) | 2,801 | R+4.8 | 4 |
| Tennessee | Harry S. Truman | 270,402 (49.1%) | Thomas E. Dewey | 202,914 (36.9%) | Strom Thurmond (States' Rights Democratic) 73,815 (13.4%) |
D+12.3 | 12 |
| Texas | Harry S. Truman | 824,235 (66.0%) | Thomas E. Dewey | 303,467 (24.3%) | Strom Thurmond (States' Rights Democratic) 113,776 (9.1%) |
D+41.7 | 23 |
| Utah | Harry S. Truman | 149,151 (54.0%) | Thomas E. Dewey | 124,402 (45.0%) | 2,752 | D+9.0 | 4 |
| Vermont | Harry S. Truman | 45,557 (36.9%) | Thomas E. Dewey | 75,926 (61.5%) | 1,899 | R+24.6 | 3 |
| Virginia | Harry S. Truman | 200,786 (47.9%) | Thomas E. Dewey | 172,070 (41.0%) | Strom Thurmond (States' Rights Democratic) 43,393 (10.4%) |
D+6.9 | 11 |
| Washington | Harry S. Truman | 475,165 (52.6%) | Thomas E. Dewey | 386,315 (42.7%) | 42,578 | D+9.8 | 8 |
| West Virginia | Harry S. Truman | 429,188 (57.3%) | Thomas E. Dewey | 316,251 (42.2%) | 3,311 | D+15.1 | 8 |
| Wisconsin flip | Harry S. Truman | 647,310 (50.7%) | Thomas E. Dewey | 590,959 (46.3%) | 38,531 | D+4.4 | 12 |
| Wyoming flip | Harry S. Truman | 52,354 (51.6%) | Thomas E. Dewey | 47,947 (47.3%) | 1,124 | D+4.4 | 3 |
Margin: the Democrat's share of all votes minus the Republican's. Margins are Democrat minus Republican, of all votes. Certified results, from the states' own archives, the MIT Election Data and Science Lab, Heideman (2026) and Algara & Amlani (2021). Maine and Nebraska are shown whole, without their district votes. By county: "As they were" draws each county as it stood on election day; "Today's" shares the old votes among today's counties by area. County boundaries: Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries (CC BY-NC-SA 2.5). How these results were checked.