Presidential election
1948 presidential election
Harry S. Truman defeated Thomas E. Dewey, winning 303 of 531 electoral votes and 49.6% of the popular vote.
Results
51.1%
Turnout rate
48.8M
Total votes cast
95.0M
Eligible voters
| State | Electoral votes | Winner | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York(NY) | 47 | RepublicanDewey | +1% |
| California(CA) | 25 | DemocraticTruman | +0.4% |
| Ohio(OH) | 25 | DemocraticTruman | +0.3% |
| Illinois(IL) | 28 | DemocraticTruman | +0.8% |
| South Carolina(SC) | 8 | DixiecratThurmond | +72% |
Candidates
Party
DemocraticRunning mate
Alben W. Barkley
Home state
Missouri
Age at election
64
Previous position
33rd President of the United States (Incumbent)
Campaign slogan
"Give 'Em Hell, Harry!"
Popular vote
24.2M
(49.6%)
Electoral votes
303
Party
RepublicanRunning mate
Earl Warren
Home state
New York
Age at election
46
Previous position
Governor of New York
Popular vote
22.0M
(45.1%)
Electoral votes
189
Party
States' Rights (Dixiecrat)Running mate
Fielding L. Wright
Home state
South Carolina
Age at election
45
Previous position
Governor of South Carolina
Popular vote
1.2M
(2.4%)
Electoral votes
39
Party
ProgressiveRunning mate
Glen H. Taylor
Home state
Iowa
Age at election
59
Previous position
Former Vice President
Popular vote
1.2M
(2.4%)
Electoral votes
0
Labor Unions
Truman
66%
African Americans
Truman
77%
Farmers
Truman
52%
Key events
Democratic Convention Civil Rights Plank
Led to Dixiecrat walkout
'Dewey Defeats Truman' Headline
Chicago Tribune's premature, incorrect headline
Issues & context
Greatest upset in American history. All polls predicted Dewey win. Truman's whistle-stop campaign succeeded. Party split both left (Wallace) and right (Thurmond). 'Dewey Defeats Truman' became iconic.
Postwar prosperity. Some inflation concerns. Labor disputes. Marshall Plan rebuilding Europe. Cold War beginning.
Truman deeply unpopular with polls showing loss. Do-Nothing Congress provided effective target. Dewey overconfident, ran cautious campaign.
Greatest polling upset ever. Dewey never ran again. Civil rights became national issue. Dixiecrat revolt presaged later party realignment.
Did you know?
- 1.'Dewey Defeats Truman' photo is iconic
- 2.Polls predicted Dewey win by landslide
- 3.Truman gave 352 whistle-stop speeches
- 4.Four-way race with two major third parties
- 5.Last election with all polls wrong