1948 United States presidential election in Texas

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1948 United States presidential election in Texas
Flag of Texas.svg
  1944 November 2, 1948 1952  
  Harry S Truman, bw half-length photo portrait, facing front, 1945 (cropped).jpg Thomas Dewey (3x4 crop).jpg Strom Thurmond 1948 (cropped).jpg
Nominee Harry S. Truman Thomas E. Dewey Strom Thurmond
Party Democratic Republican Dixiecrat
Home state Missouri New York South Carolina
Running mate Alben W. Barkley Earl Warren Fielding L. Wright
Electoral vote2300
Popular vote824,235303,467113,776
Percentage65.96%24.29%9.11%

Texas Presidential Election Results 1948.svg
County Results

President before election

Harry S. Truman
Democratic

Elected President

Harry S. Truman
Democratic

The 1948 United States presidential election in Texas was held on November 2, 1948. Texas voters chose 23 electors to represent the state in the Electoral College, which chose the president and vice president.

Contents

As a former Confederate state, Texas had a history of Jim Crow laws, disenfranchisement of its African-American and Mexican-American populations, and single-party Democratic rule outside a few Unionist German-American counties (chiefly Gillespie and Kendall) of Central Texas. However, President Harry S. Truman was attempting to launch a civil rights bill, involving desegregation of the military, which led to severe opposition from Southern Democrats, who aimed to have South Carolina Governor Strom Thurmond listed as Democratic presidential nominee and Mississippi Governor Fielding Wright as the vice-presidential nominee. Thurmond, whose ticket was formally called the States’ Rights Democratic Party and more popularly known as the Dixiecrats, was leading Truman in early polls even in the major metropolitan counties of Dallas and Harris, which suggested he would claim the state. [1] Texas’ large number of electoral votes made it a coveted prize in Thurmond's quest to take the election into the House of Representatives. [2]

At the time of this poll it remained uncertain as to whether Truman or Thurmond would be the official Democratic nominee in Texas. [3] Unlike Oklahoma, Tennessee, North Carolina or Virginia, Texas did not have a major threat from the Republican Party to block local Democratic support for Thurmond, [4] but it had only a third the proportion of blacks found in Mississippi or South Carolina. [5] More critically, Texas’ party hierarchy was dominated by Truman loyalists, [6] most critically Governor Beauford Jester, [2] and by mid-September it was clear that Truman would be the official Democratic nominee. [6]

Truman campaigned in Texas during late September, ignoring civil rights and focusing entirely upon Dewey. [7] The President's criticism of Dewey was largely focused on improving the transmission of hydroelectric power from dams at lower rates than Dewey had planned. [7]

10% of white voters supported Thurmond. [8]

Polls

SourceRankingAs of
Chattanooga Daily Times [9] Certain DOctober 15, 1948
The Montgomery Advertiser [10] Safe DOctober 24, 1948
The Miami News [11] Safe DOctober 25, 1948
Mount Vernon Argus [12] Safe DNovember 1, 1948
Oakland Tribune [13] Certain DNovember 1, 1948

Results

1948 United States presidential election in Texas [14]
PartyCandidateVotesPercentageElectoral votes
Democratic Harry S. Truman (incumbent)824,23565.96%23
Republican Thomas E. Dewey 303,46724.29%0
States’ Rights Democratic Strom Thurmond 113,7769.11%0
Progressive Henry A. Wallace 3,9200.31%0
Prohibition Claude Watson 3,1150.25%0
Socialist Norman Thomas 9190.07%0
Other Write-ins 1450.01%0
Total1,249,577100.0%23
Voter turnout (Voting age)26% [15]

Results by county

1948 United States presidential election in Texas by county [16]
CountyHarry S. Truman
Democratic
Thomas Edmund Dewey
Republican
James Strom Thurmond
States’ Rights Democratic
Henry Agard Wallace
Progressive
Various candidates
Other parties
MarginTotal votes cast
# %# %# %# %# %# %
Anderson 3,24262.37%1,19923.07%73514.14%30.06%190.37%2,04339.30%5,198
Andrews 81685.27%10110.55%353.66%50.52%00.00%71574.72%957
Angelina 4,37769.05%1,00015.78%92814.64%60.09%280.44%3,37753.27%6,339
Aransas 41861.02%23534.31%263.80%40.58%20.29%18326.71%685
Archer 1,59986.20%19110.30%583.13%00.00%70.38%1,40875.90%1,855
Armstrong 68684.07%9711.89%313.80%20.25%00.00%58972.18%816
Atascosa 1,89569.36%70425.77%1204.39%40.15%90.33%1,19143.59%2,732
Austin 1,25243.70%1,26043.98%34512.04%20.07%60.21%-8-0.28%2,865
Bailey 1,11576.79%23416.12%936.40%10.07%90.62%88160.67%1,452
Bandera 44539.31%57050.35%1079.45%10.09%90.80%-125-11.04%1,132
Bastrop 2,51877.79%44313.69%2658.19%50.15%60.19%2,07564.10%3,237
Baylor 1,52290.81%1016.03%472.80%30.18%30.18%1,42184.78%1,676
Bee 1,44160.70%80133.74%1235.18%40.17%50.21%64026.96%2,374
Bell 7,54882.83%1,06911.73%4364.78%410.45%190.21%6,47971.10%9,113
Bexar 35,97054.27%26,20239.53%3,4185.16%3840.58%3050.46%9,76814.74%66,279
Blanco 1,00363.93%49731.68%664.21%20.13%10.06%50632.25%1,569
Borden 20387.12%187.73%93.86%00.00%31.29%18579.39%233
Bosque 2,30377.91%50116.95%1414.77%60.20%50.17%1,80260.96%2,956
Bowie 7,02867.95%1,16111.22%2,09620.26%340.33%240.23%4,932 [lower-alpha 1] 47.69%10,343
Brazoria 4,78357.19%2,13325.51%1,40816.84%150.18%240.29%2,65031.68%8,363
Brazos 3,45962.55%1,53327.72%5229.44%60.11%100.18%1,92634.83%5,530
Brewster 94070.10%31223.27%826.11%20.15%50.37%62846.83%1,341
Briscoe 69285.75%8310.29%283.47%10.12%30.37%60975.46%807
Brooks 1,02980.27%21716.93%302.34%30.23%30.23%81263.34%1,282
Brown 5,05978.06%1,07116.53%3275.05%30.05%210.32%3,98861.53%6,481
Burleson 2,05184.26%2409.86%1355.55%20.08%60.25%1,81174.40%2,434
Burnet 1,95584.12%28712.35%783.36%10.04%30.13%1,66871.77%2,324
Caldwell 2,79277.21%62317.23%1694.67%90.25%230.64%2,16959.98%3,616
Calhoun 58957.18%34633.59%878.45%00.00%80.78%24323.59%1,030
Callahan 1,84483.40%25811.67%1044.70%10.05%40.18%1,58671.73%2,211
Cameron 6,77857.15%4,68939.54%3422.88%200.17%300.25%2,08917.61%11,859
Camp 92362.03%18012.10%38525.87%00.00%00.00%538 [lower-alpha 1] 36.16%1,488
Carson 1,30174.17%41323.55%321.82%50.29%30.17%88850.62%1,754
Cass 2,54065.14%45711.72%87822.52%30.08%210.54%1,662 [lower-alpha 1] 42.62%3,899
Castro 1,15884.28%18913.76%201.46%10.07%60.44%96970.52%1,374
Chambers 78756.54%30221.70%29921.48%00.00%40.29%48534.84%1,392
Cherokee 3,07964.07%1,15424.01%54411.32%40.08%250.52%1,92540.06%4,806
Childress 2,41586.22%2739.75%943.36%40.14%150.54%2,14276.47%2,801
Clay 2,13182.50%33212.85%1074.14%20.08%110.43%1,79969.65%2,583
Cochran 97181.87%11910.03%947.93%00.00%20.17%85271.84%1,186
Coke 90990.18%656.45%302.98%40.40%00.00%84483.73%1,008
Coleman 2,69578.59%54515.89%1765.13%20.06%110.32%2,15062.70%3,429
Collin 5,51676.08%1,15515.93%5437.49%170.23%190.26%4,36160.15%7,250
Collingsworth 1,77985.16%1989.48%984.69%50.24%90.43%1,58175.68%2,089
Colorado 1,31641.71%90028.53%93029.48%30.10%60.19%386 [lower-alpha 1] 12.23%3,155
Comal 1,21239.43%1,75256.99%1053.42%20.07%30.10%-540-17.56%3,074
Comanche 2,91583.17%40811.64%1644.68%10.03%170.49%2,50771.53%3,505
Concho 1,15685.88%17412.93%120.89%30.22%10.07%98272.95%1,346
Cooke 3,24164.48%1,19423.76%56411.22%100.20%170.34%2,04740.72%5,026
Coryell 2,35085.11%31011.23%883.19%10.04%120.43%2,04073.88%2,761
Cottle 1,31890.71%1027.02%322.20%00.00%10.07%1,21683.69%1,453
Crane 81288.17%707.60%374.02%00.00%20.22%74280.57%921
Crockett 40073.39%12723.30%183.30%00.00%00.00%27350.09%545
Crosby 1,73183.66%1688.12%1587.64%00.00%120.58%1,56375.54%2,069
Culberson 24479.74%3812.42%227.19%00.00%20.65%20667.32%306
Dallam 1,50477.41%39920.54%281.44%30.15%90.46%1,10556.87%1,943
Dallas 47,46450.31%35,66437.80%10,16210.77%5360.57%5180.55%11,80012.51%94,344
Dawson 2,60582.94%39312.51%1364.33%10.03%60.19%2,21270.43%3,141
Deaf Smith 1,49671.61%53525.61%422.01%10.05%150.72%96146.00%2,089
Delta 1,59483.89%1467.68%1326.95%40.21%241.26%1,44876.21%1,900
Denton 4,54965.42%1,53122.02%82411.85%240.35%250.36%3,01843.40%6,953
De Witt 1,80849.57%1,61244.20%2145.87%50.14%80.22%1965.37%3,647
Dickens 1,49287.76%1156.76%834.88%10.06%90.53%1,37781.00%1,700
Dimmit 86365.48%38429.14%604.55%50.38%60.46%47936.34%1,318
Donley 1,37281.09%24114.24%714.20%30.18%50.30%1,13166.85%1,692
Duval 3,55196.52%1173.18%110.30%00.00%00.00%3,43493.34%3,679
Eastland 5,12176.83%1,17717.66%3294.94%70.11%310.47%3,94459.17%6,665
Ector 4,30575.61%1,14520.11%2314.06%90.16%40.07%3,16055.50%5,694
Edwards 32961.04%18534.32%213.90%10.19%30.56%14426.72%539
Ellis 5,79275.56%1,05513.76%78210.20%150.20%210.27%4,73761.80%7,665
El Paso 15,34171.53%5,54425.85%3951.84%1480.69%200.09%9,79745.68%21,448
Erath 3,17279.26%59814.94%2065.15%60.15%200.50%2,57464.32%4,002
Falls 3,38580.25%54612.94%2716.42%70.17%90.21%2,83967.31%4,218
Fannin 6,13286.79%5537.83%3645.15%50.07%110.16%5,57978.96%7,065
Fayette 3,10658.63%1,73732.79%4298.10%170.32%90.17%1,36925.84%5,298
Fisher 2,06390.28%1496.52%662.89%30.13%40.18%1,91483.76%2,285
Floyd 2,17481.94%34412.97%1194.49%10.04%150.57%1,83068.97%2,653
Foard 75185.73%9010.27%323.65%10.11%20.23%66175.46%876
Fort Bend 2,05856.96%1,01628.12%51914.36%150.42%50.14%1,04228.84%3,613
Franklin 1,23680.94%1469.56%1358.84%10.07%90.59%1,09071.38%1,527
Freestone 2,26570.12%46014.24%48314.95%110.34%110.34%1,782 [lower-alpha 1] 55.17%3,230
Frio 89866.96%34525.73%916.79%10.07%60.45%55341.23%1,341
Gaines 1,46581.66%20711.54%1075.96%50.28%100.56%1,25870.12%1,794
Galveston 12,49166.47%4,85725.85%1,2666.74%1380.73%400.21%7,63440.62%18,792
Garza 86177.57%17615.86%635.68%30.27%70.63%68561.71%1,110
Gillespie 59317.37%2,74180.31%772.26%00.00%20.06%-2,148-62.94%3,413
Glasscock 18867.63%6924.82%165.76%20.72%31.08%11942.81%278
Goliad 45443.86%45043.48%12712.27%00.00%40.39%40.38%1,035
Gonzales 2,61272.58%66618.51%3058.47%80.22%80.22%1,94654.07%3,599
Gray 3,69964.94%1,59427.98%3846.74%40.07%150.26%2,10536.96%5,696
Grayson 10,99177.69%2,17415.37%9536.74%120.08%180.13%8,81762.32%14,148
Gregg 5,10448.31%2,47723.45%2,91727.61%240.23%430.41%2,187 [lower-alpha 1] 20.70%10,565
Grimes 90152.38%33619.53%47627.67%20.12%50.29%425 [lower-alpha 1] 24.71%1,720
Guadalupe 2,11943.17%2,50250.98%2595.28%200.41%80.16%-383-7.81%4,908
Hale 3,99575.24%1,01319.08%2695.07%90.17%240.45%2,98256.16%5,310
Hall 2,12289.31%1747.32%763.20%10.04%30.13%1,94881.99%2,376
Hamilton 1,72573.75%47820.44%1305.56%40.17%20.09%1,24753.31%2,339
Hansford 89579.34%20618.26%171.51%90.80%10.09%68961.08%1,128
Hardeman 1,65483.70%22611.44%864.35%30.15%70.35%1,42872.26%1,976
Hardin 2,23373.38%1966.44%59519.55%90.30%100.33%1,638 [lower-alpha 1] 53.83%3,043
Harris 58,48847.70%43,11735.16%19,93416.26%7600.62%3180.26%15,37112.54%122,617
Harrison 2,50444.81%94616.93%2,10637.69%60.11%260.47%398 [lower-alpha 1] 7.12%5,588
Hartley 47784.13%8314.64%50.88%00.00%20.35%39469.49%567
Haskell 2,73591.20%1816.04%772.57%40.13%20.07%2,55485.16%2,999
Hays 2,23974.96%55518.58%1765.89%90.30%80.27%1,68456.38%2,987
Hemphill 93078.95%20117.06%342.89%20.17%110.93%72961.89%1,178
Henderson 3,66983.14%54012.24%1974.46%40.09%30.07%3,12970.90%4,413
Hidalgo 9,52659.47%6,22038.83%1811.13%290.18%620.39%3,30620.64%16,018
Hill 4,36280.85%65712.18%3576.62%60.11%130.24%3,70568.67%5,395
Hockley 3,07184.58%3469.53%1995.48%30.08%120.33%2,72575.05%3,631
Hood 1,27384.64%16911.24%563.72%10.07%50.33%1,10473.40%1,504
Hopkins 3,88583.24%47910.26%2846.09%40.09%150.32%3,40672.98%4,667
Houston 2,01464.88%53217.14%54117.43%50.16%120.39%1,473 [lower-alpha 1] 47.45%3,104
Howard 4,17982.72%56111.10%2855.64%150.30%120.24%3,61871.62%5,052
Hudspeth 43787.75%499.84%102.01%10.20%10.20%38877.91%498
Hunt 5,08271.91%1,19516.91%76310.80%30.04%240.34%3,88755.00%7,067
Hutchinson 4,52775.34%1,38223.00%841.40%60.10%100.17%3,14552.34%6,009
Irion 36683.18%6314.32%92.05%20.45%00.00%30368.86%440
Jack 1,42678.48%26514.58%1106.05%10.06%150.83%1,16163.90%1,817
Jackson 1,34368.10%48824.75%1226.19%120.61%70.35%85543.35%1,972
Jasper 1,77770.32%28411.24%45017.81%50.20%110.44%1,327 [lower-alpha 1] 52.51%2,527
Jeff Davis 30976.87%7518.66%174.23%00.00%10.25%23458.21%402
Jefferson 22,47567.06%5,74917.15%5,10815.24%1190.36%630.19%16,72649.91%33,514
Jim Hogg 72587.45%738.81%293.50%10.12%10.12%65278.64%829
Jim Wells 3,78171.35%1,40226.46%1011.91%10.02%140.26%2,37944.89%5,299
Johnson 4,04277.70%70713.59%4348.34%40.08%150.29%3,33564.11%5,202
Jones 3,59986.16%43210.34%1323.16%30.07%110.26%3,16775.82%4,177
Karnes 2,19873.98%59219.93%1765.92%20.07%30.10%1,60654.05%2,971
Kaufman 3,47971.15%76415.62%62912.86%110.22%70.14%2,71555.53%4,890
Kendall 51128.56%1,20767.47%653.63%20.11%40.22%-696-38.91%1,789
Kenedy 4555.56%3138.27%56.17%00.00%00.00%1417.29%81
Kent 47989.70%336.18%224.12%00.00%00.00%44683.52%534
Kerr 1,50546.97%1,52047.44%1625.06%80.25%90.28%-15-0.47%3,204
Kimble 85168.08%30324.24%957.60%00.00%10.08%54843.84%1,250
King 23195.85%62.49%41.66%00.00%00.00%22593.36%241
Kinney 37064.35%17530.43%305.22%00.00%00.00%19533.92%575
Kleberg 2,08372.50%69724.26%702.44%110.38%120.42%1,38648.24%2,873
Knox 1,79289.24%1577.82%522.59%00.00%70.35%1,63581.42%2,008
Lamar 6,30675.39%1,01812.17%1,01512.13%20.02%240.29%5,28863.22%8,365
Lamb 3,28683.25%47512.03%1734.38%70.18%60.15%2,81171.22%3,947
Lampasas 1,45980.74%27615.27%723.98%00.00%00.00%1,18365.47%1,807
La Salle 71978.75%13514.79%576.24%00.00%20.22%58463.96%913
Lavaca 3,04667.52%1,16525.83%2655.87%180.40%170.38%1,88141.69%4,511
Lee 1,54072.57%46521.91%1095.14%30.14%50.24%1,07550.66%2,122
Leon 1,23172.84%18410.89%27116.04%10.06%30.18%960 [lower-alpha 1] 56.80%1,690
Liberty 2,19956.14%73518.76%93123.77%120.31%401.02%1,268 [lower-alpha 1] 32.37%3,917
Limestone 3,28972.57%68815.18%51011.25%100.22%350.77%2,60157.39%4,532
Lipscomb 66863.68%35433.75%181.72%10.10%80.76%31429.93%1,049
Live Oak 94560.31%47930.57%1318.36%40.26%80.51%46629.74%1,567
Llano 1,38482.38%25315.06%392.32%30.18%10.06%1,13167.32%1,680
Loving 6265.26%2930.53%44.21%00.00%00.00%3334.73%95
Lubbock 11,11473.08%2,83718.66%1,2027.90%300.20%240.16%8,27754.42%15,207
Lynn 2,17986.16%2248.86%1204.74%00.00%60.24%1,95577.30%2,529
Madison 80170.63%13411.82%18816.58%00.00%110.97%613 [lower-alpha 1] 54.05%1,134
Marion 70364.97%20018.48%15914.70%00.00%201.85%50346.49%1,082
Martin 94587.74%777.15%524.83%00.00%30.28%86880.59%1,077
Mason 83661.65%49836.73%141.03%00.00%80.59%33824.92%1,356
Matagorda 1,62849.35%1,01630.80%64019.40%80.24%70.21%61218.55%3,299
Maverick 69569.92%27027.16%222.21%60.60%10.10%42542.76%994
McCulloch 2,16681.92%39314.86%803.03%00.00%50.19%1,77367.06%2,644
McLennan 16,03479.55%3,08815.32%9134.53%810.40%410.20%12,94664.23%20,157
McMullen 22273.51%6120.20%175.63%10.33%10.33%16153.31%302
Medina 1,87553.27%1,49242.39%1444.09%40.11%50.14%38310.88%3,520
Menard 66366.57%28328.41%434.32%10.10%60.60%38038.16%996
Midland 2,03253.22%1,41036.93%3709.69%10.03%50.13%62216.29%3,818
Milam 3,26175.98%64615.05%3598.36%150.35%110.26%2,61560.93%4,292
Mills 1,13580.04%20514.46%694.87%50.35%40.28%93065.58%1,418
Mitchell 2,18187.80%2309.26%642.58%10.04%80.32%1,95178.54%2,484
Montague 2,87280.74%47513.35%1945.45%20.06%140.39%2,39767.39%3,557
Montgomery 1,79553.77%54416.30%98429.48%30.09%120.36%811 [lower-alpha 1] 24.29%3,338
Moore 1,74883.20%32315.37%271.29%10.05%20.10%1,42567.83%2,101
Morris 1,16474.81%1439.19%24715.87%00.00%20.13%917 [lower-alpha 1] 58.94%1,556
Motley 77485.90%758.32%485.33%10.11%30.33%69977.58%901
Nacogdoches 3,19570.47%83318.37%46710.30%40.09%350.77%2,36252.10%4,534
Navarro 4,67972.05%1,18818.29%5879.04%110.17%290.45%3,49153.76%6,494
Newton 95768.41%1107.86%31622.59%00.00%161.14%641 [lower-alpha 1] 45.82%1,399
Nolan 3,40883.76%55213.57%992.43%50.12%50.12%2,85670.19%4,069
Nueces 15,24069.96%5,57725.60%7543.46%1030.47%1090.50%9,66344.36%21,783
Ochiltree 1,02573.06%34424.52%302.14%00.00%40.29%68148.54%1,403
Oldham 33974.02%10021.83%183.93%10.22%00.00%23952.19%458
Orange 4,95772.76%98714.49%85112.49%140.21%40.06%3,97058.27%6,813
Palo Pinto 3,73674.05%97719.37%2975.89%100.20%250.50%2,75954.68%5,045
Panola 1,75162.14%2569.08%79228.11%60.21%130.46%959 [lower-alpha 1] 34.03%2,818
Parker 3,06175.02%80619.75%1804.41%160.39%170.42%2,25555.27%4,080
Parmer 1,09176.78%28019.70%453.17%00.00%50.35%81157.08%1,421
Pecos 1,43079.40%31717.60%512.83%10.06%20.11%1,11361.80%1,801
Polk 1,42262.64%31713.96%51822.82%60.26%70.31%904 [lower-alpha 1] 39.82%2,270
Potter 9,62267.66%4,11028.90%4142.91%350.25%410.29%5,51238.76%14,222
Presidio 90778.66%21218.39%252.17%70.61%20.17%69560.27%1,153
Rains 73978.28%11111.76%909.53%30.32%10.11%62866.52%944
Randall 1,93669.84%72226.05%983.54%120.43%40.14%1,21443.79%2,772
Reagan 44476.68%11219.34%213.63%10.17%10.17%33257.34%579
Real 44672.40%15625.32%121.95%00.00%20.32%29047.08%616
Red River 2,98775.49%3238.16%63716.10%50.13%50.13%2,350 [lower-alpha 1] 59.39%3,957
Reeves 1,38377.31%30917.27%955.31%10.06%10.06%1,07460.04%1,789
Refugio 1,63774.44%48922.24%642.91%40.18%50.23%1,14852.20%2,199
Roberts 31775.84%7618.18%255.98%00.00%00.00%24157.66%418
Robertson 2,14774.11%2468.49%49517.09%10.03%80.28%1,652 [lower-alpha 1] 57.02%2,897
Rockwall 94775.64%1179.35%16413.10%30.24%211.68%783 [lower-alpha 1] 62.54%1,252
Runnels 2,95481.72%52614.55%1173.24%90.25%90.25%2,42867.17%3,615
Rusk 4,32258.60%1,29417.55%1,73023.46%110.15%180.24%2,592 [lower-alpha 1] 35.14%7,375
Sabine 1,07875.28%1047.26%23816.62%30.21%90.63%840 [lower-alpha 1] 58.66%1,432
San Augustine 85867.83%13710.83%24919.68%00.00%211.66%609 [lower-alpha 1] 48.15%1,265
San Jacinto 50965.76%10613.70%15319.77%30.39%30.39%356 [lower-alpha 1] 45.99%774
San Patricio 2,64969.29%96325.19%1814.73%150.39%150.39%1,68644.10%3,823
San Saba 2,05089.01%1847.99%652.82%00.00%40.17%1,86681.02%2,303
Schleicher 49576.74%10716.59%436.67%00.00%00.00%38860.15%645
Scurry 2,04088.39%2018.71%552.38%30.13%90.39%1,83979.68%2,308
Shackelford 89277.84%21118.41%433.75%00.00%00.00%68159.43%1,146
Shelby 3,05175.59%3077.61%66616.50%20.05%100.25%2,385 [lower-alpha 1] 59.09%4,036
Sherman 47980.91%9816.55%101.69%00.00%50.84%38164.36%592
Smith 6,47357.24%3,18128.13%1,60014.15%170.15%380.34%3,29229.11%11,309
Somervell 44676.50%9115.61%467.89%00.00%00.00%35560.89%583
Starr 1,99691.22%1798.18%100.46%20.09%10.05%1,81783.04%2,188
Stephens 2,13273.77%57219.79%1645.67%110.38%110.38%1,56053.98%2,890
Sterling 24491.04%176.34%72.61%00.00%00.00%22784.70%268
Stonewall 96890.98%656.11%282.63%10.09%20.19%90384.87%1,064
Sutton 43369.61%13121.06%589.32%00.00%00.00%30248.55%622
Swisher 1,67081.78%30715.03%572.79%20.10%60.29%1,36366.75%2,042
Tarrant 36,32559.81%17,15728.25%6,93211.41%1600.26%1650.27%19,16831.56%60,739
Taylor 8,18478.90%1,65815.98%4784.61%140.13%390.38%6,52662.92%10,373
Terrell 17164.53%7829.43%145.28%10.38%10.38%9335.10%265
Terry 2,28385.03%2368.79%1525.66%20.07%120.45%2,04776.24%2,685
Throckmorton 1,02691.61%635.63%302.68%10.09%00.00%96385.98%1,120
Titus 2,33976.56%37912.41%33210.87%10.03%40.13%1,96064.15%3,055
Tom Green 6,77774.34%1,82219.99%4815.28%130.14%230.25%4,95554.35%9,116
Travis 19,59872.03%5,99422.03%1,2524.60%2030.75%1600.59%13,60450.00%27,207
Trinity 90568.82%15011.41%25019.01%30.23%70.53%655 [lower-alpha 1] 49.81%1,315
Tyler 89557.70%17711.41%46630.05%20.13%110.71%429 [lower-alpha 1] 27.65%1,551
Upshur 2,11866.92%55517.54%48515.32%10.03%60.19%1,56349.38%3,165
Upton 81179.20%15515.14%555.37%10.10%20.20%65664.06%1,024
Uvalde 1,55060.90%86634.03%1144.48%00.00%150.59%68426.87%2,545
Val Verde 1,24262.79%67233.97%633.19%00.00%10.05%57028.82%1,978
Van Zandt 3,26475.03%57813.29%46310.64%110.25%340.78%2,68661.74%4,350
Victoria 2,43560.24%1,26231.22%3288.11%100.25%70.17%1,17329.02%4,042
Walker 1,43956.12%57022.23%54221.14%10.04%120.47%86933.89%2,564
Waller 81249.69%44827.42%35921.97%120.73%30.18%36422.27%1,634
Ward 2,11979.72%41415.58%1184.44%50.19%20.08%1,70564.14%2,658
Washington 1,64744.01%1,90450.88%1905.08%10.03%00.00%-257-6.87%3,742
Webb 4,59580.68%1,00417.63%530.93%390.68%40.07%3,59163.05%5,695
Wharton 2,81160.00%1,35428.90%48410.33%240.51%120.26%1,45731.10%4,685
Wheeler 2,01081.71%37015.04%672.72%20.08%110.45%1,64066.67%2,460
Wichita 12,23577.11%2,88718.20%6834.30%290.18%320.20%9,34858.91%15,866
Wilbarger 2,96377.97%52913.92%2957.76%60.16%70.18%2,43464.05%3,800
Willacy 1,13959.20%67635.14%995.15%50.26%50.26%46324.06%1,924
Williamson 5,63880.24%1,09415.57%2583.67%260.37%100.14%4,54464.67%7,026
Wilson 2,31376.59%59319.64%1083.58%50.17%10.03%1,72056.95%3,020
Winkler 1,58880.08%29614.93%904.54%20.10%70.35%1,29265.15%1,983
Wise 3,06481.10%44811.86%2546.72%30.08%90.24%2,61669.24%3,778
Wood 2,59066.67%62916.19%64216.53%90.23%150.39%1,948 [lower-alpha 1] 50.14%3,885
Yoakum 86184.41%11911.67%323.14%40.39%40.39%74272.74%1,020
Young 3,17581.45%51613.24%1864.77%40.10%170.44%2,65968.21%3,898
Zapata 63260.36%41439.54%10.10%00.00%00.00%21820.82%1,047
Zavala 61862.68%30631.03%585.88%30.30%10.10%31231.65%986
Totals824,23565.96%303,46724.29%113,9219.12%3,9130.31%4,0410.32%520,76841.67%1,249,577

Analysis

Texas overwhelmingly voted for incumbent Democratic President Harry. S. Truman, who took 66 percent of the state’s vote, to Republican Thomas E. Dewey’s 25.3 percent. Texas was Truman's strongest state, and one of only four in the country which gave him at least sixty percent of the popular vote. Truman carried 246 out of the state's 254 counties, to Dewey’s eight. South Carolina Governor Storm Thurmond, a segregationist Democrat, ran as the Dixiecrat nominee. Despite dominating in the neighboring Deep South, Thurmond received only nine percent of Texas’ popular vote and failed to carry any counties in the state. including those in East Texas, the region in Texas most closely culturally tied to the Deep South. The Dixiecrat ticket did, nonetheless, run second behind Truman in thirty counties. Dewey’s strongest performance was Gillespie County in the Texas Hill Country, which gave him over eighty percent of the vote.

This is one of the last presidential elections in Texas in which the following regions were considered strongholds for the Democratic Party: West Texas, the Texas Panhandle, and the Texas Hill Country. Although several Democratic candidates would win a majority of the counties in these regions in future presidential elections, notably Texas native Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964, these regions were amongst the first in the state to begin splitting their tickets by voting for Republicans on the national level while continuing to vote Democratic at the state level.

This is the last occasion the Plains counties of Ector, Gray, Hansford, Hutchinson, Lipscomb, Midland, Ochiltree, Randall, and Roberts have voted for a Democratic presidential candidate. [17] In the 21st century, these counties typically give over ninety percent of their vote to Republican nominees, while Roberts and Ochiltree have alternated as the nation's most Republican county. Additionally, 1948 constitutes the last election when Gregg County and Smith County in East Texas, plus Edwards County at the western extremity of its namesake plateau, have voted for the Democratic presidential nominee. [17] As a result of Dallas and Harris counties seeing their populations increase as a result of Republican-leaning northern expatriates moving into the state, this would be the last occasion with the exception of Lyndon B. Johnson's landslide win in the state in 1964 that these two counties backed Democratic presidential candidates until Barack Obama won them back in 2008. As of 2020, Dewey remains the last Republican candidate to fail to win at least thirty percent of Texas’s popular vote in a presidential election.

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 In this county where Thurmond ran second ahead of Dewey, margin given is Truman vote minus Thurmond vote and percentage margin Truman percentage minus Thurmond percentage.

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References

  1. "Truman Bad 2d in Texas County Vote". Chicago Tribune . August 29, 1948. p. 1.
  2. 1 2 Frederickson, Kari. The Dixiecrat Revolt and the End of the Solid South, 1932-1968. p. 158. ISBN   0807875449.
  3. "Texas Rebels Hail Victory over Truman: Thurmond Wins Nod in 3 Counties". Chicago Tribune . August 30, 1948. p. 3.
  4. Key, Valdimer Orlando (1949). Southern Politics in State and Nation. Alfred A. Knopf. p. 336.
  5. Key. Southern Politics, p. 254
  6. 1 2 Cohodas, Nadine. Strom Thurmond and the Politics of Southern Change. p. 182. ISBN   0865544468.
  7. 1 2 "Truman, in Texas, Ducks Civil Rights: President Ignores Challenge From Gov. Thurmond, Attacks GOP on Power Policy". Los Angeles Times . September 26, 1948. p. 8.
  8. Black & Black 1992, p. 147.
  9. Gallup, George (October 15, 1948). "Only Four States Go to Dixiecrats". Chattanooga Daily Times . Chattanooga, Tennessee. p. 6-A.
  10. Duckworth, Allen (October 24, 1948). "Texas". The Montgomery Advertiser . Montgomery, Alabama. p. 16.
  11. Duckworth, Allen (October 25, 1948). "Texas". The Miami News . Miami, Florida. p. 8.
  12. Tucker, Ray (November 1, 1948). "Truman Whistling in a White House Graveyard, Says Tucker, Predicting It'll Be a Dewey Sweep". Mount Vernon Argus. Mount Vernon, New York. p. 8.
  13. Gallup, George (November 1, 1948). "Final Gallup Poll Shows Dewey Winning Election with Wide Electoral Vote Margin". Oakland Tribune . Oakland, California. pp. 1–2.
  14. "David Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".
  15. Key; Southern Politics, p. 502
  16. "1948 Presidential Election Popular Vote] (.xlsx file for €15)". Géoelections.
  17. 1 2 Menendez, Albert J. (2005). The Geography of Presidential Elections in the United States, 1868-2004. pp. 311–319. ISBN   0786422173.

Works cited