1948 U.S. Presidential Election Results: Harry S. Truman Won ✓
Despite widespread predictions of defeat—even major newspapers confidently ran the headline “DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN”—incumbent President Harry S. Truman pulled off one of the greatest upsets in American political history on November 2, 1948, defeating Republican nominee Thomas E. Dewey with 303 electoral votes to Dewey’s 189, while Strom Thurmond’s Dixiecrat ticket captured 39 electoral votes.
303
Harry S. Truman
Percent: 49.50%
Votes: 24,105,810
39
Strom Thurmond
Percent: 2.40%
Votes: 1,169,114
189
Thomas E. Dewey
Percent: 45.10%
Votes: 21,970,064
266 needed to win
Election News
Key Takeaways from the 1948 Presidential Election
The 1948 U.S. presidential election, held on November 2, 1948, President Harry S. Truman pulled off one of the greatest upsets in American political history defeating Republican nominee Thomas E. Dewey.
Results by State
Alabama
Harry S. Truman (DEM)
Percent: 0.00%
Votes: 0
Thomas E. Dewey (REP)
Percent: 19.04%
Votes: 40,930
Strom Thurmond (Dixiecrat)
Percent: 79.75%
Votes: 171,443
Colorado
Harry S. Truman (DEM)
Percent: 51.88%
Votes: 267,288
Thomas E. Dewey (REP)
Percent: 46.52%
Votes: 239,714
Strom Thurmond (Dixiecrat)
Percent: 0.00%
Votes: 0
Georgia
Harry S. Truman (DEM)
Percent: 60.80%
Votes: 254,646
Thomas E. Dewey (REP)
Percent: 18.31%
Votes: 76,691
Strom Thurmond (Dixiecrat)
Percent: 20.33%
Votes: 85,135
Iowa
Harry S. Truman (DEM)
Percent: 50.31%
Votes: 522,380
Thomas E. Dewey (REP)
Percent: 47.58%
Votes: 494,018
Strom Thurmond (Dixiecrat)
Percent: 0.00%
Votes: 0
Maine
Harry S. Truman (DEM)
Percent: 42.27%
Votes: 111,916
Thomas E. Dewey (REP)
Percent: 56.74%
Votes: 150,234
Strom Thurmond (Dixiecrat)
Percent: 0.00%
Votes: 0
Minnesota
Harry S. Truman (DEM)
Percent: 57.16%
Votes: 692,966
Thomas E. Dewey (REP)
Percent: 39.89%
Votes: 483,617
Strom Thurmond (Dixiecrat)
Percent: 0.00%
Votes: 0
Nebraska
Harry S. Truman (DEM)
Percent: 45.85%
Votes: 224,165
Thomas E. Dewey (REP)
Percent: 54.15%
Votes: 264,774
Strom Thurmond (Dixiecrat)
Percent: 0.00%
Votes: 0
New Mexico
Harry S. Truman (DEM)
Percent: 56.38%
Votes: 105,464
Thomas E. Dewey (REP)
Percent: 42.93%
Votes: 80,303
Strom Thurmond (Dixiecrat)
Percent: 0.00%
Votes: 0
Ohio
Harry S. Truman (DEM)
Percent: 49.48%
Votes: 1,452,791
Thomas E. Dewey (REP)
Percent: 49.24%
Votes: 1,445,684
Strom Thurmond (Dixiecrat)
Percent: 0.00%
Votes: 0
Rhode Island
Harry S. Truman (DEM)
Percent: 57.59%
Votes: 188,736
Thomas E. Dewey (REP)
Percent: 41.44%
Votes: 135,787
Strom Thurmond (Dixiecrat)
Percent: 0.00%
Votes: 0
Texas
Harry S. Truman (DEM)
Percent: 65.44%
Votes: 750,700
Thomas E. Dewey (REP)
Percent: 24.60%
Votes: 282,240
Strom Thurmond (Dixiecrat)
Percent: 9.32%
Votes: 106,909
Washington
Harry S. Truman (DEM)
Percent: 52.61%
Votes: 476,165
Thomas E. Dewey (REP)
Percent: 42.68%
Votes: 386,314
Strom Thurmond (Dixiecrat)
Percent: 0.00%
Votes: 0
Arizona
Harry S. Truman (DEM)
Percent: 53.79%
Votes: 95,251
Thomas E. Dewey (REP)
Percent: 43.82%
Votes: 77,597
Strom Thurmond (Dixiecrat)
Percent: 0.00%
Votes: 0
Connecticut
Harry S. Truman (DEM)
Percent: 47.91%
Votes: 423,297
Thomas E. Dewey (REP)
Percent: 49.55%
Votes: 437,754
Strom Thurmond (Dixiecrat)
Percent: 0.00%
Votes: 0
Idaho
Harry S. Truman (DEM)
Percent: 49.98%
Votes: 107,370
Thomas E. Dewey (REP)
Percent: 47.26%
Votes: 101,514
Strom Thurmond (Dixiecrat)
Percent: 0.00%
Votes: 0
Kansas
Harry S. Truman (DEM)
Percent: 44.61%
Votes: 351,902
Thomas E. Dewey (REP)
Percent: 53.63%
Votes: 423,039
Strom Thurmond (Dixiecrat)
Percent: 0.00%
Votes: 0
Maryland
Harry S. Truman (DEM)
Percent: 48.01%
Votes: 286,521
Thomas E. Dewey (REP)
Percent: 49.40%
Votes: 294,814
Strom Thurmond (Dixiecrat)
Percent: 0.42%
Votes: 2,489
Mississippi
Harry S. Truman (DEM)
Percent: 10.09%
Votes: 19,384
Thomas E. Dewey (REP)
Percent: 2.62%
Votes: 5,043
Strom Thurmond (Dixiecrat)
Percent: 87.17%
Votes: 167,538
Nevada
Harry S. Truman (DEM)
Percent: 50.37%
Votes: 31,291
Thomas E. Dewey (REP)
Percent: 47.26%
Votes: 29,357
Strom Thurmond (Dixiecrat)
Percent: 0.00%
Votes: 0
New York
Harry S. Truman (DEM)
Percent: 45.01%
Votes: 2,780,204
Thomas E. Dewey (REP)
Percent: 45.99%
Votes: 2,841,163
Strom Thurmond (Dixiecrat)
Percent: 0.00%
Votes: 0
Oklahoma
Harry S. Truman (DEM)
Percent: 62.75%
Votes: 452,782
Thomas E. Dewey (REP)
Percent: 37.25%
Votes: 268,817
Strom Thurmond (Dixiecrat)
Percent: 0.00%
Votes: 0
South Carolina
Harry S. Truman (DEM)
Percent: 24.14%
Votes: 34,423
Thomas E. Dewey (REP)
Percent: 3.78%
Votes: 5,386
Strom Thurmond (Dixiecrat)
Percent: 71.97%
Votes: 102,607
Utah
Harry S. Truman (DEM)
Percent: 53.98%
Votes: 149,151
Thomas E. Dewey (REP)
Percent: 45.02%
Votes: 124,402
Strom Thurmond (Dixiecrat)
Percent: 0.00%
Votes: 0
West Virginia
Harry S. Truman (DEM)
Percent: 57.32%
Votes: 429,188
Thomas E. Dewey (REP)
Percent: 42.24%
Votes: 316,251
Strom Thurmond (Dixiecrat)
Percent: 0.00%
Votes: 0
Arkansas
Harry S. Truman (DEM)
Percent: 61.72%
Votes: 149,659
Thomas E. Dewey (REP)
Percent: 21.02%
Votes: 50,959
Strom Thurmond (Dixiecrat)
Percent: 16.52%
Votes: 40,068
Delaware
Harry S. Truman (DEM)
Percent: 48.76%
Votes: 67,813
Thomas E. Dewey (REP)
Percent: 50.04%
Votes: 69,588
Strom Thurmond (Dixiecrat)
Percent: 0.00%
Votes: 0
Illinois
Harry S. Truman (DEM)
Percent: 50.07%
Votes: 1,994,715
Thomas E. Dewey (REP)
Percent: 49.22%
Votes: 1,961,103
Strom Thurmond (Dixiecrat)
Percent: 0.00%
Votes: 0
Kentucky
Harry S. Truman (DEM)
Percent: 56.74%
Votes: 466,756
Thomas E. Dewey (REP)
Percent: 41.48%
Votes: 341,210
Strom Thurmond (Dixiecrat)
Percent: 1.27%
Votes: 10,411
Massachusetts
Harry S. Truman (DEM)
Percent: 54.66%
Votes: 1,151,788
Thomas E. Dewey (REP)
Percent: 43.16%
Votes: 909,370
Strom Thurmond (Dixiecrat)
Percent: 0.00%
Votes: 0
Missouri
Harry S. Truman (DEM)
Percent: 58.11%
Votes: 917,315
Thomas E. Dewey (REP)
Percent: 41.49%
Votes: 655,039
Strom Thurmond (Dixiecrat)
Percent: 0.00%
Votes: 0
New Hampshire
Harry S. Truman (DEM)
Percent: 46.66%
Votes: 107,995
Thomas E. Dewey (REP)
Percent: 52.41%
Votes: 121,299
Strom Thurmond (Dixiecrat)
Percent: 0.00%
Votes: 7
North Carolina
Harry S. Truman (DEM)
Percent: 58.02%
Votes: 459,070
Thomas E. Dewey (REP)
Percent: 32.68%
Votes: 258,572
Strom Thurmond (Dixiecrat)
Percent: 8.80%
Votes: 69,652
Oregon
Harry S. Truman (DEM)
Percent: 46.40%
Votes: 243,147
Thomas E. Dewey (REP)
Percent: 49.78%
Votes: 260,904
Strom Thurmond (Dixiecrat)
Percent: 0.00%
Votes: 0
South Dakota
Harry S. Truman (DEM)
Percent: 47.04%
Votes: 117,653
Thomas E. Dewey (REP)
Percent: 51.84%
Votes: 129,651
Strom Thurmond (Dixiecrat)
Percent: 0.00%
Votes: 0
Vermont
Harry S. Truman (DEM)
Percent: 36.92%
Votes: 45,557
Thomas E. Dewey (REP)
Percent: 61.54%
Votes: 75,926
Strom Thurmond (Dixiecrat)
Percent: 0.00%
Votes: 0
Wisconsin
Harry S. Truman (DEM)
Percent: 50.70%
Votes: 647,310
Thomas E. Dewey (REP)
Percent: 46.28%
Votes: 590,959
Strom Thurmond (Dixiecrat)
Percent: 0.00%
Votes: 0
California
Harry S. Truman (DEM)
Percent: 47.57%
Votes: 1,913,134
Thomas E. Dewey (REP)
Percent: 47.13%
Votes: 1,895,269
Strom Thurmond (Dixiecrat)
Percent: 0.03%
Votes: 1,228
Florida
Harry S. Truman (DEM)
Percent: 48.82%
Votes: 281,988
Thomas E. Dewey (REP)
Percent: 33.63%
Votes: 194,280
Strom Thurmond (Dixiecrat)
Percent: 15.54%
Votes: 89,755
Indiana
Harry S. Truman (DEM)
Percent: 48.78%
Votes: 807,831
Thomas E. Dewey (REP)
Percent: 49.58%
Votes: 821,079
Strom Thurmond (Dixiecrat)
Percent: 0.00%
Votes: 0
Louisiana
Harry S. Truman (DEM)
Percent: 32.75%
Votes: 136,344
Thomas E. Dewey (REP)
Percent: 17.45%
Votes: 72,657
Strom Thurmond (Dixiecrat)
Percent: 49.07%
Votes: 204,290
Michigan
Harry S. Truman (DEM)
Percent: 47.57%
Votes: 1,003,448
Thomas E. Dewey (REP)
Percent: 49.23%
Votes: 1,038,595
Strom Thurmond (Dixiecrat)
Percent: 0.00%
Votes: 0
Montana
Harry S. Truman (DEM)
Percent: 53.09%
Votes: 119,071
Thomas E. Dewey (REP)
Percent: 43.15%
Votes: 96,770
Strom Thurmond (Dixiecrat)
Percent: 0.00%
Votes: 0
New Jersey
Harry S. Truman (DEM)
Percent: 45.93%
Votes: 895,455
Thomas E. Dewey (REP)
Percent: 50.33%
Votes: 981,124
Strom Thurmond (Dixiecrat)
Percent: 0.00%
Votes: 0
North Dakota
Harry S. Truman (DEM)
Percent: 43.41%
Votes: 95,812
Thomas E. Dewey (REP)
Percent: 52.17%
Votes: 115,139
Strom Thurmond (Dixiecrat)
Percent: 0.17%
Votes: 374
Pennsylvania
Harry S. Truman (DEM)
Percent: 46.91%
Votes: 1,752,426
Thomas E. Dewey (REP)
Percent: 50.92%
Votes: 1,902,197
Strom Thurmond (Dixiecrat)
Percent: 0.00%
Votes: 0
Tennessee
Harry S. Truman (DEM)
Percent: 49.14%
Votes: 270,402
Thomas E. Dewey (REP)
Percent: 36.87%
Votes: 202,914
Strom Thurmond (Dixiecrat)
Percent: 13.41%
Votes: 73,815
Virginia
Harry S. Truman (DEM)
Percent: 47.89%
Votes: 200,786
Thomas E. Dewey (REP)
Percent: 41.04%
Votes: 172,070
Strom Thurmond (Dixiecrat)
Percent: 10.35%
Votes: 43,393
Wyoming
Harry S. Truman (DEM)
Percent: 51.62%
Votes: 52,354
Thomas E. Dewey (REP)
Percent: 47.27%
Votes: 47,947
Strom Thurmond (Dixiecrat)
Percent: 0.00%
Votes: 0