1948 United States presidential election in Texas explained

See main article: article and 1948 United States presidential election.

Election Name:1948 United States presidential election in Texas
Country:Texas
Type:presidential
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:1944 United States presidential election in Texas
Previous Year:1944
Election Date:November 2, 1948
Next Election:1952 United States presidential election in Texas
Next Year:1952
Image1:Harry S Truman, bw half-length photo portrait, facing front, 1945 (cropped).jpg
Nominee1:Harry S. Truman
Party1:Democratic Party (United States)
Home State1:Missouri
Running Mate1:Alben W. Barkley
Electoral Vote1:23
Popular Vote1:824,235
Percentage1:65.96%
Nominee2:Thomas E. Dewey
Party2:Republican Party (United States)
Home State2:New York
Running Mate2:Earl Warren
Electoral Vote2:0
Popular Vote2:303,467
Percentage2:24.29%
Image3:Strom Thurmond 1948 (cropped).jpg
Nominee3:Strom Thurmond
Party3:Dixiecrat
Color3:FF9955
Home State3:South Carolina
Running Mate3:Fielding L. Wright
Electoral Vote3:0
Popular Vote3:113,776
Percentage3:9.11%
Map Size:350px
President
Before Election:Harry S. Truman
Before Party:Democratic Party (United States)
After Election:Harry S. Truman
After Party:Democratic Party (United States)

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.

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.

Polls

SourceRankingAs of
Chattanooga Daily Times[8] October 15, 1948
The Montgomery Advertiser[9] October 24, 1948
The Miami News[10] October 25, 1948
Mount Vernon Argus[11] November 1, 1948
Oakland Tribune[12] November 1, 1948

Results

1948 United States presidential election in Texas[13]
PartyCandidateVotesPercentageElectoral votes
DemocraticHarry S. Truman (incumbent)824,235 65.96%23
RepublicanThomas E. Dewey303,46724.29%0
States’ Rights DemocraticStrom Thurmond113,7769.11%0
ProgressiveHenry A. Wallace3,9200.31%0
ProhibitionClaude Watson3,1150.25%0
SocialistNorman Thomas9190.07%0
OtherWrite-ins1450.01%0
Total1,249,577100.0%23
Voter turnout (Voting age)26%[14]

Results by county

1948 United States presidential election in Texas by county[15]
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
%data-sort-type="number"data-sort-type="number"%data-sort-type="number"data-sort-type="number"%%%data-sort-type="number"data-sort-type="number"%
Anderson3,24262.37%1,19923.07%73514.14%30.06%190.37%2,04339.30%5,198
Andrews81685.27%10110.55%353.66%50.52%00.00%71574.72%957
Angelina4,37769.05%1,00015.78%92814.64%60.09%280.44%3,37753.27%6,339
Aransas41861.02%23534.31%263.80%40.58%20.29%18326.71%685
Archer1,59986.20%19110.30%583.13%00.00%70.38%1,40875.90%1,855
Armstrong68684.07%9711.89%313.80%20.25%00.00%58972.18%816
Atascosa1,89569.36%70425.77%1204.39%40.15%90.33%1,19143.59%2,732
Austin1,25243.70%1,26043.98%34512.04%20.07%60.21%-8-0.28%2,865
Bailey1,11576.79%23416.12%936.40%10.07%90.62%88160.67%1,452
Bandera44539.31%57050.35%1079.45%10.09%90.80%-125-11.04%1,132
Bastrop2,51877.79%44313.69%2658.19%50.15%60.19%2,07564.10%3,237
Baylor1,52290.81%1016.03%472.80%30.18%30.18%1,42184.78%1,676
Bee1,44160.70%80133.74%1235.18%40.17%50.21%64026.96%2,374
Bell7,54882.83%1,06911.73%4364.78%410.45%190.21%6,47971.10%9,113
Bexar35,97054.27%26,20239.53%3,4185.16%3840.58%3050.46%9,76814.74%66,279
Blanco1,00363.93%49731.68%664.21%20.13%10.06%50632.25%1,569
Borden20387.12%187.73%93.86%00.00%31.29%18579.39%233
Bosque2,30377.91%50116.95%1414.77%60.20%50.17%1,80260.96%2,956
Bowie7,02867.95%1,16111.22%2,09620.26%340.33%240.23%4,93247.69%10,343
Brazoria4,78357.19%2,13325.51%1,40816.84%150.18%240.29%2,65031.68%8,363
Brazos3,45962.55%1,53327.72%5229.44%60.11%100.18%1,92634.83%5,530
Brewster94070.10%31223.27%826.11%20.15%50.37%62846.83%1,341
Briscoe69285.75%8310.29%283.47%10.12%30.37%60975.46%807
Brooks1,02980.27%21716.93%302.34%30.23%30.23%81263.34%1,282
Brown5,05978.06%1,07116.53%3275.05%30.05%210.32%3,98861.53%6,481
Burleson2,05184.26%2409.86%1355.55%20.08%60.25%1,81174.40%2,434
Burnet1,95584.12%28712.35%783.36%10.04%30.13%1,66871.77%2,324
Caldwell2,79277.21%62317.23%1694.67%90.25%230.64%2,16959.98%3,616
Calhoun58957.18%34633.59%878.45%00.00%80.78%24323.59%1,030
Callahan1,84483.40%25811.67%1044.70%10.05%40.18%1,58671.73%2,211
Cameron6,77857.15%4,68939.54%3422.88%200.17%300.25%2,08917.61%11,859
Camp92362.03%18012.10%38525.87%00.00%00.00%53836.16%1,488
Carson1,30174.17%41323.55%321.82%50.29%30.17%88850.62%1,754
Cass2,54065.14%45711.72%87822.52%30.08%210.54%1,66242.62%3,899
Castro1,15884.28%18913.76%201.46%10.07%60.44%96970.52%1,374
Chambers78756.54%30221.70%29921.48%00.00%40.29%48534.84%1,392
Cherokee3,07964.07%1,15424.01%54411.32%40.08%250.52%1,92540.06%4,806
Childress2,41586.22%2739.75%943.36%40.14%150.54%2,14276.47%2,801
Clay2,13182.50%33212.85%1074.14%20.08%110.43%1,79969.65%2,583
Cochran97181.87%11910.03%947.93%00.00%20.17%85271.84%1,186
Coke90990.18%656.45%302.98%40.40%00.00%84483.73%1,008
Coleman2,69578.59%54515.89%1765.13%20.06%110.32%2,15062.70%3,429
Collin5,51676.08%1,15515.93%5437.49%170.23%190.26%4,36160.15%7,250
Collingsworth1,77985.16%1989.48%984.69%50.24%90.43%1,58175.68%2,089
Colorado1,31641.71%90028.53%93029.48%30.10%60.19%38612.23%3,155
Comal1,21239.43%1,75256.99%1053.42%20.07%30.10%-540-17.56%3,074
Comanche2,91583.17%40811.64%1644.68%10.03%170.49%2,50771.53%3,505
Concho1,15685.88%17412.93%120.89%30.22%10.07%98272.95%1,346
Cooke3,24164.48%1,19423.76%56411.22%100.20%170.34%2,04740.72%5,026
Coryell2,35085.11%31011.23%883.19%10.04%120.43%2,04073.88%2,761
Cottle1,31890.71%1027.02%322.20%00.00%10.07%1,21683.69%1,453
Crane81288.17%707.60%374.02%00.00%20.22%74280.57%921
Crockett40073.39%12723.30%183.30%00.00%00.00%27350.09%545
Crosby1,73183.66%1688.12%1587.64%00.00%120.58%1,56375.54%2,069
Culberson24479.74%3812.42%227.19%00.00%20.65%20667.32%306
Dallam1,50477.41%39920.54%281.44%30.15%90.46%1,10556.87%1,943
Dallas47,46450.31%35,66437.80%10,16210.77%5360.57%5180.55%11,80012.51%94,344
Dawson2,60582.94%39312.51%1364.33%10.03%60.19%2,21270.43%3,141
Deaf Smith1,49671.61%53525.61%422.01%10.05%150.72%96146.00%2,089
Delta1,59483.89%1467.68%1326.95%40.21%241.26%1,44876.21%1,900
Denton4,54965.42%1,53122.02%82411.85%240.35%250.36%3,01843.40%6,953
De Witt1,80849.57%1,61244.20%2145.87%50.14%80.22%1965.37%3,647
Dickens1,49287.76%1156.76%834.88%10.06%90.53%1,37781.00%1,700
Dimmit86365.48%38429.14%604.55%50.38%60.46%47936.34%1,318
Donley1,37281.09%24114.24%714.20%30.18%50.30%1,13166.85%1,692
Duval3,55196.52%1173.18%110.30%00.00%00.00%3,43493.34%3,679
Eastland5,12176.83%1,17717.66%3294.94%70.11%310.47%3,94459.17%6,665
Ector4,30575.61%1,14520.11%2314.06%90.16%40.07%3,16055.50%5,694
Edwards32961.04%18534.32%213.90%10.19%30.56%14426.72%539
Ellis5,79275.56%1,05513.76%78210.20%150.20%210.27%4,73761.80%7,665
El Paso15,34171.53%5,54425.85%3951.84%1480.69%200.09%9,79745.68%21,448
Erath3,17279.26%59814.94%2065.15%60.15%200.50%2,57464.32%4,002
Falls3,38580.25%54612.94%2716.42%70.17%90.21%2,83967.31%4,218
Fannin6,13286.79%5537.83%3645.15%50.07%110.16%5,57978.96%7,065
Fayette3,10658.63%1,73732.79%4298.10%170.32%90.17%1,36925.84%5,298
Fisher2,06390.28%1496.52%662.89%30.13%40.18%1,91483.76%2,285
Floyd2,17481.94%34412.97%1194.49%10.04%150.57%1,83068.97%2,653
Foard75185.73%9010.27%323.65%10.11%20.23%66175.46%876
Fort Bend2,05856.96%1,01628.12%51914.36%150.42%50.14%1,04228.84%3,613
Franklin1,23680.94%1469.56%1358.84%10.07%90.59%1,09071.38%1,527
Freestone2,26570.12%46014.24%48314.95%110.34%110.34%1,78255.17%3,230
Frio89866.96%34525.73%916.79%10.07%60.45%55341.23%1,341
Gaines1,46581.66%20711.54%1075.96%50.28%100.56%1,25870.12%1,794
Galveston12,49166.47%4,85725.85%1,2666.74%1380.73%400.21%7,63440.62%18,792
Garza86177.57%17615.86%635.68%30.27%70.63%68561.71%1,110
Gillespie59317.37%2,74180.31%772.26%00.00%20.06%-2,148-62.94%3,413
Glasscock18867.63%6924.82%165.76%20.72%31.08%11942.81%278
Goliad45443.86%45043.48%12712.27%00.00%40.39%40.38%1,035
Gonzales2,61272.58%66618.51%3058.47%80.22%80.22%1,94654.07%3,599
Gray3,69964.94%1,59427.98%3846.74%40.07%150.26%2,10536.96%5,696
Grayson10,99177.69%2,17415.37%9536.74%120.08%180.13%8,81762.32%14,148
Gregg5,10448.31%2,47723.45%2,91727.61%240.23%430.41%2,18720.70%10,565
Grimes90152.38%33619.53%47627.67%20.12%50.29%42524.71%1,720
Guadalupe2,11943.17%2,50250.98%2595.28%200.41%80.16%-383-7.81%4,908
Hale3,99575.24%1,01319.08%2695.07%90.17%240.45%2,98256.16%5,310
Hall2,12289.31%1747.32%763.20%10.04%30.13%1,94881.99%2,376
Hamilton1,72573.75%47820.44%1305.56%40.17%20.09%1,24753.31%2,339
Hansford89579.34%20618.26%171.51%90.80%10.09%68961.08%1,128
Hardeman1,65483.70%22611.44%864.35%30.15%70.35%1,42872.26%1,976
Hardin2,23373.38%1966.44%59519.55%90.30%100.33%1,63853.83%3,043
Harris58,48847.70%43,11735.16%19,93416.26%7600.62%3180.26%15,37112.54%122,617
Harrison2,50444.81%94616.93%2,10637.69%60.11%260.47%3987.12%5,588
Hartley47784.13%8314.64%50.88%00.00%20.35%39469.49%567
Haskell2,73591.20%1816.04%772.57%40.13%20.07%2,55485.16%2,999
Hays2,23974.96%55518.58%1765.89%90.30%80.27%1,68456.38%2,987
Hemphill93078.95%20117.06%342.89%20.17%110.93%72961.89%1,178
Henderson3,66983.14%54012.24%1974.46%40.09%30.07%3,12970.90%4,413
Hidalgo9,52659.47%6,22038.83%1811.13%290.18%620.39%3,30620.64%16,018
Hill4,36280.85%65712.18%3576.62%60.11%130.24%3,70568.67%5,395
Hockley3,07184.58%3469.53%1995.48%30.08%120.33%2,72575.05%3,631
Hood1,27384.64%16911.24%563.72%10.07%50.33%1,10473.40%1,504
Hopkins3,88583.24%47910.26%2846.09%40.09%150.32%3,40672.98%4,667
Houston2,01464.88%53217.14%54117.43%50.16%120.39%1,47347.45%3,104
Howard4,17982.72%56111.10%2855.64%150.30%120.24%3,61871.62%5,052
Hudspeth43787.75%499.84%102.01%10.20%10.20%38877.91%498
Hunt5,08271.91%1,19516.91%76310.80%30.04%240.34%3,88755.00%7,067
Hutchinson4,52775.34%1,38223.00%841.40%60.10%100.17%3,14552.34%6,009
Irion36683.18%6314.32%92.05%20.45%00.00%30368.86%440
Jack1,42678.48%26514.58%1106.05%10.06%150.83%1,16163.90%1,817
Jackson1,34368.10%48824.75%1226.19%120.61%70.35%85543.35%1,972
Jasper1,77770.32%28411.24%45017.81%50.20%110.44%1,32752.51%2,527
Jeff Davis30976.87%7518.66%174.23%00.00%10.25%23458.21%402
Jefferson22,47567.06%5,74917.15%5,10815.24%1190.36%630.19%16,72649.91%33,514
Jim Hogg72587.45%738.81%293.50%10.12%10.12%65278.64%829
Jim Wells3,78171.35%1,40226.46%1011.91%10.02%140.26%2,37944.89%5,299
Johnson4,04277.70%70713.59%4348.34%40.08%150.29%3,33564.11%5,202
Jones3,59986.16%43210.34%1323.16%30.07%110.26%3,16775.82%4,177
Karnes2,19873.98%59219.93%1765.92%20.07%30.10%1,60654.05%2,971
Kaufman3,47971.15%76415.62%62912.86%110.22%70.14%2,71555.53%4,890
Kendall51128.56%1,20767.47%653.63%20.11%40.22%-696-38.91%1,789
Kenedy4555.56%3138.27%56.17%00.00%00.00%1417.29%81
Kent47989.70%336.18%224.12%00.00%00.00%44683.52%534
Kerr1,50546.97%1,52047.44%1625.06%80.25%90.28%-15-0.47%3,204
Kimble85168.08%30324.24%957.60%00.00%10.08%54843.84%1,250
King23195.85%62.49%41.66%00.00%00.00%22593.36%241
Kinney37064.35%17530.43%305.22%00.00%00.00%19533.92%575
Kleberg2,08372.50%69724.26%702.44%110.38%120.42%1,38648.24%2,873
Knox1,79289.24%1577.82%522.59%00.00%70.35%1,63581.42%2,008
Lamar6,30675.39%1,01812.17%1,01512.13%20.02%240.29%5,28863.22%8,365
Lamb3,28683.25%47512.03%1734.38%70.18%60.15%2,81171.22%3,947
Lampasas1,45980.74%27615.27%723.98%00.00%00.00%1,18365.47%1,807
La Salle71978.75%13514.79%576.24%00.00%20.22%58463.96%913
Lavaca3,04667.52%1,16525.83%2655.87%180.40%170.38%1,88141.69%4,511
Lee1,54072.57%46521.91%1095.14%30.14%50.24%1,07550.66%2,122
Leon1,23172.84%18410.89%27116.04%10.06%30.18%96056.80%1,690
Liberty2,19956.14%73518.76%93123.77%120.31%401.02%1,26832.37%3,917
Limestone3,28972.57%68815.18%51011.25%100.22%350.77%2,60157.39%4,532
Lipscomb66863.68%35433.75%181.72%10.10%80.76%31429.93%1,049
Live Oak94560.31%47930.57%1318.36%40.26%80.51%46629.74%1,567
Llano1,38482.38%25315.06%392.32%30.18%10.06%1,13167.32%1,680
Loving6265.26%2930.53%44.21%00.00%00.00%3334.73%95
Lubbock11,11473.08%2,83718.66%1,2027.90%300.20%240.16%8,27754.42%15,207
Lynn2,17986.16%2248.86%1204.74%00.00%60.24%1,95577.30%2,529
Madison80170.63%13411.82%18816.58%00.00%110.97%61354.05%1,134
Marion70364.97%20018.48%15914.70%00.00%201.85%50346.49%1,082
Martin94587.74%777.15%524.83%00.00%30.28%86880.59%1,077
Mason83661.65%49836.73%141.03%00.00%80.59%33824.92%1,356
Matagorda1,62849.35%1,01630.80%64019.40%80.24%70.21%61218.55%3,299
Maverick69569.92%27027.16%222.21%60.60%10.10%42542.76%994
McCulloch2,16681.92%39314.86%803.03%00.00%50.19%1,77367.06%2,644
McLennan16,03479.55%3,08815.32%9134.53%810.40%410.20%12,94664.23%20,157
McMullen22273.51%6120.20%175.63%10.33%10.33%16153.31%302
Medina1,87553.27%1,49242.39%1444.09%40.11%50.14%38310.88%3,520
Menard66366.57%28328.41%434.32%10.10%60.60%38038.16%996
Midland2,03253.22%1,41036.93%3709.69%10.03%50.13%62216.29%3,818
Milam3,26175.98%64615.05%3598.36%150.35%110.26%2,61560.93%4,292
Mills1,13580.04%20514.46%694.87%50.35%40.28%93065.58%1,418
Mitchell2,18187.80%2309.26%642.58%10.04%80.32%1,95178.54%2,484
Montague2,87280.74%47513.35%1945.45%20.06%140.39%2,39767.39%3,557
Montgomery1,79553.77%54416.30%98429.48%30.09%120.36%81124.29%3,338
Moore1,74883.20%32315.37%271.29%10.05%20.10%1,42567.83%2,101
Morris1,16474.81%1439.19%24715.87%00.00%20.13%91758.94%1,556
Motley77485.90%758.32%485.33%10.11%30.33%69977.58%901
Nacogdoches3,19570.47%83318.37%46710.30%40.09%350.77%2,36252.10%4,534
Navarro4,67972.05%1,18818.29%5879.04%110.17%290.45%3,49153.76%6,494
Newton95768.41%1107.86%31622.59%00.00%161.14%64145.82%1,399
Nolan3,40883.76%55213.57%992.43%50.12%50.12%2,85670.19%4,069
Nueces15,24069.96%5,57725.60%7543.46%1030.47%1090.50%9,66344.36%21,783
Ochiltree1,02573.06%34424.52%302.14%00.00%40.29%68148.54%1,403
Oldham33974.02%10021.83%183.93%10.22%00.00%23952.19%458
Orange4,95772.76%98714.49%85112.49%140.21%40.06%3,97058.27%6,813
Palo Pinto3,73674.05%97719.37%2975.89%100.20%250.50%2,75954.68%5,045
Panola1,75162.14%2569.08%79228.11%60.21%130.46%95934.03%2,818
Parker3,06175.02%80619.75%1804.41%160.39%170.42%2,25555.27%4,080
Parmer1,09176.78%28019.70%453.17%00.00%50.35%81157.08%1,421
Pecos1,43079.40%31717.60%512.83%10.06%20.11%1,11361.80%1,801
Polk1,42262.64%31713.96%51822.82%60.26%70.31%90439.82%2,270
Potter9,62267.66%4,11028.90%4142.91%350.25%410.29%5,51238.76%14,222
Presidio90778.66%21218.39%252.17%70.61%20.17%69560.27%1,153
Rains73978.28%11111.76%909.53%30.32%10.11%62866.52%944
Randall1,93669.84%72226.05%983.54%120.43%40.14%1,21443.79%2,772
Reagan44476.68%11219.34%213.63%10.17%10.17%33257.34%579
Real44672.40%15625.32%121.95%00.00%20.32%29047.08%616
Red River2,98775.49%3238.16%63716.10%50.13%50.13%2,35059.39%3,957
Reeves1,38377.31%30917.27%955.31%10.06%10.06%1,07460.04%1,789
Refugio1,63774.44%48922.24%642.91%40.18%50.23%1,14852.20%2,199
Roberts31775.84%7618.18%255.98%00.00%00.00%24157.66%418
Robertson2,14774.11%2468.49%49517.09%10.03%80.28%1,65257.02%2,897
Rockwall94775.64%1179.35%16413.10%30.24%211.68%78362.54%1,252
Runnels2,95481.72%52614.55%1173.24%90.25%90.25%2,42867.17%3,615
Rusk4,32258.60%1,29417.55%1,73023.46%110.15%180.24%2,59235.14%7,375
Sabine1,07875.28%1047.26%23816.62%30.21%90.63%84058.66%1,432
San Augustine85867.83%13710.83%24919.68%00.00%211.66%60948.15%1,265
San Jacinto50965.76%10613.70%15319.77%30.39%30.39%35645.99%774
San Patricio2,64969.29%96325.19%1814.73%150.39%150.39%1,68644.10%3,823
San Saba2,05089.01%1847.99%652.82%00.00%40.17%1,86681.02%2,303
Schleicher49576.74%10716.59%436.67%00.00%00.00%38860.15%645
Scurry2,04088.39%2018.71%552.38%30.13%90.39%1,83979.68%2,308
Shackelford89277.84%21118.41%433.75%00.00%00.00%68159.43%1,146
Shelby3,05175.59%3077.61%66616.50%20.05%100.25%2,38559.09%4,036
Sherman47980.91%9816.55%101.69%00.00%50.84%38164.36%592
Smith6,47357.24%3,18128.13%1,60014.15%170.15%380.34%3,29229.11%11,309
Somervell44676.50%9115.61%467.89%00.00%00.00%35560.89%583
Starr1,99691.22%1798.18%100.46%20.09%10.05%1,81783.04%2,188
Stephens2,13273.77%57219.79%1645.67%110.38%110.38%1,56053.98%2,890
Sterling24491.04%176.34%72.61%00.00%00.00%22784.70%268
Stonewall96890.98%656.11%282.63%10.09%20.19%90384.87%1,064
Sutton43369.61%13121.06%589.32%00.00%00.00%30248.55%622
Swisher1,67081.78%30715.03%572.79%20.10%60.29%1,36366.75%2,042
Tarrant36,32559.81%17,15728.25%6,93211.41%1600.26%1650.27%19,16831.56%60,739
Taylor8,18478.90%1,65815.98%4784.61%140.13%390.38%6,52662.92%10,373
Terrell17164.53%7829.43%145.28%10.38%10.38%9335.10%265
Terry2,28385.03%2368.79%1525.66%20.07%120.45%2,04776.24%2,685
Throckmorton1,02691.61%635.63%302.68%10.09%00.00%96385.98%1,120
Titus2,33976.56%37912.41%33210.87%10.03%40.13%1,96064.15%3,055
Tom Green6,77774.34%1,82219.99%4815.28%130.14%230.25%4,95554.35%9,116
Travis19,59872.03%5,99422.03%1,2524.60%2030.75%1600.59%13,60450.00%27,207
Trinity90568.82%15011.41%25019.01%30.23%70.53%65549.81%1,315
Tyler89557.70%17711.41%46630.05%20.13%110.71%42927.65%1,551
Upshur2,11866.92%55517.54%48515.32%10.03%60.19%1,56349.38%3,165
Upton81179.20%15515.14%555.37%10.10%20.20%65664.06%1,024
Uvalde1,55060.90%86634.03%1144.48%00.00%150.59%68426.87%2,545
Val Verde1,24262.79%67233.97%633.19%00.00%10.05%57028.82%1,978
Van Zandt3,26475.03%57813.29%46310.64%110.25%340.78%2,68661.74%4,350
Victoria2,43560.24%1,26231.22%3288.11%100.25%70.17%1,17329.02%4,042
Walker1,43956.12%57022.23%54221.14%10.04%120.47%86933.89%2,564
Waller81249.69%44827.42%35921.97%120.73%30.18%36422.27%1,634
Ward2,11979.72%41415.58%1184.44%50.19%20.08%1,70564.14%2,658
Washington1,64744.01%1,90450.88%1905.08%10.03%00.00%-257-6.87%3,742
Webb4,59580.68%1,00417.63%530.93%390.68%40.07%3,59163.05%5,695
Wharton2,81160.00%1,35428.90%48410.33%240.51%120.26%1,45731.10%4,685
Wheeler2,01081.71%37015.04%672.72%20.08%110.45%1,64066.67%2,460
Wichita12,23577.11%2,88718.20%6834.30%290.18%320.20%9,34858.91%15,866
Wilbarger2,96377.97%52913.92%2957.76%60.16%70.18%2,43464.05%3,800
Willacy1,13959.20%67635.14%995.15%50.26%50.26%46324.06%1,924
Williamson5,63880.24%1,09415.57%2583.67%260.37%100.14%4,54464.67%7,026
Wilson2,31376.59%59319.64%1083.58%50.17%10.03%1,72056.95%3,020
Winkler1,58880.08%29614.93%904.54%20.10%70.35%1,29265.15%1,983
Wise3,06481.10%44811.86%2546.72%30.08%90.24%2,61669.24%3,778
Wood2,59066.67%62916.19%64216.53%90.23%150.39%1,94850.14%3,885
Yoakum86184.41%11911.67%323.14%40.39%40.39%74272.74%1,020
Young3,17581.45%51613.24%1864.77%40.10%170.44%2,65968.21%3,898
Zapata63260.36%41439.54%10.10%00.00%00.00%21820.82%1,047
Zavala61862.68%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.[16] 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.[16] 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.

Works cited

Notes and References

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