Reagan remained publicly neutral in the 1988 Republican presidential primaries , but privately supported Vice President Bush over Senator Bob Dole . The 1988 Republican National Convention , which nominated Bush for president , also acted as a celebration of Reagan 's presidency . Democrats nominated Michael Dukakis , the liberal Governor of Massachusetts . Following the 1988 Democratic National Convention , Dukakis led the polls by seventeen points , but Bush , aided by the INF Treaty and the strong economy , closed the gap as the election neared . Democrats tried to link Bush to the Iran-Contra Scandal , but Bush claimed that he had not been involved . The GOP effectively cast Dukakis as " soft " on crime and foreign policy issues , seizing on Dukakis 's pardon of Willie Horton and his dispassionate response to a question regarding the death penalty . In the 1988 presidential election , Bush defeated Dukakis , taking 53.4 percent of the popular vote and 426 electoral votes . The election saw the lowest turnout of eligible voters since 1924 . In the concurrent congressional elections , Democrats retained control of the House and the Senate . In large part due to his handling of relations with the Soviet Union , Reagan left office with an approval rating of sixty-eight percent
1988 Democratic National Convention
1988 Democratic National Convention
Presidency of Ronald Reagan