Building on his popularity as governor , Dukakis sought the Democratic presidential nomination for the 1988 presidential election . He prevailed in the Democratic primaries and was formally nominated at the 1988 Democratic National Convention . Dukakis chose Senator Lloyd Bentsen of Texas as his running mate , while the Republicans nominated a ticket consisting of George H. W. Bush and Senator Dan Quayle . Dukakis lost the election , carrying only ten states and Washington , D.C. , but he improved on the Democratic performance in the previous two elections . After the election , Dukakis announced that he would not seek another term as governor , and he left office in 1991
1988 Democratic National Convention
1988 Democratic National Convention
Michael Dukakis