The great upset: written off by every poll and pundit, and with Dixiecrat and Progressive revolts stripping both wings of his party, Truman whistle-stopped to a clear win. The Chicago Tribune's premature headline became the era's icon.
Elected
Harry S. Truman
Democratic
Electoral vote
303 of 531
Popular vote
49.6%
24,179,347 votes
Turnout
52.2%
VAP 51.5%
The result
Harry S. Truman
Democratic · 49.60% of votes
303
electoral votes
Thomas E. Dewey
Republican · 45.10% of votes
189
electoral votes
Strom Thurmond
Dixiecrat · 2.40% of votes
39
electoral votes
Henry A. Wallace
Progressive · 2.40% of votes
—
electoral votes
Norman Thomas
Socialist · 0.29% of votes
—
electoral votes
Claude A. Watson
Prohibition · 0.21% of votes
—
electoral votes
EV share
Harry S. Truman
Democratic
Alben W. Barkley
303
24,179,347
49.60%
28
Thomas E. Dewey
Republican
Earl Warren
189
21,991,292
45.10%
16
Strom Thurmond
Dixiecrat
Fielding L. Wright
39
1,175,930
2.40%
4
Henry A. Wallace
Progressive
Glen H. Taylor
—
1,157,328
2.40%
—
Norman Thomas
Socialist
Tucker P. Smith
—
139,569
0.29%
—
Claude A. Watson
Prohibition
Dale Learn
—
103,708
0.21%
—
48,747,174 votes recorded for the candidates listed.
Results by state
Alabama
Strom Thurmond · 79.7% · runner-up Thomas E. Dewey 19.0%
11
electoral votes
Arizona
Harry S. Truman · 53.8% · runner-up Thomas E. Dewey 43.8%
4
electoral votes
Arkansas
Harry S. Truman · 47.6% · runner-up Thomas E. Dewey 21.0%
9
electoral votes
California
Harry S. Truman · 47.6% · runner-up Thomas E. Dewey 47.1%
25
electoral votes
Colorado
Harry S. Truman · 51.9% · runner-up Thomas E. Dewey 46.5%
6
electoral votes
Connecticut
Thomas E. Dewey · 49.6% · runner-up Harry S. Truman 47.9%
8
electoral votes
Delaware
Thomas E. Dewey · 50.0% · runner-up Harry S. Truman 48.8%
3
electoral votes
Florida
Harry S. Truman · 48.8% · runner-up Thomas E. Dewey 33.6%
8
electoral votes
Georgia
Harry S. Truman · 60.8% · runner-up Strom Thurmond 20.3%
12
electoral votes
Idaho
Harry S. Truman · 50.0% · runner-up Thomas E. Dewey 47.3%
4
electoral votes
Illinois
Harry S. Truman · 50.1% · runner-up Thomas E. Dewey 49.2%
28
electoral votes
Indiana
Thomas E. Dewey · 49.6% · runner-up Harry S. Truman 48.8%
13
electoral votes
Alabama
Strom Thurmond
79.7%
11
Thomas E. Dewey · 19.0%
Arizona
Harry S. Truman
53.8%
4
Thomas E. Dewey · 43.8%
Arkansas
Harry S. Truman
47.6%
9
Thomas E. Dewey · 21.0%
California
Harry S. Truman
47.6%
25
Thomas E. Dewey · 47.1%
Colorado
Harry S. Truman
51.9%
6
Thomas E. Dewey · 46.5%
Connecticut
Thomas E. Dewey
49.6%
8
Harry S. Truman · 47.9%
Delaware
Thomas E. Dewey
50.0%
3
Harry S. Truman · 48.8%
Florida
Harry S. Truman
48.8%
8
Thomas E. Dewey · 33.6%
Georgia
Harry S. Truman
60.8%
12
Strom Thurmond · 20.3%
Idaho
Harry S. Truman
50.0%
4
Thomas E. Dewey · 47.3%
Illinois
Harry S. Truman
50.1%
28
Thomas E. Dewey · 49.2%
Indiana
Thomas E. Dewey
49.6%
13
Harry S. Truman · 48.8%
Iowa
Harry S. Truman
50.3%
10
Thomas E. Dewey · 47.6%
Kansas
Thomas E. Dewey
53.6%
8
Harry S. Truman · 44.6%
Kentucky
Harry S. Truman
56.7%
11
Thomas E. Dewey · 41.5%
Louisiana
Strom Thurmond
49.1%
10
Harry S. Truman · 32.8%
Maine
Thomas E. Dewey
56.9%
5
Harry S. Truman · 42.4%
Maryland
Thomas E. Dewey
49.2%
8
Harry S. Truman · 47.8%
Massachusetts
Harry S. Truman
54.7%
16
Thomas E. Dewey · 43.2%
Michigan
Thomas E. Dewey
49.2%
19
Harry S. Truman · 47.6%
Minnesota
Harry S. Truman
57.2%
11
Thomas E. Dewey · 39.9%
Mississippi
Strom Thurmond
87.2%
9
Harry S. Truman · 10.1%
Missouri
Harry S. Truman
58.1%
15
Thomas E. Dewey · 41.5%
Montana
Harry S. Truman
53.1%
4
Thomas E. Dewey · 43.2%
Nebraska
Thomas E. Dewey
54.2%
6
Harry S. Truman · 45.9%
Nevada
Harry S. Truman
50.4%
3
Thomas E. Dewey · 47.3%
New Hampshire
Thomas E. Dewey
52.4%
4
Harry S. Truman · 46.7%
New Jersey
Thomas E. Dewey
50.3%
16
Harry S. Truman · 45.9%
New Mexico
Harry S. Truman
56.3%
4
Thomas E. Dewey · 43.0%
New York
Thomas E. Dewey
46.0%
47
Harry S. Truman · 45.0%
North Carolina
Harry S. Truman
58.0%
14
Thomas E. Dewey · 32.7%
North Dakota
Thomas E. Dewey
52.2%
4
Harry S. Truman · 43.4%
Ohio
Harry S. Truman
49.5%
25
Thomas E. Dewey · 49.2%
Oklahoma
Harry S. Truman
62.8%
10
Thomas E. Dewey · 37.3%
Oregon
Thomas E. Dewey
49.8%
6
Harry S. Truman · 46.4%
Pennsylvania
Thomas E. Dewey
50.9%
35
Harry S. Truman · 46.9%
Rhode Island
Harry S. Truman
57.6%
4
Thomas E. Dewey · 41.4%
South Carolina
Strom Thurmond
72.0%
8
Harry S. Truman · 24.1%
South Dakota
Thomas E. Dewey
51.8%
4
Harry S. Truman · 47.0%
Tennessee
Harry S. Truman
49.1%
1 Thurmond · 11 Truman
Thomas E. Dewey · 36.9%
Texas
Harry S. Truman
65.4%
23
Thomas E. Dewey · 24.6%
Utah
Harry S. Truman
54.0%
4
Thomas E. Dewey · 45.0%
Vermont
Thomas E. Dewey
61.5%
3
Harry S. Truman · 36.9%
Virginia
Harry S. Truman
47.9%
11
Thomas E. Dewey · 41.0%
Washington
Harry S. Truman
52.6%
8
Thomas E. Dewey · 42.7%
West Virginia
Harry S. Truman
57.3%
8
Thomas E. Dewey · 42.2%
Wisconsin
Harry S. Truman
50.7%
12
Thomas E. Dewey · 46.3%
Wyoming
Harry S. Truman
51.6%
3
Thomas E. Dewey · 47.3%
The Congress it seated
81th Congress
1949–1951
Unified government
Senate
54–42
Democratic control · Democratic–Republican
House
262–171 +2
Democratic control · Democratic–Republican +2 independents