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Going into the 1948 Presidential Election, most observers were expecting a 1936 or 1920 style landslide in favor of the Republican Nominee, Governor Thomas Dewey of New York. With Incumbent President Harry Truman unpopular, and his Democratic Party split 3 ways, these expectations were not unfounded. As it turned out, after a lackluster campaign from Governor Dewey and a famously contrasting campaign from Truman, the 1948 Election was anything but a landslide. Indeed, it was one of the closest and most dramatic elections in American history.
President Harry Truman had rallied from a gigantic deficit in the polls to winning the popular vote on election day. Unfortunately for him, he came up just short in the 3 crucial swing states of California, Ohio, and Illinois, allowing Governor Dewey to win the election with 267 Electoral Votes, only one more then the required 266 needed to win. Despite being understandably disappointed after truly believing he was going to win, President Truman conceded the election the next day, and Thomas Dewey was sworn in as the nation's 34th President on January 20, 1949.