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County results James: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Hunt: 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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Elections in Alabama |
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Government |
The 1978 Alabama gubernatorial election took place on November 7, 1978, to elect the governor of Alabama. Fob James, a businessman who had switched from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party and campaigned as a "born-again Democrat", won the Democratic primary in an upset over Attorney General Bill Baxley. He went on to defeat Guy Hunt in a landslide in the general election. Incumbent Democrat George Wallace was term limited and could not seek a third consecutive term; he later successfully ran again in 1982.
Hunt was the first Republican to win Cullman County since Reconstruction.
Despite entering the race as a former Republican with low name identification and little political experience, by the time of the primary, James led Baxley, Beasley, and Brewer, who were considered the main contenders, in the polls. James placed first in the primary, followed by Baxley. Fob James then won the primary runoff against Bill Baxley.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Fob James | 256,196 | 28.47 | |
Democratic | Bill Baxley | 210,089 | 23.35 | |
Democratic | Albert Brewer | 193,479 | 21.50 | |
Democratic | Sid McDonald | 143,930 | 15.99 | |
Democratic | Jere Beasley | 77,202 | 8.58 | |
Democratic | K. C. Foster | 4,948 | 0.55 | |
Democratic | Horace Howell | 4,730 | 0.53 | |
Democratic | Jim Folsom | 4,632 | 0.52 | |
Democratic | Bob Muncaster | 1,776 | 0.20 | |
Democratic | Shorty Price | 1,396 | 0.16 | |
Democratic | Charles Woods | 700 | 0.08 | |
Democratic | Fred Sandefer | 622 | 0.07 | |
Democratic | Cornelia Wallace | 217 | 0.02 | |
Total votes | 899,917 | 100 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Fob James | 515,520 | 55.17 | |
Democratic | Bill Baxley | 418,932 | 44.83 | |
Total votes | 934,452 | 100 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Guy Hunt | 21,499 | 83.17 | |
Republican | Bert Hayes | 2,817 | 10.90 | |
Republican | Julian Elgin | 1,534 | 5.93 | |
Total votes | 25,850 | 100 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Fob James | 551,786 | 72.59 | |
Republican | Guy Hunt | 196,693 | 25.88 | |
Prohibition | Jim Partain | 8,103 | 1.07 | |
Independent | Richard Dare | 3,522 | 0.46 | |
Total votes | 760,104 | 100 | ||
Democratic hold | ||||
Fob James won all but two counties: Cullman, where Hunt had been Probate Judge; and Winston, a traditionally Republican stronghold. [6]
Forrest Hood "Fob" James Jr. is an American politician, civil engineer, entrepreneur, and former football player. He served as the 48th governor of Alabama, first as a Democrat from 1979–1983, and then as a Republican from 1995–1999.
James Elisha 'Jim' Folsom Jr. is an American politician who was the 50th governor of Alabama from April 22, 1993, to January 16, 1995. He has also served as the lieutenant governor of Alabama on two occasions. He is a member of the Democratic Party.
Harold Guy Hunt was an American politician, pastor, and convicted felon who served as the 49th governor of Alabama from 1987 to 1993. He was the first Republican to serve as governor of the state since Reconstruction.
William Joseph Baxley II, is an American Democratic politician and attorney from Dothan, Alabama.
Lucy Mae Bruner Baxley Smith was an American politician who served from 2003 to 2007 as the 28th lieutenant governor of Alabama and from 2008 to 2012 as president of the Alabama Public Service Commission. She was the first woman to hold the state's office of lieutenant governor. In 2006, she was the unsuccessful Democratic nominee for governor. In 2008, Baxley was elected President of the Alabama Public Service Commission, and was the only Democrat to win statewide that year. Until Doug Jones's swearing in after winning a 2017 U.S. Senate special election, Baxley had been the last Democrat to hold statewide office in Alabama.
Charles Woods was an Alabama businessman and broadcaster, and aspiring politician. Woods was raised in an orphanage. He enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force before joining the U.S. Army Air Corps in World War II. He was a decorated pilot with the Air Corps.
The Alabama Public Service Commission, commonly called the PSC, was established by an act of the Alabama Legislature in 1915 to primarily replace the State Railroad Commission. The PSC's responsibility was expanded in 1920 to include regulating and setting rates that utility companies charge their customers for electricity. The legislature expanded the PSC's responsibilities in later years to include those companies that provide gas, water, and communications, as well as transportation common carriers such as trucking and air carriers. The PSC effectively determines the rate of profits that most of these companies are allowed to earn. However, some of its traditional responsibilities have passed to the federal government with the passage of the Federal Aviation Act of 1994 and the Federal Communications Act of 1996.
The Alabama Democratic Party is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in the state of Alabama. It is chaired by Randy Kelley.
The Alabama gubernatorial election of 1998 was held on November 3, 1998, to select the governor of Alabama. The election saw incumbent Governor Fob James (R) against Lieutenant Governor Don Siegelman (D). The result saw Don Siegelman win a decisive victory over Fob James. This was the second of three consecutive Alabama gubernatorial elections in which the incumbent was defeated. As of 2024, this was the last time that a Democrat was elected governor of Alabama.
The 1994 Alabama gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1994, to select the governor of Alabama. The election saw Republican Fob James defeat incumbent Democrat Jim Folsom Jr. in an upset. This was the first of three consecutive Alabama gubernatorial elections where the incumbent was defeated.
The 1990 Alabama gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 1990, to select the governor of Alabama. The election saw incumbent Republican Governor Guy Hunt defeat Democrat Paul Hubbert, executive secretary of the Alabama Education Association. This marked the first time in history that a Republican won a second gubernatorial term in Alabama.
The 1970 Alabama gubernatorial election was marked by a competitive Democratic primary battle between incumbent moderate Governor Albert Brewer and segregationist former governor and 1968 independent presidential candidate George Wallace. The Alabama Constitution was amended in 1968, allowing a governor to serve two consecutive terms.
The 1982 Alabama gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 1982, to elect the governor of Alabama. Incumbent Democrat Fob James declined to run for re-election; he later successfully ran again in 1994 as a Republican. The open seat election saw former Democratic Governor George Wallace, who narrowly won the Democratic primary, defeat Republican Emory Folmar, the Mayor of Montgomery, Alabama.
The 1986 Alabama gubernatorial election saw the election of Republican H. Guy Hunt over Democrat Bill Baxley. In state politics, this election is largely seen as a realigning election since Hunt was the first Republican to be elected governor in 114 years – the last Republican to be elected was David P. Lewis in 1872 during the Reconstruction era. In March 1986, incumbent George Wallace announced that he would not seek a fifth term as governor, ending an era in Alabama politics.
The 2010 Alabama gubernatorial election took place on November 2, 2010. Incumbent Governor Bob Riley was term-limited and unable to seek re-election. The party primaries were held on June 1, 2010, with a Republican runoff on July 13. In the general election, Robert J. Bentley defeated Democrat Ron Sparks. This was the first election in which Republicans won three consecutive gubernatorial elections in the state. This was also the first time since Reconstruction that a Republican carried Colbert County, Franklin County, and Lawrence County in a gubernatorial race.
Bill Armistead is an American politician from the state of Alabama. He served as the chairman of the Alabama Republican Party from 2011 to 2015. He served in the Alabama Senate from 1995 to 2003.
A general election was held in the U.S. state of Alabama on November 4, 2014. All of Alabama's executive officers were up for election as well as a United States Senate seat, and all of Alabama's seven seats in the United States House of Representatives.
The 1966 Alabama gubernatorial election took place on November 8, 1966, and saw the election of Lurleen Wallace as the governor over U.S. Representative James D. Martin. Incumbent Democrat George Wallace was term limited and could not seek a second consecutive term; he later successfully ran again in 1970 and 1974 before being term-limited again, and then successfully ran again in 1982.
The 1978 United States Senate election in Alabama was held on November 7, 1978. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator John Sparkman decided to retire and Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Howell Heflin was elected to succeed him.
The 2022 Alabama gubernatorial election took place on November 8, 2022, to elect the governor of Alabama. Incumbent Governor Kay Ivey took office on April 10, 2017, upon the resignation of Robert J. Bentley (R) and won a full term in 2018. In 2022, she won her bid for a second full term in a landslide.