1978 Georgia gubernatorial election

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1978 Georgia gubernatorial election
Flag of the State of Georgia (1956-2001).svg
  1974 November 7, 1978 1982  
  George Busbee (cropped).jpg Rodney Mims Cook.jpg
Nominee George Busbee Rodney Mims Cook Sr.
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote534,572128,139
Percentage80.7%19.3%

1978 Georgia gubernatorial election results map by county.svg
County results
Busbee:     50–60%     70–80%     80–90%     >90%

Governor before election

George Busbee
Democratic

Elected Governor

George Busbee
Democratic

The 1978 Georgia gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1978. George Busbee was re-elected, the first time a governor of Georgia was re-elected for a second four-year term under the amendment made to the constitution in 1976, and the first time overall after serving a complete first four-year term.

Contents

Democratic nomination

Governor Busbee won the primary with 503,875 votes (72.41%), defeating Roscoe Dean, Jr and his 111,901 votes (16.08%). Notable segregationist J. B. Stoner finished third with 37,654 votes (5.41%).

Republican nomination

Rodney Cook, who had served in the Georgia House of Representatives, defeated Bud Herrin with 23,231 votes (87.32%) to his 3,374 votes (12.68%).

General election results

This election was a contest between the Democratic Governor Busbee and civil rights icon Rodney Cook, who ran on the Republican ticket. Despite receiving fewer votes than in the previous election four years earlier, Busbee defeated Cook in every single county and by over 400,000 votes.

Georgia gubernatorial election, 1978 [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Democratic George Busbee (incumbent) 534,572 80.65%
Republican Rodney Mims Cook, Sr. 128,31919.33%
Democratic hold Swing

References

  1. "1978 Gubernatorial General Election Results - Georgia".