1987 United States gubernatorial elections

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1987 United States gubernatorial elections
Flag of the United States.svg
  1986 October 24 and November 3, 1987 1988  

4 governorships
3 states; 1 territory
 Majority partyMinority party
 
Party Democratic Republican
Seats before2624
Seats after2624
Seat changeSteady2.svgSteady2.svg
Seats up30
Seats won30

1987 United States gubernatorial elections results map.svg
  Democratic hold

United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 3, 1987, in three states and one territory. Democrats retained all three seats up for election; although three new people were elected governor.

Contents

This is also the last time Louisiana, Kentucky and Mississippi all elected governors of the same party.

Election results

StateIncumbentPartyFirst
elected
ResultCandidates
Kentucky Martha Layne Collins Democratic 1983 Incumbent term-limited.
New governor elected.
Democratic hold.
Louisiana Edwin Edwards Democratic 1972
1979 (term-limited)
1983
Incumbent lost re-election and withdrew from advanced runoff.
New governor elected.
Democratic hold.
Mississippi William Allain Democratic 1983 Incumbent term-limited.
New governor elected.
Democratic hold.

Close states

States where the margin of victory was under 10%:

  1. Louisiana, 5.3%
  2. Mississippi, 6.8%

Kentucky

1987 Kentucky gubernatorial election
Flag of Kentucky.svg
  1983 November 3, 1987 1991  
Turnout39.9% Decrease2.svg 15.8 pp
  Wallace Wilkinson crop.jpg No image.svg
Nominee Wallace Wilkinson John Harper
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote504,674273,141
Percentage64.50%34.91%

1987 Kentucky gubernatorial election results map by county.svg
1987 Kentucky gubernatorial election results map by congressional district.svg
Wilkinson:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%
Harper:     50–60%     60–70%

Governor before election

Martha Layne Collins
Democratic

Elected Governor

Wallace Wilkinson
Democratic

The 1987 Kentucky gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1987. Democratic nominee Wallace Wilkinson defeated Republican nominee John Harper with 64.50% of the vote.

Louisiana

1987 Louisiana gubernatorial election
Flag of Louisiana (1912-2006).svg
  1983 October 24, 1987 (first round) 1991  
  Buddy Roemer Congress.jpg Edwin Edwards.jpg BobLivingston.jpg
Candidate Buddy Roemer Edwin Edwards Bob Livingston
Party Democratic Democratic Republican
First round516,078
33.11%
437,801
28.09%
287,780
18.46%
RunoffWinner by defaultWithdrewEliminated

  Billy tauzin.jpg
Candidate Billy Tauzin James H. "Jim" Brown
Party Democratic Democratic
First round154,079
9.88%
138,223
8.87%
RunoffEliminatedEliminated

1987 Louisiana gubernatorial election results map by parish.svg
1987 Louisiana gubernatorial election results map by CD.svg
Roemer:     30–40%     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%
Edwards:     30–40%     40–50%
Livingston:     30–40%     40–50%
Tauzin:     20–30%     30–40%     40–50%

Governor before election

Edwin Edwards
Democratic

Elected Governor

Buddy Roemer
Democratic

The 1987 Louisiana gubernatorial election was held to elect the governor of Louisiana. Three-term incumbent Democratic governor Edwin Edwards lost re-election to a fourth term, defeated by Democratic congressman Buddy Roemer.

Edwin Edwards defeated Governor Dave Treen in the 1983 election. [1] Edwards was prosecuted as governor by U.S. District Attorney John Volz for selling hospital certificates, but the first trial results in a hung jury before Edwards was acquitted. [2]

Under Louisiana's jungle primary system, all candidates appear on the same ballot, regardless of party, and voters may vote for any candidate, regardless of their party affiliation. On October 24, 1987, Roemer and Edwards took the two highest popular vote counts. As neither took over 50% a runoff was scheduled, but Edwards withdrew, causing the runoff's cancellation.

Mississippi

1987 Mississippi gubernatorial election
Flag of Mississippi (1894-1996).svg
  1983 November 3, 1987 1991  
  Ray Mabus (MS) (cropped).png Tupelo businessman Jack Reed.jpg
Nominee Ray Mabus Jack Reed
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote385,689336,006
Percentage53.44%46.56%

1987 Mississippi gubernatorial election results map by county.svg
County results
Mabus:     50-60%     60-70%     70-80%     80-90%
Reed:     50-60%     60-70%

Governor before election

William Allain
Democratic

Elected Governor

Ray Mabus
Democratic

The 1987 Mississippi gubernatorial election took place on November 3, 1987 to elect the governor of Mississippi.

References

Sources