1989 United States gubernatorial elections

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1989 United States gubernatorial elections
Flag of the United States.svg
  1988 November 7, 1989 1990  

3 governorships
2 states; 1 territory
 Majority partyMinority party
 
Party Democratic Republican
Seats before2822
Seats after2921
Seat changeIncrease2.svg1Decrease2.svg1
Seats up11
Seats won20

1989 United States gubernatorial elections results map.svg
1989 gubernatorial election results:
     Democratic gain     Democratic hold
     Republican hold

United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 7, 1989, in two states and one territory, as well as other statewide offices and members of state legislatures. Democrats picked up the open seat in New Jersey formerly held by a Republican, while keeping another open seat in Virginia which was held by a Democrat.

Contents

Election results

StateIncumbentPartyFirst
elected
ResultCandidates
New Jersey Thomas Kean Republican 1981 Incumbent term-limited.
New governor elected.
Democratic gain. [1]
Virginia Gerald Baliles Democratic 1985 Incumbent term-limited.
New governor elected.
Democratic hold. [2]

Close states

States where the margin of victory was under 1%:

  1. Virginia, 0.38%

New Jersey

1989 New Jersey gubernatorial election
Flag of New Jersey.svg
  1985 November 7, 1989 1993  
  James Florio headshot 1983.jpg Jim Courter.jpg
Nominee James Florio Jim Courter
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote1,379,937838,553
Percentage61.2%37.2%

1989 New Jersey gubernatorial election results map by county.svg
1989 New Jersey gubernatorial election by Congressional District.svg
Florio:      50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%
Courter:      50–60%

Governor before election

Thomas Kean
Republican

Elected Governor

James Florio
Democratic

The 1989 New Jersey gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1989. Incumbent Republican Governor Thomas Kean was term-limited after two consecutive terms. Democrat James Florio, a U.S. Representative from Camden County and a twice-unsuccessful candidate for Governor, defeated Republican U.S. Representative Jim Courter by the lopsided margin [3] of 61.2%-37.2%.

Virginia

1989 Virginia gubernatorial election
Flag of Virginia.svg
  1985 November 7, 1989 1993  
Turnout66.5% (voting eligible) [4]
  D.Wilder S.Senate poster (cropped).jpg Marshall Coleman 1976.jpg
Nominee Douglas Wilder Marshall Coleman
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote896,936890,195
Percentage50.13%49.76%

1989 Virginia gubernatorial election results map by county.svg
1989 Virginia gubernatorial election by Congressional District.svg
Wilder:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%
Coleman:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%

Governor before election

Jerry Baliles
Democratic

Elected Governor

Douglas Wilder
Democratic

The 1989 Virginia gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1989. Incumbent Democratic governor Jerry Baliles was unable to seek a second term due to term limits. Democratic nominee and Lieutenant Governor L. Douglas Wilder went against former attorney general of Virginia J. Marshall Coleman in one of the closest elections in Virginia history. Upon taking the oath of office in January 1990, Governor Wilder became the first African-American governor of Virginia, and the first African-American governor of any state since Reconstruction more than one hundred years earlier.

References

  1. "1989 Gubernatorial General Election Results - New Jersey". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Elections. Retrieved March 3, 2025.
  2. "1989 Gubernatorial General Election Results - Virginia". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Elections. Retrieved March 3, 2025.
  3. Depalma, Anthony (March 3, 1990). "Courter Won't Run for House Again". The New York Times.
  4. Virginia Department of Elections (2016). "Registration/Turnout Statistics". The Commonwealth of Virginia. Archived from the original on August 16, 2016. Retrieved July 25, 2016.