1994 Oklahoma gubernatorial election

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1994 Oklahoma gubernatorial election
Flag of Oklahoma (1988-2006).svg
  1990 November 8, 1994 1998  
  Frank Keating at a conference, Oct 20, 2001 - cropped.jpg Jack Mildren.jpg WesWatkins.jpg
Nominee Frank Keating Jack Mildren Wes Watkins
Party Republican Democratic Independent
Popular vote466,740294,936233,336
Percentage46.9%29.6%23.5%

1994 Oklahoma gubernatorial election results map by county.svg
County results
Keating:     30–40%     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%
Mildren:     30–40%     40–50%     50–60%
Watkins:     30–40%     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%

Governor before election

David Walters
Democratic

Elected Governor

Frank Keating
Republican

The 1994 Oklahoma gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1994, and was a race for Governor of Oklahoma. Former United States Associate Attorney General Frank Keating pulled an upset in the three-way race to become only the third Republican governor in Oklahoma history.

Contents

The Democratic vote was split between Lieutenant Governor Jack Mildren, an Oklahoma Sooners star quarterback from 1969 to 1971, and former Democratic congressman Wes Watkins, who ran as an independent. Watkins won 24% of the vote and carried numerous counties (by wide margins in some cases); his 233,000 votes far exceeded Keating's 171,000-vote winning margin over Mildren.

This was the first time since Oklahoma statehood that Jackson, Stephens, and Grady Counties voted Republican in a gubernatorial election, and the first time since 1914 that Comanche voted Republican.

Candidates

Democrat

Republican

Independent

Democratic primary

Lt. Governor Jack Mildren and Bernice Shedrick advanced to the runoff where both candidates received vote totals similar to the first primary, securing the win for Mildren.

Results

Democratic primary results [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Jack Mildren 214,765 48.6
Democratic Bernice Shedrick 165,06637.3
Democratic Danny Williams46,57110.6
Democratic Joe Vickers15,8213.6
Total votes442,223 100.00
Democratic runoff primary results [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Jack Mildren 223,861 58.8
Democratic Bernice Shedrick 156,74941.2
Total votes380,610 100.00

Republican primary

Frank Keating, a former assistant attorney general and member of the Reagan and Bush administrations, defeated four other Republicans to win the GOP nomination.

Results

Republican primary results [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Frank Keating 117,265 56.9
Republican Jerry Pierce 60,28029.3
Republican Virginia Hale15,2297.4
Republican Thomas H. Lay7,7443.8
Republican Jerry Kobyluk5,4292.6
Total votes205,947 100.00

General election

Polling

SourceDateKeating (R)Mildren (D)Watkins (I)
KSWO-TV Nov. 4, 199440%39%15%
Tulsa World Nov. 1, 199428%29%21%

Results

1994 gubernatorial election, Oklahoma [3] [4]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican Frank Keating 466,740 46.9 +14.2%
Democratic Jack Mildren 294,93629.6−27.8%
Independent Wes Watkins 233,33623.5N/A
Majority
Turnout
Republican gain from Democratic Swing

References

  1. 1 2 "Governor, Democratic Primary Election - August 23, 1994" (PDF). Oklahoma State Election Board.
  2. "Governor - Democratic Runoff Primary Election - September 20, 1994" (PDF). Oklahoma State Election Board.
  3. "Governor - General Election - November 8, 1994" (PDF). Oklahoma State Election Board.
  4. "1994 Gubernatorial General Election Results - Oklahoma". uselectionatlas.org.