1994 United States gubernatorial elections

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1994 United States gubernatorial elections
Flag of the United States.svg
  1993 November 8, 1994 1995  

38 governorships
36 states; 2 territories
 Majority partyMinority party
 
Party Republican Democratic
Seats before20 [lower-alpha 1] 29
Seats after3019
Seat changeIncrease2.svg 10Decrease2.svg 10
Seats up1421
Seats won2411

 Third partyFourth party
 
Party Independent A Connecticut Party
Seats before01
Seats after10
Seat changeIncrease2.svg 1Decrease2.svg 1
Seats up01
Seats won10

1994 United States gubernatorial elections results map.svg
Results of the elections:
     Democratic gain     Republican gain
     Democratic hold     Republican hold
     Independent gain     No election

On November 8, 1994, gubernatorial elections were held in 36 states and two territories across the United States. Many seats held by Democratic governors switched to the Republicans during the time known as the Republican Revolution. Notably, this marked the first time since 1969 that Republicans secured the majority of governorships in an election cycle.

Contents

Before the elections, 21 seats were held by Democrats, 14 held by Republicans, and one seat was held by an independent. After the elections, 11 seats would be held by Democrats, 24 by Republicans, and one seat by an independent.

The gubernatorial elections of 1994 occurred concurrently with the midterm elections for the Senate and House of Representatives. To date, it remains the last time that Democrats have won gubernatorial elections in Florida and Nebraska.

Election results

States

StateIncumbentPartyFirst
elected
ResultCandidates
Alabama Jim Folsom Jr. Democratic1993 [lower-alpha 2] Incumbent lost election to full term.
New governor elected.
Republican gain.
Alaska Wally Hickel Republican 1966 [lower-alpha 3]
1969 (resigned)
1990
Incumbent retired.
New governor elected.
Democratic gain.
Arizona Fife Symington Republican 1990 Incumbent re-elected.
Arkansas Jim Guy Tucker Democratic1992 [lower-alpha 4] Incumbent elected to full term.
California Pete Wilson Republican 1990 Incumbent re-elected.
  • Green check.svgY Pete Wilson (Republican) 55.2%
  • Kathleen Brown (Democratic) 40.6%
  • Richard Rider (Libertarian) 1.7%
  • Jerome McCready (American Independent) 1.5%
Colorado Roy Romer Democratic 1986 Incumbent re-elected.
  • Green check.svgY Roy Romer (Democratic) 55.5%
  • Bruce D. Benson (Republican) 38.7%
  • Kevin Swanson (Constitution) 3.6%
  • Philip Hufford (Green) 1.5%
Connecticut Lowell Weicker A Connecticut Party 1990 Incumbent retired.
New governor elected.
Republican gain.
Florida Lawton Chiles Democratic 1990 Incumbent re-elected.
Georgia Zell Miller Democratic 1990 Incumbent re-elected.
Hawaii John D. Waihe'e III Democratic 1986 Incumbent term-limited.
New governor elected.
Democratic hold.
Idaho Cecil D. Andrus Democratic 1970
1977 (resigned)
1986
Incumbent retired.
New governor elected.
Republican gain.
Illinois Jim Edgar Republican 1990 Incumbent re-elected.
Iowa Terry Branstad Republican 1982 Incumbent re-elected.
Kansas Joan Finney Democratic 1990 Incumbent retired.
New governor elected.
Republican gain.
Maine John R. McKernan Jr. Republican 1986 Incumbent term-limited.
New governor elected.
Independent gain.
Maryland William D. Schaefer Democratic 1986 Incumbent term-limited.
New governor elected.
Democratic hold.
Massachusetts Bill Weld Republican 1990 Incumbent re-elected.
Michigan John Engler Republican 1990 Incumbent re-elected.
Minnesota Arne Carlson Republican 1990 Incumbent re-elected.
Nebraska Ben Nelson Democratic 1990 Incumbent re-elected.
  • Green check.svgY Ben Nelson (Democratic) 73.0%
  • Gene Spence (Republican) 25.6%
Nevada Bob Miller Democratic1989 [lower-alpha 5] Incumbent re-elected.
  • Green check.svgY Bob Miller (Democratic) 52.7%
  • Jim Gibbons (Republican) 41.3%
  • Daniel Hansen (Independent American) 2.6%
  • Denis Sholty (Libertarian) 1.0%
New Hampshire Steve Merrill Republican 1992 Incumbent re-elected.
  • Green check.svgY Steve Merrill (Republican) 69.9%
  • Wayne King (Democratic) 25.6%
  • Steven Winter (Libertarian) 4.4%
New Mexico Bruce King Democratic 1970
1974 (term-limited)
1978
1982 (term-limited)
1990
Incumbent lost re-election.
New governor elected.
Republican gain.
New York Mario Cuomo Democratic 1982 Incumbent lost re-election.
New governor elected.
Republican gain.
Ohio George Voinovich Republican 1990 Incumbent re-elected.
Oklahoma David Walters Democratic 1990 Incumbent retired.
New governor elected.
Republican gain.
Oregon Barbara Roberts Democratic 1990 Incumbent retired.
New governor elected.
Democratic hold.
Pennsylvania Bob Casey Sr. Democratic 1986 Incumbent term-limited.
New governor elected.
Republican gain.
Rhode Island Bruce Sundlun Democratic 1990 Incumbent lost renomination.
New governor elected.
Republican gain.
South Carolina Carroll A. Campbell Jr. Republican 1986 Incumbent term-limited.
New governor elected.
Republican hold.
South Dakota Walter Dale Miller Republican1993 [lower-alpha 6] Incumbent lost nomination to full term.
New governor elected.
Republican hold.
  • Green check.svgY Bill Janklow (Republican) 55.4%
  • Jim Beddow (Democratic) 40.5%
  • Nathan A. Barton (Libertarian) 4.1%
Tennessee Ned McWherter Democratic 1986 Incumbent term-limited.
New governor elected.
Republican gain.
Texas Ann Richards Democratic 1990 Incumbent lost re-election.
New governor elected.
Republican gain.
Vermont Howard Dean Democratic1991 [lower-alpha 7] Incumbent re-elected.
  • Green check.svgY Howard Dean (Democratic) 68.7%
  • David F. Kelley (Republican) 19.0%
  • Thomas J. Morse (Independent) 7.1%
  • Dennis Lane (Grassroots) 1.0%
Wisconsin Tommy Thompson Republican 1986 Incumbent re-elected.
Wyoming Mike Sullivan Democratic 1986 Incumbent term-limited.
New governor elected.
Republican gain.

Territories and federal district

TerritoryIncumbentPartyFirst
elected
ResultCandidates
District of Columbia Sharon Pratt Democratic 1990 Incumbent lost renomination.
New mayor elected.
Democratic hold.
Guam Joseph Franklin Ada Republican1986Incumbent retired.
New governor elected. [2]
Democratic gain.
U.S. Virgin Islands Alexander Farrelly Democratic1986Incumbent term-limited.
New governor elected. [3]
Independent gain.
  • Green check.svgY Roy Schneider (Independent) 54.7%
  • Derek Hodge (Democratic) 42.6%

Closest races

States where the margin of victory was under 1%:

  1. Alaska, 0.2%
  2. Maryland, 0.4%
  3. Alabama, 0.9%

States where the margin of victory was under 5%:

  1. Florida, 1.5%
  2. Maine, 1.5%
  3. Georgia, 2.1%
  4. South Carolina, 2.5%
  5. New York, 3.3%
  6. Connecticut, 3.5%
  7. Rhode Island, 3.8%

States where the margin of victory was under 10%:

  1. Pennsylvania, 5.5%
  2. Hawaii, 5.9%
  3. Texas, 7.6%
  4. Arizona, 8.2%
  5. Idaho, 8.4%
  6. Oregon, 8.5%
  7. Tennessee, 9.6%
  8. Guam, 9.7%
  9. New Mexico, 9.9%

See also

Notes

  1. Alaskan Governor Wally Hickel was elected on the Alaskan Independence Party line in 1990 but switched to the Republican Party in April 1994. [1]
  2. Folsom took office after his predecessor (H. Guy Hunt) was removed from office.
  3. Hickel was elected as a Republican in his first term in 1966. He was elected under the Alaskan Independence Party for his second term in 1990, before switching back to the Republican Party towards the end of his second term in April 1994.
  4. Tucker took office after his predecessor (Bill Clinton) resigned.
  5. Miller took office after his predecessor (Richard Bryan) resigned. He was subsequently elected in the 1990 Nevada gubernatorial election.
  6. Miller took office after his predecessor (George S. Mickelson) died.
  7. Dean took office after his predecessor (Richard Snelling) died. He was subsequently elected in the 1992 Vermont gubernatorial election.

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References

  1. "Alaska's Gov. Hickel Rejoins Gop Amid Speculation Over Another Term". The Seattle Times . Seattle. Associated Press. April 15, 1994. Retrieved September 28, 2008.
  2. "Guam Governor Race - Nov 08, 1994". Our Campaigns. July 3, 2015.
  3. "USVI Governor Race - Nov 08, 1994". Our Campaigns. January 19, 2006.