1996 United States gubernatorial elections

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1996 United States gubernatorial elections
Flag of the United States.svg
  1995 November 5, 1996 1997  

13 governorships
11 states; 2 territories
 Majority partyMinority party
 
Party Republican Democratic
Seats before32 [a] 17
Seats after3217
Seat changeSteady2.svgSteady2.svg
Seats up47
Seats won47

1996 United States gubernatorial elections results map.svg
Map of the results
     Democratic gain     Democratic hold
     Republican gain     Republican hold
     New Progressive hold     Nonpartisan
     No election

United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 5, 1996, in 11 states and two territories. Going into the elections, seven of the seats were held by Democrats and four by Republicans. Democrats picked up the open seat in New Hampshire, and Republicans picked up the open seat in West Virginia, for no net change in the partisan balance of power. These elections coincided with the presidential election.

Contents

Election results

States

StateIncumbentPartyFirst
elected
ResultCandidates
Delaware Tom Carper Democratic 1992 Incumbent re-elected.
Indiana Evan Bayh Democratic 1988 Incumbent term-limited.
New governor elected.
Democratic hold.
Missouri Mel Carnahan Democratic 1992 Incumbent re-elected.
Montana Marc Racicot Republican 1992 Incumbent re-elected.
New Hampshire Steve Merrill Republican 1992 Incumbent retired.
New governor elected.
Democratic gain.
North Carolina Jim Hunt Democratic 1976
1984 (term-limited)
1992
Incumbent re-elected.
North Dakota Ed Schafer Republican 1992 Incumbent re-elected.
Utah Mike Leavitt Republican 1992 Incumbent re-elected.
  • Green check.svgY Mike Leavitt (Republican) 75.0%
  • Jim Bradley (Democratic) 23.3%
Vermont Howard Dean Democratic1991 [b] Incumbent re-elected.
  • Green check.svgY Howard Dean (Democratic) 70.5%
  • John L. Gropper (Republican) 22.5%
  • Mary Alice Herbert (Liberty Union) 1.6%
  • Dennis Lane (Grassroots) 1.4%
  • Bill Brunelle (Natural Law) 1.3%
  • August St. John (Independent) 1.3%
  • Neil Randall (Libertarian) 1.2%
Washington Mike Lowry Democratic 1992 Incumbent retired.
New governor elected.
Democratic hold.
West Virginia Gaston Caperton Democratic 1988 Incumbent term-limited.
New governor elected.
Republican gain.

Territories

TerritoryIncumbentPartyFirst
elected
ResultCandidates
American Samoa A. P. Lutali Democratic1992Incumbent retired.
New governor elected. [1]
Democratic hold.
  • Green check.svgY Tauese Sunia (Democratic) 51.0%
  • L. Peter Reid (Independent) 49.0%
Puerto Rico Pedro Rosselló New Progressive 1992 Incumbent re-elected.

Closest races

States where the margin of victory was under 5%:

  1. American Samoa, 2.0%
  2. Indiana, 4.7%

States where the margin of victory was under 10%:

  1. West Virginia, 5.8%
  2. Puerto Rico, 6.7%

See also

Notes

  1. Mike Huckabee (R) succeeded Arkansas Governor Jim Guy Tucker (D) after the latter resigned due to convictions for one count of conspiracy and one count of mail fraud.
  2. 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. "AS Governor Race - Dec 05, 1996". Our Campaigns. July 30, 2008.