1998 New Mexico gubernatorial election

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1998 New Mexico gubernatorial election
Flag of New Mexico.svg
  1994 November 3, 1998 2002  
  Garyjohnsonphoto.JPG MartinChavez (cropped).jpg
Nominee Gary Johnson Martin Chávez
Party Republican Democratic
Running mate Walter Bradley Diane Denish
Popular vote271,948226,755
Percentage54.53%45.47%

1998 New Mexico gubernatorial election results map by county.svg
County results
Johnson:      50–60%     60–70%     70–80%
Chávez:      50–60%     60–70%     70–80%

Governor before election

Gary Johnson
Republican

Elected Governor

Gary Johnson
Republican

The 1998 New Mexico gubernatorial election was a contest to elect the next governor of New Mexico. The winner of the election would serve a term from January 1, 1999 until January 1, 2003. Incumbent Republican (now Libertarian) Governor Gary Johnson was re-elected to a second term. As of 2025, this is the last time a non-Hispanic was elected governor of New Mexico.

Contents

In his campaign, Johnson promised to continue the policies of his first term: improving schools; cutting state spending, taxes, and bureaucracy; and frequent use of his veto and line-item veto power. [1] Fielding a strong Hispanic candidate in a 40% Hispanic state, the Democrats were expected to oust Johnson, [2] but Johnson won by a margin of 55% to 45%. [3] This made him the first governor of New Mexico to serve two successive four-year terms after term limits were expanded to two terms in 1991. [4] Johnson made the promotion of a school voucher system a "hallmark issue" of his second term. [5] This election is the first time since 1968 that an incumbent Republican Governor of New Mexico was re-elected or won re-election.

Primary election

Democratic Party

Candidates

Results

Democratic primary results [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Martin J. Chávez 82,147 48.11%
Democratic Gary K. King 51,84730.37%
Democratic Jerry Apodaca 16,3039.55%
Democratic Robert E. Vigil 10,4836.14%
Democratic Reese P. Fullerton5,8003.40%
Democratic Ben Chavez4,1272.42%
Democratic Frances Salas (write-in)290.02%
Total votes170,736 100.00%

Republican Party

Candidates

Results

Republican primary results [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Gary Johnson (incumbent) 64,669 100.00%
Total votes64,669 100.00%

General election

Campaign

In his campaign, Johnson promised to continue the policies of his first term: improving schools; cutting state spending, taxes, and bureaucracy; and frequent use of his veto and line-item veto power. [1] Fielding a strong Hispanic candidate in a 40% Hispanic state, the Democrats were expected to oust Johnson, [2] but Johnson won by a margin of 55% to 45%. [3] This made him the first governor of New Mexico to serve two successive four-year terms after term limits were expanded to two terms in 1991. [4] Johnson made the promotion of a school voucher system a "hallmark issue" of his second term. [5]

Polling

Poll sourceDate(s)
administered
Sample
size [a]
Margin
of error
Gary
Johnson (R)
Martin
Chávez (D)
Undecided
Research & Polling, Inc. [7] [A] October 27–29, 1998916 (RV)± 3.0%49%39%12%
Mason-Dixon [7] October 6–7, 1998412 (LV)± 5.0%45%43%12%
Mason-Dixon [7] September 15–16, 1998409 (LV)± 5.0%42%44%14%
Research & Polling, Inc. [7] [A] September 5–10, 1998909 (RV)± 3.0%42%40%18%

Results

1998 New Mexico gubernatorial election [8] [9] [b]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican Gary Johnson (incumbent) 271,948 54.53% +4.72%
Democratic Martin Chávez 226,75545.47%+5.55%
Majority 45,1939.06%
Total votes498,703 100.00%
Republican hold Swing -0.83%

Results by county

CountyGary Johnson
Republican
Martin Chávez
Democratic
MarginTotal votes cast
# %# %# %
Bernalillo 96,32957.55%71,06742.45%25,26215.09%167,396
Catron 1,06366.73%53033.27%53333.46%1,593
Chaves 10,40963.55%5,96936.45%4,44027.11%16,378
Cibola 2,95243.69%3,80556.31%-853-12.62%6,757
Colfax 2,54154.36%2,13345.64%4088.73%4,674
Curry 7,24871.49%2,89028.51%4,35842.99%10,138
De Baca 71465.63%37434.38%34031.25%1,088
Doña Ana 16,63549.67%16,85850.33%-223-0.67%33,493
Eddy 8,92760.47%5,83539.53%3,09220.95%14,762
Grant 4,68947.14%5,25952.86%-570-5.73%9,948
Guadalupe 75633.80%1,48166.20%-725-32.41%2,237
Harding 38957.89%28342.11%10615.77%672
Hidalgo 1,11753.55%96946.45%1487.09%2,086
Lea 9,06674.12%3,16625.88%5,90048.23%12,232
Lincoln 3,61363.70%2,05936.30%1,55427.40%5,672
Los Alamos 5,72964.02%3,22035.98%2,50928.04%8,949
Luna 3,37557.03%2,54342.97%83214.06%5,918
McKinley 5,78841.72%8,08558.28%-2,297-16.56%13,873
Mora 69727.86%1,80572.14%-1,108-44.28%2,502
Otero 8,72166.38%4,41733.62%4,30432.76%13,138
Quay 2,26560.22%1,49639.78%76920.45%3,761
Rio Arriba 3,20630.26%7,38969.74%-4,183-39.48%10,595
Roosevelt 3,38769.12%1,51330.88%1,87438.24%4,900
San Juan 20,23370.53%8,45429.47%11,77941.06%28,687
San Miguel 2,01522.91%6,78177.09%-4,766-54.18%8,796
Sandoval 14,59559.94%9,75640.06%4,83919.87%24,351
Santa Fe 13,82133.81%27,05366.19%-13,232-32.37%40,874
Sierra 2,62463.54%1,50636.46%1,11827.07%4,130
Socorro 2,92045.21%3,53954.79%-619-9.58%6,459
Taos 2,71331.12%6,00568.88%-3,292-37.76%8,718
Torrance 2,62361.16%1,66638.84%95722.31%4,289
Union 1,07764.76%58635.24%49129.52%1,663
Valencia 9,71154.03%8,26345.97%1,4488.06%17,974
Total271,94854.53%226,75545.47%45,1939.06%498,703

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

Notes

  1. Key:
    A – all adults
    RV – registered voters
    LV – likely voters
    V – unclear
  2. The New Mexico Secretary of State has not published the complete statewide general election canvass on its 1998 election page. The county results can be obtained from the individual county pages and the statewide total from an archived version of the Secretary of State's website
Partisan clients
  1. 1 2 Poll sponsored by Albuquerque Journal

References

  1. 1 2 Ayres, B. Drummond Jr. (October 23, 1998). "Democrats Renew Push in New Mexico". The New York Times . Retrieved September 18, 2018.
  2. 1 2 "America's boldest governor". The Economist . April 15, 1999. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
  3. 1 2 "CNN election results 1998" . Retrieved July 2, 2012.
  4. 1 2 Lynch, Michael W. (January 2001). "America's Most Dangerous Politician – Republican Governor of New Mexico Gary E. Johnson". Reason . Retrieved February 7, 2011.
  5. 1 2 Janofsky, Michael (January 31, 2000). "Parents Lead Way as States Debate School Vouchers". The New York Times . Retrieved September 18, 2018.
  6. 1 2 "Canvass of Returns of Primary Election Held on June 2, 1998 – State of New Mexico". New Mexico Secretary of State. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "CNN AllPolitics Election '98 - New Mexico 1998 Polls". CNN. Archived from the original on June 27, 2025. Retrieved June 27, 2025.
  8. "STATE OF NEW MEXICO Official 1998 General Election Results for GOVERNOR OF NEW MEXICO". April 12, 1998. Archived from the original on June 22, 2006.
  9. "Election Results 1998". New Mexico Secretary of State. Retrieved July 29, 2024.

See also