1998 United States gubernatorial elections

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1998 United States gubernatorial elections
Flag of the United States.svg
  1997 November 3, 1998 1999  

38 governorships
36 states; 2 territories
 Majority partyMinority party
 
Party Republican Democratic
Seats before3217
Seats after3117
Seat changeDecrease2.svg 1Steady2.svg
Seats up2411
Seats won2311

 Third partyFourth party
 
Party Reform Independent
Seats before01
Seats after11
Seat changeIncrease2.svg 1Steady2.svg
Seats up01
Seats won11

1998 United States gubernatorial elections results map.svg
Map of the results
     Democratic gain     Republican gain
     Democratic hold     Republican hold
     Reform gain     Independent hold
     No election

United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 3, 1998, in 36 states and two territories. Going into the election cycle, 24 of the seats were held by Republicans, 11 by Democrats, and one by an Independent. The elections changed the national balance of power by the loss of one Republican and the gain of one Independent, although political party dominance was shifted in nine states. Democrats gained open seats in California and Iowa and defeated incumbents Fob James of Alabama and David Beasley of South Carolina, while Republicans won open seats in Colorado, Florida, Nebraska, and Nevada and the Reform Party won an open Republican governorship in Minnesota. By the end of the election, 23 seats were held by Republicans, 11 by Democrats, one by the Reform Party, and one by an Independent.

Contents

The elections coincided with the mid-term elections for the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. With the exception of two states (New Hampshire and Vermont), the governors elected in this election served four-year terms. New Hampshire and Vermont's governors would serve two-year terms.

As of 2023, this election marked the most recent cycle in which Alabama, Alaska, Georgia, and South Carolina elected Democrats to their respective governorships, and by extension, any even-year gubernatorial election in the Deep South. This is also the last time that someone other than a Democrat or a Republican was elected governor in Maine and Minnesota. This would be the last time a third-party candidate (not an independent) would be elected governor of any state, as well as the last time an independent would be elected governor of a state until the 2010 election in Rhode Island. This was the last midterm election until 2022 in which the non-incumbent political party suffered net losses of governorships.

Summary of results

States

StateIncumbentPartyFirst
elected
ResultCandidates
Alabama Fob James Republican 1978 [lower-alpha 1]
1982 (retired)
1994
Incumbent lost re-election.
New governor elected.
Democratic gain.
Alaska Tony Knowles Democratic 1994 Incumbent re-elected.
Arizona Jane Dee Hull Republican1997 [lower-alpha 2] Incumbent elected to full term.
Arkansas Mike Huckabee Republican1996 [lower-alpha 3] Incumbent elected to full term.
  • Green check.svgY Mike Huckabee (Republican) 59.8%
  • Bill Bristow (Democratic) 38.7%
  • Keith Carle (Reform) 1.6%
California Pete Wilson Republican 1990 Incumbent term-limited.
New governor elected.
Democratic gain.
Colorado Roy Romer Democratic 1986 Incumbent term-limited.
New governor elected.
Republican gain.
Connecticut John G. Rowland Republican 1994 Incumbent re-elected.
Florida Lawton Chiles Democratic 1990 Incumbent term-limited.
New governor elected.
Republican gain.
Georgia Zell Miller Democratic 1990 Incumbent term-limited.
New governor elected.
Democratic hold.
Hawaii Ben Cayetano Democratic 1994 Incumbent re-elected.
Idaho Phil Batt Republican 1994 Incumbent retired.
New governor elected.
Republican hold.
Illinois Jim Edgar Republican 1990 Incumbent retired.
New governor elected.
Republican hold.
Iowa Terry Branstad Republican 1982 Incumbent retired.
New governor elected.
Democratic gain.
Kansas Bill Graves Republican 1994 Incumbent re-elected.
  • Green check.svgY Bill Graves (Republican) 73.4%
  • Tom Sawyer (Democratic) 22.6%
  • Kirt Poovey (Constitution) 2.9%
  • Darrel King (Reform) 1.1%
Maine Angus King Independent 1994 Incumbent re-elected.
Maryland Parris Glendening Democratic 1994 Incumbent re-elected.
Massachusetts Paul Cellucci Republican1997 [lower-alpha 4] Incumbent elected to full term.
Michigan John Engler Republican 1990 Incumbent re-elected.
Minnesota Arne Carlson Republican 1990 Incumbent retired.
New governor elected.
Reform gain.
Nebraska Ben Nelson Democratic 1990 Incumbent term-limited.
New governor elected.
Republican gain.
  • Green check.svgY Mike Johanns (Republican) 53.9%
  • Bill Hoppner (Democratic) 46.0%
Nevada Bob Miller Democratic1989 [lower-alpha 5] Incumbent term-limited.
New governor elected.
Republican gain.
  • Green check.svgY Kenny Guinn (Republican) 51.6%
  • Jan Laverty Jones (Democratic) 42.0%
  • Chuck Horne (Independent American) 1.7%
  • Terry C. Savage (Libertarian) 1.7%
New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen Democratic 1996 Incumbent re-elected.
  • Green check.svgY Jeanne Shaheen (Democratic) 66.1%
  • Jay Lucas (Republican) 30.9%
  • Ken Blevens (Libertarian) 2.7%
New Mexico Gary Johnson Republican 1994 Incumbent re-elected.
New York George Pataki Republican 1994 Incumbent re-elected.
Ohio George Voinovich Republican 1990 Incumbent term-limited.
New governor elected.
Republican hold.
  • Green check.svgY Bob Taft (Republican) 50.0%
  • Lee Fisher (Democratic) 44.7%
  • John R. Mitchel (Reform) 3.3%
  • Zanna Feitler (Natural Law) 1.9%
Oklahoma Frank Keating Republican 1994 Incumbent re-elected.
Oregon John Kitzhaber Democratic 1994 Incumbent re-elected.
  • Green check.svgY John Kitzhaber (Democratic) 64.4%
  • Bill Sizemore (Republican) 30.0%
  • Richard P. Burke (Libertarian) 1.8%
  • Blair Bobier (Pacific Green) 1.4%
Pennsylvania Tom Ridge Republican 1994 Incumbent re-elected.
  • Green check.svgY Tom Ridge (Republican) 57.4%
  • Ivan Itkin (Democratic) 31.0%
  • Peg Luksik (Constitution) 10.4%
  • Ken Krawchuk (Libertarian) 1.1%
Rhode Island Lincoln Almond Republican 1994 Incumbent re-elected.
South Carolina David Beasley Republican 1994 Incumbent lost re-election.
New governor elected.
Democratic gain.
South Dakota Bill Janklow Republican 1978
1986 (term-limited)
1994
Incumbent re-elected.
  • Green check.svgY Bill Janklow (Republican) 64.0%
  • Bernie Hunhoff (Democratic) 32.8%
  • Bob Newland (Libertarian) 1.7%
  • Ronald Wieczorek (Independent) 1.4%
Tennessee Don Sundquist Republican 1994 Incumbent re-elected.
Texas George W. Bush Republican 1994 Incumbent re-elected.
Vermont Howard Dean Democratic1991 [lower-alpha 6] Incumbent re-elected.
  • Green check.svgY Howard Dean (Democratic) 55.7%
  • Ruth Dwyer (Republican) 41.1%
  • Joel Williams (Grassroots) 1.5%
  • Amy Berkey (Libertarian) 1.0%
Wisconsin Tommy Thompson Republican 1986 Incumbent re-elected.
Wyoming Jim Geringer Republican 1994 Incumbent re-elected.

Territories and federal district

TerritoryIncumbentPartyFirst
elected
ResultCandidates
District of Columbia Marion Barry Democratic 1994 Incumbent retired.
New mayor elected.
Democratic hold.
Guam Carl Gutierrez Democratic1994Incumbent re-elected. [1]
U.S. Virgin Islands Roy Schneider Independent1994Incumbent lost re-election.
New governor elected. [2]
Democratic gain.

Closest races

States where the margin of victory was under 1%:

  1. Colorado, 0.7%

States where the margin of victory was under 5%:

  1. Hawaii, 1.3%
  2. Minnesota, 2.7%
  3. Massachusetts, 3.4%
  4. Illinois, 3.5%

States where the margin of victory was under 10%:

  1. Ohio, 5.3%
  2. Iowa, 5.8%
  3. Guam, 6.4%
  4. Nebraska, 7.9%
  5. South Carolina, 8.0%
  6. Georgia, 8.4%
  7. Rhode Island, 8.9%
  8. New Mexico, 9.0%
  9. Nevada, 9.6%

See also

Notes

  1. James served as a Democrat for his first term. He had returned to the Republican Party by the time he was elected governor again in 1994.
  2. Hull took office after her predecessor (Fife Symington) resigned.
  3. Huckabee took office after his predecessor (Jim Guy Tucker) resigned.
  4. Cellucci took office after his predecessor (Bill Weld) resigned.
  5. Miller took office after his predecessor (Richard Bryan) resigned. He was subsequently elected in the 1990 Nevada gubernatorial election.
  6. 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. "Guam Governor Race - Nov 03, 1998". Our Campaigns. May 19, 2011.
  2. "USVI Governor Race - Nov 03, 1998". Our Campaigns. January 19, 2006.