2002 Wyoming gubernatorial election

Last updated

2002 Wyoming gubernatorial election
Flag of Wyoming.svg
  1998 November 5, 2002 2006  
  Dave Freudenthal speech.jpg Eli Bebout 20171012.jpg
Nominee Dave Freudenthal Eli Bebout
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote92,66288,873
Percentage49.96%47.92%

2002 Wyoming gubernatorial election results map by county.svg
County results
Freudenthal:      50–60%     60–70%
Bebout:      40–50%     50–60%     60–70%

Governor before election

Jim Geringer
Republican

Elected Governor

Dave Freudenthal
Democratic

The 2002 Wyoming gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 2002. Incumbent Republican Governor Jim Geringer was term-limited and unable to seek a third term in office, thereby creating an open seat. Former U.S. Attorney Dave Freudenthal and former Wyoming House Speaker Eli Bebout both emerged from competitive Democratic and Republican primaries, respectively, and faced off against each other in the general election. Despite Wyoming's strong inclination to elect Republicans, a contentious race ensued, with Freudenthal ultimately defeating Bebout by fewer than 4,000 votes. As of 2024, this is the last gubernatorial election in Wyoming to be decided by less than 20 percentage points.

Contents

Democratic primary

Candidates

Results

Results by county:
.mw-parser-output .legend{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .legend-color{display:inline-block;min-width:1.25em;height:1.25em;line-height:1.25;margin:1px 0;text-align:center;border:1px solid black;background-color:transparent;color:black}.mw-parser-output .legend-text{}
Freudenthal
40-50%
50-60%
60-70%
70-80%
80-90%
Hickey
40-50% 2002 Wyoming gubernatorial Democratic primary election results map by county.png
Results by county:
  Freudenthal
  •   40–50%
  •   50–60%
  •   60–70%
  •   70–80%
  •   80–90%
  Hickey
  •   40–50%
Democratic primary results [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Dave Freudenthal 19,732 53.62
Democratic Paul Hickey13,79337.48
Democratic Toby Simpson1,9185.21
Democratic Ken Casner1,3563.68
Total votes36,799 100.00

Republican primary

Candidates

Results

Republican primary results [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Eli Bebout 44,417 48.98
Republican Ray Hunkins25,36327.97
Republican Bill Sniffin13,63315.03
Republican Stephen Watt5,7246.31
Republican John H. Self1,5481.71
Total votes90,685 100.00

General election

Predictions

SourceRankingAs of
The Cook Political Report [2] TossupOctober 31, 2002
Sabato's Crystal Ball [3] Lean RNovember 4, 2002

Results

Wyoming gubernatorial election, 2002 [4]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Democratic Dave Freudenthal 92,662 49.96% +9.51%
Republican Eli Bebout 88,87347.92%−7.68%
Libertarian Dave Dawson3,9242.12%−1.83%
Majority3,7892.04%−13.10%
Turnout 185,459
Democratic gain from Republican Swing

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dave Freudenthal</span> 31st Governor of Wyoming

David Duane Freudenthal is an American attorney, economist, and politician who served as the 31st governor of Wyoming from 2003 to 2011. Freudenthal previously was the United States Attorney for the District of Wyoming from 1994 to 2001. As of 2024, he is the last Democrat to win and/or hold statewide office in Wyoming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2006 Wyoming gubernatorial election</span>

The 2006 Wyoming gubernatorial election took place on November 7, 2006. Incumbent Democratic Governor Dave Freudenthal won re-election in a landslide over Republican Ray Hunkins, becoming the first Democrat since 1910 to win every county in the state. To date this was the last time a Democrat was elected to statewide office in Wyoming, the last time a Democrat carried every county in the state, the last gubernatorial election in which a Democrat received more than 30% of the vote, the last statewide election in which a Democrat received more than 45% of the vote, and the last statewide election in which a Democrat won any county besides Teton, Albany, Laramie, or Sweetwater. As of 2024, Ray Hunkins is the last Republican gubernatorial nominee who was never elected Governor of Wyoming. This is the last time that Wyoming voted for and elected a Senate candidate and a gubernatorial candidate of different political parties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2002 United States gubernatorial elections</span>

United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 5, 2002, in 36 states and two territories. The Republicans won eight seats previously held by the Democrats, as well as the seat previously held by Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura, who was elected on the Reform Party ticket but had since renounced his party affiliation. The Democrats won 10 seats previously held by the Republicans, as well as the seat previously held by Maine governor Angus King, an independent. The elections were held concurrently with the other United States elections of 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eli Bebout</span> American politician

Eli Daniel Bebout is an American athlete and politician who served in the Wyoming House of Representatives from a multi-member district in Fremont County and the 55th district from 1987 to 2001, and later served in the Wyoming Senate from the 26th district 2007 to 2021, as a member of the Democratic and Republican parties. He was the first person to serve as both Speaker of the Wyoming House of Representatives and President of the Wyoming Senate

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Mead</span> American politician (born 1962)

Matthew Hansen Mead is a Wyoming attorney, businessman, and politician who served as the 32nd governor of Wyoming from 2011 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he previously was the United States Attorney for the District of Wyoming from 2001 to 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 Wyoming gubernatorial election</span>

The 2010 Wyoming gubernatorial election was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2010 to elect the Governor of Wyoming. Party primaries were held on August 17.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 United States Senate election in Wyoming</span>

The 2012 United States Senate election in Wyoming took place on November 6, 2012, alongside a U.S. presidential election as well as other elections to the United States Senate and House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator John Barrasso won re-election to a first full term.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 Wyoming gubernatorial election</span>

The 2014 Wyoming gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 2014, to elect the governor of Wyoming. The election coincided with elections to other federal and state offices.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 Missouri gubernatorial election</span>

The 2016 Missouri gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 2016, to elect the Governor of Missouri, concurrently with the 2016 U.S. presidential election, as well as elections to the United States Senate and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.

Stephen Watt is an American politician and a former Republican member of the Wyoming House of Representatives. Watt served three non-consecutive terms, representing District 16 from 2001 to 2003 and District 17 from 2005 to 2007 and again from 2013 to 2015. Watt was an unsuccessful candidate for governor of Wyoming in 2002.

Steve Harshman is an American politician and a Republican member of the Wyoming House of Representatives representing District 37 since January 14, 2003. Harshman served as the Speaker of the Wyoming House from January 2017 to January 2021.

David R. Miller is an American politician and former Wyoming state legislator. He was born in Chillicothe, Missouri. A member of the Republican Party, Miller represented the 55th district in the Wyoming House of Representatives from 2001 to 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 United States House of Representatives election in Wyoming</span>

The 2016 United States House of Representatives election in Wyoming was held on November 8, 2016 to elect the U.S. representative from Wyoming's at-large congressional district, who would represent the state of Wyoming in the 115th United States Congress. The election coincided with the 2016 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the United States Senate and various state and local elections. Incumbent Republican Cynthia Lummis decided to retire instead of seeking a fifth term. Liz Cheney was elected to the seat to succeed Lummis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 United States Senate election in Wyoming</span>

The 2018 United States Senate election in Wyoming took place on November 6, 2018, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Wyoming. The primary election took place August 21, 2018. Republican John Barrasso won re-election with 67% percent of the vote, the lowest percentage of his three U.S. Senate campaigns and the closest a Democrat has come to winning a seat since the 1996 election, and the first time since that election in which Democrats managed to even win counties in the state, those being Teton and Albany, and the first time that the Democratic candidate won any counties for this seat since 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Wyoming gubernatorial election</span>

The 2022 Wyoming gubernatorial election took place on November 8, 2022, to elect the governor of Wyoming. Incumbent Republican Governor Mark Gordon won a second term against Democratic Wyoming State Facilities Commission member Theresa Livingston.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 Wyoming elections</span>

A general election was held in the U.S. state of Wyoming on Tuesday, November 2, 2010. All of the state's executive officers—the Governor, Secretary of State, Auditor, Treasurer, and Superintendent of Public Instruction—were up for election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2002 Wyoming state elections</span>

A general election was held in the U.S. state of Wyoming on Tuesday, November 5, 2002. All of the state's executive officers—the Governor, Secretary of State, Auditor, Treasurer, and Superintendent of Public Instruction—were up for election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1950 Wyoming state elections</span>

A general election was held in the U.S. state of Wyoming on Tuesday, November 7, 1950. All of the state's executive officers—the governor, secretary of state, auditor, treasurer, and superintendent of public instruction—were up for election. The Republican Party swept all of the offices. Following Democratic governor Lester C. Hunt's election to the U.S. Senate in 1948, Republican secretary of state Arthur G. Crane had been acting as governor. Republican Congressman Frank A. Barrett was elected governor, and Republican candidates won the other statewide races.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1922 Wyoming state elections</span>

A general election was held in the U.S. state of Wyoming on Tuesday, November 7, 1922. All of the state's executive officers—the Governor, Secretary of State, Auditor, Treasurer, and Superintendent of Public Instruction—were up for election. Democrats improved considerably from their performances in 1918, with William B. Ross winning the gubernatorial election and almost all of their statewide candidates outpacing their 1918 nominees. However, Republicans held all of the other statewide offices.

References

  1. 1 2 "Statewide Candidates' Abstract - Official Primary Election Results - August 20, 2002" (PDF). Wyoming Secretary of State.
  2. "Governor Updated October 31, 2002 | The Cook Political Report". The Cook Political Report. October 31, 2002. Archived from the original on December 8, 2002. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
  3. "Governors Races". www.centerforpolitics.org. November 4, 2002. Archived from the original on December 12, 2002. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
  4. "Statewide Candidates' Abstract - Official General Election Results - November 5, 2002" (PDF). Wyoming Secretary of State.