Alabama gubernatorial election, 1978

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Alabama gubernatorial election, 1978
Flag of Alabama.svg
  1974 November 7, 1978 1982  

  Reagan Contact Sheet C1331 (cropped2) (cropped).jpg HGuyHunt.JPG
Nominee Fob James Guy Hunt
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote551,786196,963
Percentage72.6%25.9%

Alabama Governor 1978.svg
County results

Governor before election

George Wallace
Democratic

Elected Governor

Fob James
Democratic

The 1978 Alabama gubernatorial election took place on November 7, 1978, to elect the Governor of Alabama. Incumbent Democratic Governor George Wallace did not run for re-election. Fob James, a businessman who had switched from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party and campaigned as a "born-again Democrat", won the Democratic primary in an upset over Attorney General Bill Baxley. He went on to defeat Guy Hunt in a landslide in the general election. Incumbent Democrat George Wallace was term limited and could not seek a third consecutive term.

Democratic Party (United States) political party in the United States

The Democratic Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. Tracing its heritage back to Thomas Jefferson and James Madison's Democratic-Republican Party, the modern-day Democratic Party was founded around 1828 by supporters of Andrew Jackson, making it the world's oldest active political party. The Democrats' dominant worldview was once social conservatism and economic liberalism while populism was its leading characteristic in the rural South. In 1912, Theodore Roosevelt ran as a third-party candidate in the Progressive Party, beginning a switch of political platforms between the Democratic and Republican Party over the coming decades, and leading to Woodrow Wilson being elected as the first fiscally progressive Democrat. Since Franklin D. Roosevelt and his New Deal coalition in the 1930s, the Democratic Party has also promoted a social liberal platform, supporting social justice.

George Wallace 45th Governor of Alabama

George Corley Wallace Jr. was the 45th Governor of Alabama, a position he occupied for four terms, during which he promoted "low-grade industrial development, low taxes, and trade schools". He sought the United States presidency as a Democrat three times, and once as an American Independent Party candidate, unsuccessfully each time. He is best remembered for his staunch segregationist and populist views. Wallace was known as "the most dangerous racist in America" and notoriously opposed desegregation and supported the policies of "Jim Crow" during the Civil Rights Movement, declaring in his 1963 inaugural address that he stood for "segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever".

Fob James American politician,  48th Governor of Alabama

Forrest Hood James Jr. is an American civil engineer, businessman, football player, and politician who served two terms as the 48th Governor of Alabama, from 1979–83 as a Democrat and again from 1995–99 as a Republican.

Contents

Democratic primary

Candidates

William Joseph Baxley II, is an American Democratic politician and attorney from Dothan, Alabama.

Attorney General of Alabama attorney general for the U.S. state of Alabama

The Attorney General of Alabama is an elected, constitutional officer of the State of Alabama. The office of the Attorney General is located at the state capitol in Montgomery, Alabama. Henry Hitchcock was elected Alabama's first attorney general in 1819.

Jere Beasley American politician

Jere Locke Beasley is an American trial attorney and politician; he served as acting governor of the US state of Alabama from June 5 to July 7, 1972. His law firm has been noted nationally for winning major awards for its clients; among them was an $11.8 billion punitive damage award against Exxon Mobil Corporation in 2003.

Results

Despite entering the race as a former Republican with low name identification and little political experience, by the time of the primary, James led Baxley, Beasley, and Brewer, who were considered the main contenders, in the polls. James placed first in the primary, followed by Baxley. Fob James then won the primary runoff against Bill Baxley.

Democratic primary results
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Fob James256,19628.47
Democratic Bill Baxley210,08923.35
Democratic Albert Brewer193,47921.50
Democratic Sid McDonald143,93015.99
Democratic Jere Beasley77,2028.58
Democratic K.C. Foster4,9480.55
Democratic Horace Howell4,7300.53
Democratic Jim Folsom4,6320.52
Democratic Bob Muncaster1,7760.20
Democratic Shorty Price1,3960.16
Democratic Charles Woods7000.08
Democratic Fred Sandefer6220.07
Democratic Cornelia Wallace2170.02
Total votes899,917100

Republican primary

Candidates

General Election

Results

Fob James won all but two counties: Cullman, where Hunt had been Probate Judge; and Winston, a traditionally Republican stronghold. [2]

Cullman County, Alabama County in the United States

Cullman County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2010 census, the population was 80,406. Its county seat is Cullman. Its name is in honor of Colonel John G. Cullmann. It is a "moist" county in terms of availability of alcoholic beverages; the cities of Cullman, Good Hope and Hanceville allow sale of alcohol and are "wet" and the rest of the county is dry.

Winston County, Alabama County in the United States

Winston County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2010 census, the population was 24,484. Its county seat is Double Springs. Known as Hancock County before 1858, the county is named in honor of John A. Winston, the fifteenth Governor of Alabama.

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1998 Alabama gubernatorial election

The Alabama gubernatorial election of 1998 was held on 3 November 1998 to select the Governor of Alabama. The election saw incumbent Governor Fob James (R) against Lieutenant Governor Don Siegelman (D). The result saw Don Siegelman win a decisive victory over Fob James. As of 2019, this is the most recent election in which a Democrat was elected Governor of Alabama.

1994 Alabama gubernatorial election

The 1994 Alabama gubernatorial election was held on 8 November 1994 to select the governor of the state of Alabama. The election saw Republican Fob James defeat Democratic incumbent Governor Jim Folsom Jr. in an upset.

1990 Alabama gubernatorial election

The 1990 Alabama gubernatorial election was held on 6 November 1990 to select the governor of the state of Alabama. The election saw incumbent Republican governor Guy Hunt defeat Democrat Paul Hubbert, executive secretary of the Alabama Education Association.

1970 Alabama gubernatorial election

The Alabama gubernatorial election of 1970 was marked by a competitive Democratic primary battle between incumbent moderate Governor Albert Brewer and segregationist former Governor and 1968 independent presidential candidate George Wallace. The Alabama Constitution was amended in 1968, allowing a governor to serve two consecutive terms.

1982 Alabama gubernatorial election

The Alabama gubernatorial election of 1982 included the last campaign and final electoral victory of George Wallace. The election occurred on November 2, 1982. Incumbent Governor Fob James declined to run for a second term, allowing for an open election in 1982. In the Democratic primary, Wallace received challenges from Lieutenant Governor George McMillan, Speaker of the State House Joe McCorquodale, Jr., former Governor Jim Folsom, and Reuben McKinley. Because Wallace did not receive a majority of the votes, he advanced to a run-off with McMillan and then narrowly won the Democratic nomination. Montgomery Mayor Emory Folmar went unchallenged for the Republican nomination.

1986 Alabama gubernatorial election

The 1986 Alabama gubernatorial election saw the election of Republican H. Guy Hunt over Democrat Bill Baxley. In state politics, this election is largely seen as a realigning election since Hunt was the first Republican to be elected Governor since Reconstruction. In March 1986, incumbent George Wallace announced that he would not seek a fifth term as governor, ending an era in Alabama politics.

Elections in Alabama

Elections in Alabama are authorized under the Alabama State Constitution, which establishes elections for the state level officers, cabinet, and legislature, and the election of county-level officers, including members of school boards.

2014 Alabama gubernatorial election

The 2014 Alabama gubernatorial election took place on November 4, 2014, to elect the Governor of Alabama.

2014 Alabama elections

A general election was held in the U.S. state of Alabama on November 4, 2014. All of Alabama's executive officers were up for election as well as a United States Senate seat, and all of Alabama's seven seats in the United States House of Representatives.

References

  1. "Alabama Governors: Forrest Hood (Fob) James, Jr". Alabama Department of Archives and History. Retrieved July 23, 2014.
  2. "Source for Popular Vote data: Alabama Secretary of State. Governor - 1978 Election, Alabama Secretary of State". Alabama Secretary of State. Archived from the original on June 10, 2007. Retrieved July 23, 2014.