1982 Texas gubernatorial election

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1982 Texas gubernatorial election
Flag of Texas.svg
  1978 November 2, 1982 1986  
  Mark White Portrait.jpg Bill Clements 1st term portrait.jpg
Nominee Mark White Bill Clements
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote1,697,8701,465,937
Percentage53.2%45.9%

1982 Texas gubernatorial election results map by county.svg
County results
White:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%
Clements:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%

Governor before election

Bill Clements
Republican

Elected Governor

Mark White
Democratic

The 1982 Texas gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 1982, to elect the governor of Texas. Incumbent Republican Governor Bill Clements ran for reelection, but was defeated in the general election by Democrat Mark White, winning 46% of the vote to White's 53%. White was sworn into office on January 18, 1983.

Contents

White carried 196 out of 254 counties. As of 2023, this is the last time a Democrat won a majority of the vote in a Texas gubernatorial election, or carried Carson, Oldham, Donley, Wheeler, Castro, Floyd, Motley, Lamb, Hockley, Terry, Cochran, Lynn, Garza, Kent, King, Gaines, Dawson, Martin, Howard, Coke, Runnels, Coleman, Brown, Callahan, Eastland, Shackelford, Stephens, Young, Jack, Erath, Hood, Somervell, Parker, Johnson, Ellis, Hunt, Franklin, Wood, Upshur, Van Zandt, Nacogdoches, Cherokee, Anderson, Freestone, Leon, Brazos, San Jacinto, Liberty, Lee, Washington, Austin, Fayette, Colorado, Wharton, Lavaca, Jackson, Matagorda, Brazoria, Goliad, Wilson, Karnes, Atascosa, Gonzales, Bell, Coryell, Bosque, Hamilton, Lampasas, Mills, San Saba, McCulloch, Concho, Llano, Burnet, Schleicher, Real, Kinney, Uvalde, Medina, Reagan, Upton, Crane, Winkler, Ward, or Brewster counties.

Primaries

Republican

Candidates

Republican primary results [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Bill Clements (incumbent) 246,120 92.58%
Republican Duke Embs19,7317.42%
Total votes265,851 100.00

Democratic

Candidates

Democratic primary results
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Mark White 592,658 44.94
Democratic Buddy Temple 402,69330.54
Democratic Bob Armstrong262,18919.88
Democratic David Young25,3861.93
Democratic Ray Allen Mayo II20,0881.52
Democratic Donald R. Beagle15,6491.19
Total votes1,318,663 100.00

Temple refused to participate in the runoff, causing White to win by default.

Results

General election Results
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Mark White 1,697,870 53.20
Republican Bill Clements (incumbent)1,465,93745.94
Libertarian David Hutzelman19,1430.60
Independent Bob Poteet8,0650.19
Total votes3,191,091 100.00
Democratic gain from Republican

Videos

(1) Gubernatorial Debate from September 24, 1982 in Amarillo

(2) White Campaign commercials from October 7, 1982

(3) White Campaign commercials from October 28, 1982

(4) White Campaign commercial from September 29, 1982

(5) White Campaign commercial for the Democratic Primary on April 12, 1982

(6) White Campaign commercial for the Democratic Primary on March 6, 1982

(7) Revised commercial from March 6, 1982

(8) White Campaign commercial for the Democratic Primary on March 23, 1982

(9) Gubernatorial Debate from October 11, 1982 in Austin

Related Research Articles

References