United States gubernatorial elections, 1978
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Democratic pickups
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The United States gubernatorial elections of 1978 were held on November 7, 1978 in thirty-six states. The Republicans had a net gain of six seats, Democrats sustained a net-loss of five seats, and there would be no Governors of any other parties following these elections.
This was the first year in which Illinois held a gubernatorial election in a midterm election year since 1846. The state of Illinois moved its gubernatorial election date from Presidential election years to midterm Congressional election years.
Election results
A bolded state name features an article about the specific election.
| State | Incumbent | Party | Status | Opposing Candidates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | George Wallace | Democratic | Term-limited, Democratic victory | Fob James (Democratic) 72.6% H. Guy Hunt (Republican) 25.9% Jim Partain (Prohibition) 1.1% Richard Dare (Independent) 0.5% |
| Alaska | Jay Hammond | Republican | Re-elected, 39.1% | Walter Joseph Hickel (write-in) 26.4% Chancy Croft (Democratic) 20.2% Tom Kelly (Independent) 12.3% Don R. Wright (Alaskan Ind.) 1.9% |
| Arizona | Bruce Babbitt | Democratic | Re-elected, 52.5% | Evan Mecham (Republican) 44.8% V. Gene Lewter (Liberatarian) 1.9% Jessica Sampson (Socialist Workers) 0.8% |
| Arkansas | David Pryor | Democratic | Retired, Democratic victory | Bill Clinton (Democratic) 63.4% Lynn Lowe (Republican) 36.6% |
| California | Jerry Brown | Democratic | Re-elected, 56.0% | Evelle J. Younger (Republican) 36.5% Ed Clark (Independent) 5.5% Marilyn Seals (PF) 1.0% Theresa F. Dietrich (AI) 1.0% |
| Colorado | Richard Lamm | Democratic | Re-elected, 58.8% | Ted L. Strickland (Republican) 38.5% Roy Peister (Tea) 1.7% Elsa Blum (Socialist Workers) 0.4% Sal Mandor (Independent) 0.3% Earl Dodge (Prohibition) 0.3% |
| Connecticut | Ella T. Grasso | Democratic | Re-elected, 59.1% | Ronald A. Sarasin (Republican) 40.7% |
| Florida | Reubin O'Donovan Askew | Democratic | Term-limited, Democratic victory | Bob Graham (Democratic) 55.6% Jack Eckerd (Republican) 44.4% |
| Georgia | George Busbee | Democratic | Re-elected, 80.7% | Rodney M. Cook (Republican) 19.3% |
| Hawaii | George Ariyoshi | Democratic | Re-elected, 54.5% | John R. Leopold (Republican) 44.3% Alema Leota (Non-partisan) 0.7% Gregory Reeser (Libertarian) 0.4% John Moore (Aloha Democratic) 0.2% |
| Idaho | John V. Evans | Democratic | Re-elected, 58.8% | Allan Larsen (Republican) 39.6% Wayne Loveless (American) 1.7% |
| Illinois | James R. Thompson | Republican | Re-elected, 59.0% | Michael Bakalis (Democratic) 40.1% Georgia Shields (Libertarian) 0.4% Cecil Lampkin (Socialist Workers) 0.4% Melvin Klenetsky (U.S. Labor) 0.2% |
| Iowa | Robert D. Ray | Republican | Re-elected, 58.3% | Jerome D. Fitzgerald (Democratic) 41.0% John Ball (Libertarian) 0.5% Joseph Grant (Socialist) 0.2% |
| Kansas | Robert F. Bennett | Republican | Defeated, 47.3% | John W. Carlin (Democratic) 49.4% Frank W. Shelton Jr. (American) 2.3% Berry Beets (Prohibition) 1.0% |
| Maine | James B. Longley | Independent | Retired, Democratic victory | Joseph E. Brennan (Democratic) 47.7% Linwood E. Palmer (Republican) 34.3% Herman Franklin (Independent) 17.8% James B. Longley (write-in) 0.2% |
| Maryland | Marvin Mandel (Blair Lee III, acting governor) |
Democratic | Term-limited, Democratic victory (Lee defeated in primary) | Harry Hughes (Democratic) 70.6% John Glenn Beall, Jr. (Republican) 29.4% |
| Massachusetts | Michael Dukakis | Democratic | Defeated in primary, Democratic victory | Edward J. King (Democratic) 52.5% Francis W. Hatch, Jr. (Republican) 47.2% |
| Michigan | William Milliken | Republican | Re-elected, 56.8% | William B. Fitzgerald, Jr. (Democratic) 43.2% |
| Minnesota | Rudy Perpich | DFL | Defeated, 45.3% | Al Quie (Republican) 52.3% Richard Pedersen (American) 1.3% Jill Lakowske (Socialist Workers) 0.4% Tom McDonald (Honest Government) 0.3% Robin E. Miller (Libertarian) 0.2% Edwin C. Pommerening (Savings Account) 0.1% |
| Nebraska | J. James Exon | Democratic | Term-limited, Republican victory | Charles Thone (Republican) 56.0% Gerald T. Whelan (Democratic) 44.0% |
| Nevada | Mike O'Callaghan | Democratic | Term-limited, Republican victory | Robert List (Republican) 56.2% Robert E. Rose (Democratic) 39.7% Thomas F. Jefferson (Ind. American) 1.7% None of These Candidates1.7% John W. Grayson Jr. (Libertarian) 0.8% |
| New Hampshire | Meldrim Thomson, Jr. | Republican | Defeated, 45.4% | Hugh Gallen (Democratic) 49.4% Wesley Powell (Independent) 4.6% Mabel Everett (Libertarian) 4.6% Ralph Brewster (Independent) 0.2% |
| New Mexico | Jerry Apodaca | Democratic | Term-limited, Democratic victory | Bruce King (Democratic) 50.5% Joe Skeen (Republican) 49.4% |
| New York | Hugh Carey | Democratic | Re-elected, 50.9% | Perry Duryea (Republican) 45.2% Mary Jane Tobin (Right to Life) 2.7% Gary Greenberg (Libertarian) 0.4% Dianne M. Feeley (Socialist Workers) 0.3% Jarvis Tyner (Communist) 0.2% Paul Gallagher (U.S. Labor) 0.2% |
| Ohio | Jim Rhodes | Republican | Re-elected, 49.3% | Dick Celeste (Democratic) 47.6% Patricia H. Wright (Independent) 1.2% John O'Neill (Independent) 1.0% Allan Friedman (Independent) 0.8% |
| Oklahoma | David L. Boren | Democratic | Term-limited, Democratic victory | George Nigh (Democratic) 51.7% Ron Shotts (Republican) 47.2% Billy Joe Clegg (Independent) 0.5% Floyd Sheally (Independent) 0.3% Jim McCuiston (Independent) 0.2% |
| Oregon | Robert W. Straub | Democratic | Defeated, 45.1% | Victor G. Atiyeh (Republican) 54.9% |
| Pennsylvania | Milton Shapp | Democratic | Term-limited, Republican victory | Dick Thornburgh (Republican) 52.5% Peter F. Flaherty (Democratic) 46.4% Mark Zola (Socialist Workers) 0.5% Lee Frissell (Consumer) 0.5% |
| Rhode Island | John Garrahy | Democratic | Re-elected, 62.8% | Lincoln Almond (Republican) 30.7% Joseph A. Doorley (Independent) 6.5% |
| South Carolina | James B. Edwards | Republican | Term-limited, Democratic victory | Richard Riley (Democratic) 61.9% Edward Lunn Young (Republican) 38.1% |
| South Dakota | Harvey L. Wollman | Democratic | Defeated in primary, Republican victory | Bill Janklow (Republican) 56.6% Roger D. McKellips (Democratic) 43.4% |
| Tennessee | Ray Blanton | Democratic | Retired, Republican victory | Lamar Alexander (Republican) 55.8% Jake Butcher (Democratic) 44.2% |
| Texas | Dolph Briscoe | Democratic | Defeated in primary, Republican victory | Bill Clements (Republican) 50.0% John Hill (Democratic) 49.2% Mario Compean (La Raza Unida) 0.6% Sara Jean Johnston (Socialist Workers) 0.2% |
| Vermont | Richard A. Snelling | Republican | Re-elected, 62.8% | Edwin C. Granai (Democratic) 34.1% Earl S. Gardner (Liberty Union) 2.9% |
| Wisconsin | Martin J. Schreiber | Democratic | Defeated, 44.9% | Lee S. Dreyfus (Republican) 54.4% Eugene R. Zimmerman (Constitution) 0.4% John C. Doherty (Independent) 0.1% Adrienne Kaplan (Socialist Workers) 0.1% Henry A. Ochsner (Socialist Labor) 0.1% |
| Wyoming | Edgar Herschler | Democratic | Re-elected, 50.9% | John C. Ostlund (Republican) 49.1% |
See also
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