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1990 United States gubernatorial elections

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United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 6, 1990, in 36 states and two territories. Most elected in these elections would serve for a 4-year term, while those in New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont would serve for a 2-year term. The elections coincided with the mid-term elections for the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. Heading into the elections, there were 20 seats held by Democrats and 16 held by Republicans. By the end of the elections, 19 seats would be held by a Democrat, 15 would be held by a Republican, and two would be held by other parties.

1990 United States gubernatorial elections
← 1989 November 6, 1990 1991 →
38 governorships
36 states; 2 territories
  Majority party Minority party
 
Party Democratic Republican
Seats before 29 21
Seats after 28 20
Seat change Decrease1 Decrease1
Seats up 20 16
Seats won 19 15
  Third party Fourth party
 
Party A Connecticut Party Alaskan Independence
Seats before 0 0
Seats after 1 1
Seat change Increase1 Increase1
Seats up 0 0
Seats won 1 1
1990 Alabama gubernatorial election1990 Alaska gubernatorial election1990 Arizona gubernatorial election1990 Arkansas gubernatorial election1990 California gubernatorial election1990 Colorado gubernatorial election1990 Connecticut gubernatorial election1990 Florida gubernatorial election1990 Georgia gubernatorial election1990 Hawaii gubernatorial election1990 Idaho gubernatorial election1990 Illinois gubernatorial election1990 Iowa gubernatorial election1990 Kansas gubernatorial election1990 Maine gubernatorial election1990 Maryland gubernatorial election1990 Massachusetts gubernatorial election1990 Michigan gubernatorial election1990 Minnesota gubernatorial election1990 Nebraska gubernatorial election1990 Nevada gubernatorial election1990 New Hampshire gubernatorial election1990 New Mexico gubernatorial election1990 New York gubernatorial election1990 Ohio gubernatorial election1990 Oklahoma gubernatorial election1990 Oregon gubernatorial election1990 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election1990 Rhode Island gubernatorial election1990 South Carolina gubernatorial election1990 South Dakota gubernatorial election1990 Tennessee gubernatorial election1990 Texas gubernatorial election1990 Vermont gubernatorial election1990 Wisconsin gubernatorial election1990 Wyoming gubernatorial election1990 Guam gubernatorial election1990 United States Virgin Islands gubernatorial election
Map of the results
     Democratic gain      Republican gain
     Democratic hold      Republican hold
     Alaskan Independence gain      A Connecticut Party gain
     No election

Notably, in these elections, there were two people elected from a third party: former Alaskan governor and Secretary of the Interior under President Nixon Walter Joseph Hickel was elected governor as a part of the Alaskan Independence Party, and former U.S. Senator Lowell Weicker of Connecticut won on A Connecticut Party's ticket. In addition to Weicker, two other U.S. senators were elected governors that year, Republican Pete Wilson of California and Democrat Lawton Chiles of Florida. The 1990 cycle saw six incumbent governors defeated. These were Republicans Mike Hayden of Kansas, Kay Orr of Nebraska, Bob Martinez of Florida and Edward DiPrete of Rhode Island, as well as Democrats James Blanchard of Michigan and Rudy Perpich of Minnesota.

In 1988, Arizona voters approved a runoff-style election following the impeachment of governor Evan Mecham. Because no candidate received a majority (50%) of the vote in the November election, a run-off election occurred on February 26, 1991. This style of voting was later repealed in 1992.

As of 2024, this is the last time a Democrat was elected governor in Idaho or Texas, as well as the last time a Third party won in Connecticut.

Election results

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States

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State Incumbent Party First
elected 		Result Candidates
Alabama H. Guy Hunt Republican 1986 Incumbent re-elected.
Alaska Steve Cowper Democratic 1986 Incumbent retired.
New governor elected.
AK Independence gain.
Arizona Rose Mofford Democratic 1988[a] Incumbent retired.
New governor elected.
Republican gain.
Arkansas Bill Clinton Democratic 1978
1980 (defeated)
1982 		Incumbent re-elected.
California George Deukmejian Republican 1982 Incumbent retired.
New governor elected.
Republican hold.
  •  Y Pete Wilson (Republican) 49.2%
  • Dianne Feinstein (Democratic) 45.8%
  • Dennis Thompson (Libertarian) 1.9%
  • Jerome McCready (American Independent) 1.8%
  • Maria E. Muñoz (Peace and Freedom) 1.3%
Colorado Roy Romer Democratic 1986 Incumbent re-elected.
Connecticut William A. O'Neill Democratic 1980[b] Incumbent retired.
New governor elected.
A Connecticut Party gain.
Florida Bob Martinez Republican 1986 Incumbent lost re-election.
New governor elected.
Democratic gain.
Georgia Joe Frank Harris Democratic 1982 Incumbent term-limited.
New governor elected.
Democratic hold.
Hawaii John D. Waiheʻe III Democratic 1986 Incumbent re-elected.
Idaho Cecil Andrus Democratic 1970
1977 (resigned)
1986 		Incumbent re-elected.
Illinois James R. Thompson Republican 1976 Incumbent retired.
New governor elected.
Republican hold.
Iowa Terry Branstad Republican 1982 Incumbent re-elected.
  •  Y Terry Branstad (Republican) 60.6%
  • Donald Avenson (Democratic) 38.8%
Kansas Mike Hayden Republican 1986 Incumbent lost re-election.
New governor elected.
Democratic gain.
Maine John R. McKernan Jr. Republican 1986 Incumbent re-elected.
Maryland William D. Schaefer Democratic 1986 Incumbent re-elected.
Massachusetts Michael Dukakis Democratic 1982 Incumbent retired.
New governor elected.
Republican gain.
Michigan James Blanchard Democratic 1982 Incumbent lost re-election.
New governor elected.
Republican gain.
Minnesota Rudy Perpich Democratic 1982 Incumbent lost re-election.
New governor elected.
Republican gain.
  •  Y Arne Carlson (Republican) 50.1%
  • Rudy Perpich (Democratic) 46.8%
  • Heart Warrior Chosa (EarthRIGHT) 1.2%
  • Ross S. Culverhouse (Grassroots) 1.0%
Nebraska Kay A. Orr Republican 1986 Incumbent lost re-election.
New governor elected.
Democratic gain.
Nevada Bob Miller Democratic 1989[c] Incumbent elected to full term.
New Hampshire Judd Gregg Republican 1988 Incumbent re-elected.
  •  Y Judd Gregg (Republican) 60.3%
  • Joseph Grandmaison (Democratic) 34.5%
  • Miriam Luce (Libertarian) 4.9%
New Mexico Garrey Carruthers Republican 1986 Incumbent term-limited.
New governor elected.
Democratic gain.
  •  Y Bruce King (Democratic) 54.6%
  • Frank M. Bond (Republican) 45.2%
New York Mario Cuomo Democratic 1982 Incumbent re-elected.
Ohio Dick Celeste Democratic 1982 Incumbent term-limited.
New governor elected.
Republican gain.
Oklahoma Henry Bellmon Republican 1986 Incumbent retired.
New governor elected.
Democratic gain.
  •  Y David Walters (Democratic) 57.4%
  • Bill Price (Republican) 32.7%
  • Thomas Ledgerwood (Independent) 9.9%
Oregon Neil Goldschmidt Democratic 1986 Incumbent retired.
New governor elected.
Democratic hold.
Pennsylvania Bob Casey Sr. Democratic 1986 Incumbent re-elected.
Rhode Island Edward D. DiPrete Republican 1984 Incumbent lost re-election.
New governor elected.
Democratic gain.
South Carolina Carroll A. Campbell Jr. Republican 1986 Incumbent re-elected.
South Dakota George S. Mickelson Republican 1986 Incumbent re-elected.
Tennessee Ned McWherter Democratic 1986 Incumbent re-elected.
  •  Y Ned McWherter (Democratic) 60.8%
  • Dwight Henry (Republican) 36.6%
  • W. Curtis Jacox (Independent) 1.4%
  • David B. Shepard (Independent) 1.1%
Texas Bill Clements Republican 1978
1982 (defeated)
1986 		Incumbent retired.
New governor elected.
Democratic gain.
Vermont Madeleine Kunin Democratic 1984 Incumbent retired.
New governor elected.
Republican gain.
Wisconsin Tommy Thompson Republican 1986 Incumbent re-elected.
Wyoming Mike Sullivan Democratic 1986 Incumbent re-elected.

Territories and federal district

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State Incumbent Party First
elected 		Result Candidates
District of Columbia Marion Barry Democratic 1978 Incumbent retired.
New mayor elected.
Democratic hold.
  •  Y Sharon Pratt (Democratic) 86.1%
  • Maurice Turner (Republican) 11.5%
Guam Joseph Franklin Ada Republican 1986 Incumbent re-elected.[1]
U.S. Virgin Islands Alexander Farrelly Democratic 1986 Incumbent re-elected.[2]

Close states

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States where the margin of victory was under 1%:

  1. Michigan, 0.7%
  2. Nebraska, 0.7%

States where the margin of victory was under 5%:

  1. Illinois, 2.5%
  2. Texas, 2.6%
  3. Maine, 2.7%
  4. Connecticut, 2.9%
  5. Massachusetts, 3.3%
  6. Minnesota, 3.3%
  7. California, 3.4%
  8. Alabama, 4.2%
  9. Arizona, 4.8%

States where the margin of victory was under 10%:

  1. Oregon, 5.7%
  2. Vermont, 5.8%
  3. Kansas, 6.0%
  4. Alaska, 8.0%
  5. Georgia, 8.4%
  6. New Mexico, 9.4%

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Mofford took office after her predecessor (Evan Mecham) was removed from office.
  2. ^ O'Neill took office after his predecessor (Ella Grasso) resigned. He was subsequently elected in the 1982 Connecticut gubernatorial election.
  3. ^ Miller took office after his predecessor (Richard Bryan) resigned.

References

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  1. ^ "Guam Governor Race - Nov 06, 1990". Our Campaigns. July 3, 2015.
  2. ^ "USVI Governor Race - Nov 06, 1990". Our Campaigns. January 19, 2006.
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