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1998 United States gubernatorial elections

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United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 3, 1998, in 36 states and two territories. Going into the election cycle, 24 of the seats were held by Republicans, 11 by Democrats, and one by an Independent. The elections changed the national balance of power by the loss of one Republican and the gain of one Independent, although political party dominance was shifted in nine states. Democrats gained open seats in California and Iowa and defeated incumbents Fob James of Alabama and David Beasley of South Carolina, while Republicans won open seats in Colorado, Florida, Nebraska, and Nevada and the Reform Party won an open Republican governorship in Minnesota. By the end of the election, 23 seats were held by Republicans, 11 by Democrats, one by the Reform Party, and one by an Independent.

1998 United States gubernatorial elections
← 1997 November 3, 1998 1999 →
38 governorships
36 states; 2 territories
  Majority party Minority party
 
Party Republican Democratic
Seats before 32 17
Seats after 31 17
Seat change Decrease 1 Steady
Seats up 24 11
Seats won 23 11
  Third party Fourth party
 
Party Reform Independent
Seats before 0 1
Seats after 1 1
Seat change Increase 1 Steady
Seats up 0 1
Seats won 1 1
1998 Alabama gubernatorial election1998 Alaska gubernatorial election1998 Arizona gubernatorial election1998 Arkansas gubernatorial election1998 California gubernatorial election1998 Colorado gubernatorial election1998 Connecticut gubernatorial election1998 Florida gubernatorial election1998 Georgia gubernatorial election1998 Hawaii gubernatorial election1998 Idaho gubernatorial election1998 Illinois gubernatorial election1998 Iowa gubernatorial election1998 Kansas gubernatorial election1998 Maine gubernatorial election1998 Maryland gubernatorial election1998 Massachusetts gubernatorial election1998 Michigan gubernatorial election1998 Minnesota gubernatorial election1998 Nebraska gubernatorial election1998 Nevada gubernatorial election1998 New Hampshire gubernatorial election1998 New Mexico gubernatorial election1998 New York gubernatorial election1998 Ohio gubernatorial election1998 Oklahoma gubernatorial election1998 Oregon gubernatorial election1998 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election1998 Rhode Island gubernatorial election1998 South Carolina gubernatorial election1998 South Dakota gubernatorial election1998 Tennessee gubernatorial election1998 Texas gubernatorial election1998 Vermont gubernatorial election1998 Wisconsin gubernatorial election1998 Wyoming gubernatorial election1998 Guam gubernatorial election1998 United States Virgin Islands gubernatorial election
Map of the results
     Democratic gain      Republican gain
     Democratic hold      Republican hold
     Reform gain      Independent hold
     No election

The elections coincided with the mid-term elections for the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. With the exception of two states (New Hampshire and Vermont), the governors elected in this election served four-year terms. New Hampshire and Vermont's governors would serve two-year terms.

As of 2024, this election marked the most recent cycle in which Alabama, Alaska, Georgia, and South Carolina elected Democrats to their respective governorships, and by extension, any even-year gubernatorial election in the Deep South. This is also the last time that someone other than a Democrat or a Republican was elected governor in Maine and Minnesota. This would be the last time a third-party candidate (not an independent) would be elected governor of any state, as well as the last time an independent would be elected governor of a state until the 2010 election in Rhode Island. This was the last midterm election until 2022 in which the non-incumbent political party suffered net losses of governorships.

Summary of results

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States

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State Incumbent Party First
elected 		Result Candidates
Alabama Fob James Republican 1978[a]
1982 (retired)
1994 		Incumbent lost re-election.
New governor elected.
Democratic gain.
Alaska Tony Knowles Democratic 1994 Incumbent re-elected.
Arizona Jane Dee Hull Republican 1997[b] Incumbent elected to full term.
Arkansas Mike Huckabee Republican 1996[c] Incumbent elected to full term.
  •  Y Mike Huckabee (Republican) 59.8%
  • Bill Bristow (Democratic) 38.7%
  • Keith Carle (Reform) 1.6%
California Pete Wilson Republican 1990 Incumbent term-limited.
New governor elected.
Democratic gain.
Colorado Roy Romer Democratic 1986 Incumbent term-limited.
New governor elected.
Republican gain.
Connecticut John G. Rowland Republican 1994 Incumbent re-elected.
Florida Lawton Chiles Democratic 1990 Incumbent term-limited.
New governor elected.
Republican gain.
Georgia Zell Miller Democratic 1990 Incumbent term-limited.
New governor elected.
Democratic hold.
Hawaii Ben Cayetano Democratic 1994 Incumbent re-elected.
Idaho Phil Batt Republican 1994 Incumbent retired.
New governor elected.
Republican hold.
Illinois Jim Edgar Republican 1990 Incumbent retired.
New governor elected.
Republican hold.
Iowa Terry Branstad Republican 1982 Incumbent retired.
New governor elected.
Democratic gain.
Kansas Bill Graves Republican 1994 Incumbent re-elected.
  •  Y Bill Graves (Republican) 73.4%
  • Tom Sawyer (Democratic) 22.6%
  • Kirt Poovey (Constitution) 2.9%
  • Darrel King (Reform) 1.1%
Maine Angus King Independent 1994 Incumbent re-elected.
Maryland Parris Glendening Democratic 1994 Incumbent re-elected.
Massachusetts Paul Cellucci Republican 1997[d] Incumbent elected to full term.
Michigan John Engler Republican 1990 Incumbent re-elected.
Minnesota Arne Carlson Republican 1990 Incumbent retired.
New governor elected.
Reform gain.
Nebraska Ben Nelson Democratic 1990 Incumbent term-limited.
New governor elected.
Republican gain.
  •  Y Mike Johanns (Republican) 53.9%
  • Bill Hoppner (Democratic) 46.0%
Nevada Bob Miller Democratic 1989[e] Incumbent term-limited.
New governor elected.
Republican gain.
  •  Y Kenny Guinn (Republican) 51.6%
  • Jan Laverty Jones (Democratic) 42.0%
  • Chuck Horne (Independent American) 1.7%
  • Terry C. Savage (Libertarian) 1.7%
New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen Democratic 1996 Incumbent re-elected.
  •  Y Jeanne Shaheen (Democratic) 66.1%
  • Jay Lucas (Republican) 30.9%
  • Ken Blevens (Libertarian) 2.7%
New Mexico Gary Johnson Republican 1994 Incumbent re-elected.
New York George Pataki Republican 1994 Incumbent re-elected.
Ohio George Voinovich Republican 1990 Incumbent term-limited.
New governor elected.
Republican hold.
  •  Y Bob Taft (Republican) 50.0%
  • Lee Fisher (Democratic) 44.7%
  • John R. Mitchel (Reform) 3.3%
  • Zanna Feitler (Natural Law) 1.9%
Oklahoma Frank Keating Republican 1994 Incumbent re-elected.
Oregon John Kitzhaber Democratic 1994 Incumbent re-elected.
  •  Y John Kitzhaber (Democratic) 64.4%
  • Bill Sizemore (Republican) 30.0%
  • Richard P. Burke (Libertarian) 1.8%
  • Blair Bobier (Pacific Green) 1.4%
Pennsylvania Tom Ridge Republican 1994 Incumbent re-elected.
  •  Y Tom Ridge (Republican) 57.4%
  • Ivan Itkin (Democratic) 31.0%
  • Peg Luksik (Constitution) 10.4%
  • Ken Krawchuk (Libertarian) 1.1%
Rhode Island Lincoln Almond Republican 1994 Incumbent re-elected.
South Carolina David Beasley Republican 1994 Incumbent lost re-election.
New governor elected.
Democratic gain.
South Dakota Bill Janklow Republican 1978
1986 (term-limited)
1994 		Incumbent re-elected.
  •  Y Bill Janklow (Republican) 64.0%
  • Bernie Hunhoff (Democratic) 32.8%
  • Bob Newland (Libertarian) 1.7%
  • Ronald Wieczorek (Independent) 1.4%
Tennessee Don Sundquist Republican 1994 Incumbent re-elected.
Texas George W. Bush Republican 1994 Incumbent re-elected.
Vermont Howard Dean Democratic 1991[f] Incumbent re-elected.
  •  Y Howard Dean (Democratic) 55.7%
  • Ruth Dwyer (Republican) 41.1%
  • Joel Williams (Grassroots) 1.5%
  • Amy Berkey (Libertarian) 1.0%
Wisconsin Tommy Thompson Republican 1986 Incumbent re-elected.
Wyoming Jim Geringer Republican 1994 Incumbent re-elected.

Territories and federal district

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Territory Incumbent Party First
elected 		Result Candidates
District of Columbia Marion Barry Democratic 1994 Incumbent retired.
New mayor elected.
Democratic hold.
Guam Carl Gutierrez Democratic 1994 Incumbent re-elected.[1]
U.S. Virgin Islands Roy Schneider Independent 1994 Incumbent lost re-election.
New governor elected.[2]
Democratic gain.

Closest races

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States where the margin of victory was under 1%:

  1. Colorado, 0.6%

States where the margin of victory was under 5%:

  1. Hawaii, 1.3%
  2. Minnesota, 2.7%
  3. Massachusetts, 3.4%
  4. Illinois, 3.5%

States where the margin of victory was under 10%:

  1. Ohio, 5.3%
  2. Iowa, 5.8%
  3. Guam, 6.4%
  4. Nebraska, 7.9%
  5. South Carolina, 8.0%
  6. Georgia, 8.4%
  7. Rhode Island, 8.9%
  8. New Mexico, 9.0%
  9. Nevada, 9.6%

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ James served as a Democrat for his first term. He had returned to the Republican Party by the time he was elected governor again in 1994.
  2. ^ Hull took office after her predecessor (Fife Symington) resigned.
  3. ^ Huckabee took office after his predecessor (Jim Guy Tucker) resigned.
  4. ^ Cellucci took office after his predecessor (Bill Weld) resigned.
  5. ^ Miller took office after his predecessor (Richard Bryan) resigned. He was subsequently elected in the 1990 Nevada gubernatorial election.
  6. ^ Dean took office after his predecessor (Richard Snelling) died. He was subsequently elected in the 1992 Vermont gubernatorial election.

References

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  1. ^ "Guam Governor Race - Nov 03, 1998". Our Campaigns. May 19, 2011.
  2. ^ "USVI Governor Race - Nov 03, 1998". Our Campaigns. January 19, 2006.
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