1998 United States gubernatorial elections


United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 3, 1998 in 36 states and two territories. Going into the election 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 it 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.
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, the governors elected in this election will serve four-year terms. New Hampshire and Vermont's governors will serve two-year terms.
This election marked the most recent cycle in which Alabama, Alaska, Georgia, and South Carolina elected Democrats to their respective governor's mansions.

Summary of results

Note: Candidates' vote percentages are rounded to the nearest tenth of one percent. Candidates earning 0.05% or more of the vote are included.
A bolded state name features an article about the specific election.
StateIncumbentPartyStatusOpposing candidates
AlabamaFob JamesRepublicanDefeated, 42.1%Don Siegelman 57.7%
AlaskaTony KnowlesDemocraticRe-elected, 51.3%Robin Taylor 18.3%
John Lindauer 17.9%
Ray Metcalfe 6.2%
Erica Jacobsson 3.0%
ArizonaJane HullRepublicanRe-elected, 61.0%Paul Johnson 35.5%
Katherine Gallant 2.7%
Scott Malcomson 0.8%
ArkansasMike HuckabeeRepublicanRe-elected, 59.8%Bill Bristow 38.7%
Keith Carle 1.6%
CaliforniaPete WilsonRepublicanTerm-limited, Democratic victoryGray Davis 58.0%
Dan Lungren 38.4%
Dan Hamburg 1.2%
Steve Kubby 0.9%
Gloria La Riva 0.7%
Nathan Johnson 0.5%
Harold Bloomfield 0.4%
ColoradoRoy RomerDemocraticTerm-limited, Republican victoryBill Owens 49.1%
Gail Schoettler 48.4%
Sandra Johnson 1.7%
Tim Leonard 0.8%
ConnecticutJohn RowlandRepublicanRe-elected, 62.9%Barbara Kennelly 35.4%
Joseph Zdoneczyk 0.9%
Ned Vare 0.6%
Roberta Scaglione 0.2%
FloridaLawton ChilesDemocraticTerm-limited, Republican victoryJeb Bush 55.3%
Buddy MacKay 44.7%
GeorgiaZell MillerDemocraticTerm-limited, Democratic victoryRoy Barnes 52.5%
Guy Millner 44.0%
Jack Cashin 3.4%
HawaiiBen CayetanoDemocraticRe-elected, 50.1%Linda Lingle 48.8%
George Peabody 1.1%
IdahoPhil BattRepublicanRetired, Republican victoryDirk Kempthorne 67.7%
Robert Huntley 29.1%
Peter Rickards 3.2%
IllinoisJim EdgarRepublicanRetired, Republican victoryGeorge Ryan 51.0%
Glenn Poshard 47.5%
Lawrence Redmond 1.5%
IowaTerry BranstadRepublicanRetired, Democratic victoryTom Vilsack 52.3%
Jim Lightfoot 46.5%
Jim Hennager 0.6%
KansasBill GravesRepublicanRe-elected, 73.4%Tom Sawyer 22.7%
Kirt Poovey 2.9%
Darrel King 1.1%
MaineAngus KingIndependentRe-elected, 58.6%Jim Longley 18.9%
Tom Connolly 12.0%
Pat LaMarche 6.8%
William Clarke 3.6%
MarylandParris GlendeningDemocraticRe-elected, 55.1%Ellen Sauerbrey 44.8%
MassachusettsPaul Cellucci RepublicanElected, 50.8%Scott Harshbarger 47.4%
Dean Cook 1.7%
MichiganJohn EnglerRepublicanRe-elected, 62.2%Geoffrey Fieger 37.8%
MinnesotaArne CarlsonRepublicanRetired, Reform victoryJesse Ventura 37.0%
Norm Coleman 34.3%
Skip Humphrey 28.1%
Ken Pentel 0.3%
Frank Germann 0.1%
Chris Wright 0.1%
NebraskaBen NelsonDemocraticTerm-limited, Republican victoryMike Johanns 53.9%
Bill Hoppner 46.0%
NevadaBob MillerDemocraticTerm-limited, Republican victoryKenny Guinn 51.6%
Jan Jones 42.0%
None of the above 2.9%
Chuck Horne 1.7%
Terry Savage 1.7%
New HampshireJeanne ShaheenDemocraticRe-elected, 66.1%Jay Lucas 33.1%
New MexicoGary JohnsonRepublicanRe-elected, 54.5%Martin Chávez 45.5%
New YorkGeorge PatakiRepublicanRe-elected, 54.3%Peter Vallone 33.2%
Tom Golisano 7.7%
Betsy McCaughey 1.7%
Michael Reynolds 1.2%
Al Lewis 1.1%
Thomas Leighton 0.5%
Alice France 0.2%
Christopher Garvey 0.1%
Alfred Duncan 0.1%
OhioGeorge VoinovichRepublicanTerm-limited, Republican victoryBob Taft 50.1%
Lee Fisher 44.7%
John Mitchel 3.3%
Zanna Feitler 1.9%
OklahomaFrank KeatingRepublicanRe-elected, 57.9%Laura Boyd 40.9%
Hoppy Heidelberg 1.2%
OregonJohn KitzhaberDemocraticRe-elected, 64.4%Bill Sizemore 30.0%
Richard Burke 1.8%
Blair Bobier 1.4%
Roger Weidner 0.9%
Patti Steurer 0.7%
Trey Smith 0.5%
PennsylvaniaTom RidgeRepublicanRe-elected, 57.4%Ivan Itkin 31.0%
Peg Luksik 10.4%
Ken Krawchuk 1.1%
Rhode IslandLincoln AlmondRepublicanRe-elected, 51.0%Myrth York 42.1%
Bob Healey 6.3%
John Patrick 0.6%
South CarolinaDavid BeasleyRepublicanDefeated, 45.2%Jim Hodges 53.2%
Timothy Moultrie 1.4%
South DakotaBill JanklowRepublicanRe-elected, 64.0%Bernie Hunhoff 32.9%
Bob Newland 1.7%
Ronald Wieczorek 1.4%
TennesseeDon SundquistRepublicanRe-elected, 68.6%John Jay Hooker 29.5%
George Hamilton 0.6%
Irwin Gibbs 0.5%
Lonnie Creech 0.4%
Thomas Smith 0.2%
Karl Smithson 0.2%
TexasGeorge W. BushRepublicanRe-elected, 68.2%Garry Mauro 31.2%
Lester Turlington 0.6%
VermontHoward DeanDemocraticRe-elected, 55.7%Ruth Dwyer 41.1%
Joel Williams 1.5%
Amy Berkey 1.0%
Richard Gottlieb 0.5%
WisconsinTommy ThompsonRepublicanRe-elected, 59.7%Ed Garvey 38.7%
Jim Mueller 0.6%
Edward Frami 0.6%
Mike Mangan 0.3%
Ja Mu Muhammad 0.1%
WyomingJim GeringerRepublicanRe-elected, 55.6%John Vinich 40.5%
Dave Dawson 3.9%

TerritoryIncumbentPartyStatusCompeting candidates
GuamCarl GutierrezDemocraticRe-elected, 51.18%Joseph Ada 44.8%
Other 4.02%
United States Virgin IslandsRoy SchneiderIndependentDefeated, 41.06%Charles Turnbull 58.94%