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1994 United States gubernatorial elections

On November 8, 1994, gubernatorial elections were held in 36 states and two territories across the United States. Many seats held by Democratic governors switched to the Republicans during the time known as the Republican Revolution. Notably, this marked the first time since 1969 that Republicans secured the majority of governorships in an election cycle.

1994 United States gubernatorial elections
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← 1993 November 8, 1994 1995 →
38 governorships
36 states; 2 territories
  Majority party Minority party
 
Party Republican Democratic
Seats before 20[a] 29
Seats after 30 19
Seat change Increase 10 Decrease 10
Seats up 14 21
Seats won 24 11
  Third party Fourth party
 
Party Independent A Connecticut Party
Seats before 0 1
Seats after 1 0
Seat change Increase 1 Decrease 1
Seats up 0 1
Seats won 1 0
1994 Alabama gubernatorial election1994 Alaska gubernatorial election1994 Arizona gubernatorial election1994 Arkansas gubernatorial election1994 California gubernatorial election1994 Colorado gubernatorial election1994 Connecticut gubernatorial election1994 Florida gubernatorial election1994 Georgia gubernatorial election1994 Hawaii gubernatorial election1994 Idaho gubernatorial election1994 Illinois gubernatorial election1994 Iowa gubernatorial election1994 Kansas gubernatorial election1994 Maine gubernatorial election1994 Maryland gubernatorial election1994 Massachusetts gubernatorial election1994 Michigan gubernatorial election1994 Minnesota gubernatorial election1994 Nebraska gubernatorial election1994 Nevada gubernatorial election1994 New Hampshire gubernatorial election1994 New Mexico gubernatorial election1994 New York gubernatorial election1994 Ohio gubernatorial election1994 Oklahoma gubernatorial election1994 Oregon gubernatorial election1994 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election1994 Rhode Island gubernatorial election1994 South Carolina gubernatorial election1994 South Dakota gubernatorial election1994 Tennessee gubernatorial election1994 Texas gubernatorial election1994 Vermont gubernatorial election1994 Wisconsin gubernatorial election1994 Wyoming gubernatorial election1994 Guam gubernatorial election1994 United States Virgin Islands gubernatorial election
Results of the elections:
     Democratic gain      Republican gain
     Democratic hold      Republican hold
     Independent gain      No election

Before the elections, 21 seats were held by Democrats, 14 held by Republicans, and one seat was held by an independent. After the elections, 11 seats would be held by Democrats, 24 by Republicans, and one seat by an independent.

These elections occurred concurrently with the midterm elections for the Senate and the House of Representatives. To date, it remains the last time that Democrats have won gubernatorial elections in Florida and Nebraska. Conversely, this election cycle began an ongoing pattern in which Rust Belt states Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin would vote for gubernatorial candidates of the same party, with the sole exception of 2014.[2]

Election results

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States

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State Incumbent Party First
elected 		Result Candidates
Alabama Jim Folsom Jr. Democratic 1993[b] Incumbent lost election to full term.
New governor elected.
Republican gain.
Alaska Wally Hickel Republican 1966[c]
1969 (resigned)
1990 		Incumbent retired.
New governor elected.
Democratic gain.
Arizona Fife Symington Republican 1990 Incumbent re-elected.
Arkansas Jim Guy Tucker Democratic 1992[d] Incumbent elected to full term.
California Pete Wilson Republican 1990 Incumbent re-elected.
  •  Y Pete Wilson (Republican) 55.2%
  • Kathleen Brown (Democratic) 40.6%
  • Richard Rider (Libertarian) 1.7%
  • Jerome McCready (American Independent) 1.5%
Colorado Roy Romer Democratic 1986 Incumbent re-elected.
  •  Y Roy Romer (Democratic) 55.5%
  • Bruce D. Benson (Republican) 38.7%
  • Kevin Swanson (Constitution) 3.6%
  • Philip Hufford (Green) 1.5%
Connecticut Lowell Weicker A Connecticut Party 1990 Incumbent retired.
New governor elected.
Republican gain.
Florida Lawton Chiles Democratic 1990 Incumbent re-elected.
Georgia Zell Miller Democratic 1990 Incumbent re-elected.
Hawaii John D. Waihe'e III Democratic 1986 Incumbent term-limited.
New governor elected.
Democratic hold.
Idaho Cecil D. Andrus Democratic 1970
1977 (resigned)
1986 		Incumbent retired.
New governor elected.
Republican gain.
Illinois Jim Edgar Republican 1990 Incumbent re-elected.
Iowa Terry Branstad Republican 1982 Incumbent re-elected.
Kansas Joan Finney Democratic 1990 Incumbent retired.
New governor elected.
Republican gain.
Maine John R. McKernan Jr. Republican 1986 Incumbent term-limited.
New governor elected.
Independent gain.
Maryland William D. Schaefer Democratic 1986 Incumbent term-limited.
New governor elected.
Democratic hold.
Massachusetts Bill Weld Republican 1990 Incumbent re-elected.
Michigan John Engler Republican 1990 Incumbent re-elected.
Minnesota Arne Carlson Republican 1990 Incumbent re-elected.
Nebraska Ben Nelson Democratic 1990 Incumbent re-elected.
  •  Y Ben Nelson (Democratic) 73.0%
  • Gene Spence (Republican) 25.6%
Nevada Bob Miller Democratic 1989[e] Incumbent re-elected.
  •  Y Bob Miller (Democratic) 52.7%
  • Jim Gibbons (Republican) 41.3%
  • Daniel Hansen (Independent American) 2.6%
  • Denis Sholty (Libertarian) 1.0%
New Hampshire Steve Merrill Republican 1992 Incumbent re-elected.
  •  Y Steve Merrill (Republican) 69.9%
  • Wayne King (Democratic) 25.6%
  • Steven Winter (Libertarian) 4.4%
New Mexico Bruce King Democratic 1970
1974 (term-limited)
1978
1982 (term-limited)
1990 		Incumbent lost re-election.
New governor elected.
Republican gain.
New York Mario Cuomo Democratic 1982 Incumbent lost re-election.
New governor elected.
Republican gain.
Ohio George Voinovich Republican 1990 Incumbent re-elected.
Oklahoma David Walters Democratic 1990 Incumbent retired.
New governor elected.
Republican gain.
Oregon Barbara Roberts Democratic 1990 Incumbent retired.
New governor elected.
Democratic hold.
  •  Y John Kitzhaber (Democratic) 51.0%
  • Denny Smith (Republican) 42.4%
  • Ed Hickam (American) 4.8%
  • Danford Ploeg (Libertarian) 1.6%
Pennsylvania Bob Casey Sr. Democratic 1986 Incumbent term-limited.
New governor elected.
Republican gain.
Rhode Island Bruce Sundlun Democratic 1990 Incumbent lost renomination.
New governor elected.
Republican gain.
South Carolina Carroll A. Campbell Jr. Republican 1986 Incumbent term-limited.
New governor elected.
Republican hold.
South Dakota Walter Dale Miller Republican 1993[f] Incumbent lost nomination to full term.
New governor elected.
Republican hold.
  •  Y Bill Janklow (Republican) 55.4%
  • Jim Beddow (Democratic) 40.5%
  • Nathan A. Barton (Libertarian) 4.1%
Tennessee Ned McWherter Democratic 1986 Incumbent term-limited.
New governor elected.
Republican gain.
Texas Ann Richards Democratic 1990 Incumbent lost re-election.
New governor elected.
Republican gain.
Vermont Howard Dean Democratic 1991[g] Incumbent re-elected.
  •  Y Howard Dean (Democratic) 68.7%
  • David F. Kelley (Republican) 19.0%
  • Thomas J. Morse (Independent) 7.1%
  • Dennis Lane (Grassroots) 1.0%
Wisconsin Tommy Thompson Republican 1986 Incumbent re-elected.
Wyoming Mike Sullivan Democratic 1986 Incumbent term-limited.
New governor elected.
Republican gain.

Territories and federal district

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Territory Incumbent Party First
elected 		Result Candidates
District of Columbia Sharon Pratt Democratic 1990 Incumbent lost renomination.
New mayor elected.
Democratic hold.
Guam Joseph Franklin Ada Republican 1986 Incumbent retired.
New governor elected.[3]
Democratic gain.
U.S. Virgin Islands Alexander Farrelly Democratic 1986 Incumbent term-limited.
New governor elected.[4]
Independent gain.
  •  Y Roy Schneider (Independent) 54.7%
  • Derek Hodge (Democratic) 42.6%

Closest races

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States where the margin of victory was under 1%:

  1. Alaska, 0.2%
  2. Maryland, 0.4%
  3. Alabama, 0.9%

States where the margin of victory was under 5%:

  1. Florida, 1.5%
  2. Maine, 1.5%
  3. Georgia, 2.1%
  4. South Carolina, 2.5%
  5. New York, 3.3%
  6. Connecticut, 3.5%
  7. Rhode Island, 3.8%

States where the margin of victory was under 10%:

  1. Pennsylvania, 5.5%
  2. Hawaii, 5.9%
  3. Texas, 7.6%
  4. Arizona, 8.2%
  5. Idaho, 8.4%
  6. Oregon, 8.5%
  7. Tennessee, 9.6%
  8. Guam, 9.7%
  9. New Mexico, 9.9%

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Alaskan Governor Wally Hickel was elected on the Alaskan Independence Party line in 1990 but switched to the Republican Party in April 1994.[1]
  2. ^ Folsom took office after his predecessor (H. Guy Hunt) was removed from office.
  3. ^ Hickel was elected as a Republican in his first term in 1966. He was elected under the Alaskan Independence Party for his second term in 1990, before switching back to the Republican Party towards the end of his second term in April 1994.
  4. ^ Tucker took office after his predecessor (Bill Clinton) resigned.
  5. ^ Miller took office after his predecessor (Richard Bryan) resigned. He was subsequently elected in the 1990 Nevada gubernatorial election.
  6. ^ Miller took office after his predecessor (George S. Mickelson) died.
  7. ^ 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. ^ "Alaska's Gov. Hickel Rejoins Gop Amid Speculation Over Another Term". The Seattle Times. Seattle. Associated Press. April 15, 1994. Retrieved September 28, 2008.
  2. ^ Brownstein, Ronald (September 16, 2024). "Why these three states are the most consistent tipping point in American politics". CNN. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  3. ^ "Guam Governor Race - Nov 08, 1994". Our Campaigns. July 3, 2015.
  4. ^ "USVI Governor Race - Nov 08, 1994". Our Campaigns. January 19, 2006.
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