Skip to content

1998 governor election results

Results of all 36 governor races in 1998 (seats won: Republican 23, Democratic 11, Independent 1); 9 changed party. Winners, margins and every candidate.

Download CSV
  • Republican 23
  • Democratic 11
  • Independent 1
  • Reform 1
Alabama: Don Siegelman DEM +15.6 gainAlaska: Tony Knowles DEM +33.4Arizona: Jane Hull REP +25.4Arkansas: Mike Huckabee REP +21.1California: Gray Davis DEM +19.1 gainColorado: William F. Owens REP +0.6 gainConnecticut: John Rowland REP +27.5DelawareDistrict of ColumbiaFlorida: Jeb Bush REP +10.6 gainGeorgia: Roy Barnes DEM +8.4Hawaii: Benjamin Cayetano DEM +1.3Idaho: C. Dirk Kempthorne REP +38.6Illinois: George Ryan REP +3.6IndianaIowa: Tom Vilsack DEM +5.8 gainKansas: William Graves REP +50.7KentuckyLouisianaMaine: Angus S. King Jr. IND +39.7Maryland: Parris Glendening DEM +10.3Massachusetts: A. Paul Cellucci REP +3.4Michigan: John Engler REP +24.4Minnesota: Jesse Ventura REF +2.7 gainMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraska: Mike Johanns REP +7.9 gainNevada: Kenny Guinn REP +9.6 gainNew Hampshire: Jeanne Shaheen DEM +35.2New JerseyNew Mexico: Gary Johnson REP +9.1New York: George Pataki REP +14.1North CarolinaNorth DakotaOhio: Bob Taft REP +5.4Oklahoma: Frank Keating REP +16.9Oregon: John Kitzhaber DEM +34.4Pennsylvania: Thomas Ridge REP +26.4Rhode Island: Lincoln Almond REP +8.8South Carolina: James H. Hodges DEM +8.0 gainSouth Dakota: William J. Janklow REP +31.2Tennessee: Donald K. Sundquist REP +39.2Texas: George W. Bush REP +37.1UtahVermont: Howard Dean DEM +14.5VirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsin: Tommy Thompson REP +21.0Wyoming: Jim Geringer REP +15.1Vermont: Howard Dean DEM +14.5New Hampshire: Jeanne Shaheen DEM +35.2Massachusetts: A. Paul Cellucci REP +3.4Rhode Island: Lincoln Almond REP +8.8Connecticut: John Rowland REP +27.5New JerseyDelawareMaryland: Parris Glendening DEM +10.3District of Columbia
States with a race in 1998, coloured by the winning party and shaded by margin. Grey: no race.

Seats that changed party

All races

StateWinnerPartyMarginBefore
Alabama Don Siegelman Democratic 15.6 Republican flip
Alaska Tony Knowles Democratic 33.4 Democratic
Arizona Jane Hull Republican 25.4 Republican
Arkansas Mike Huckabee Republican 21.1 Republican
California Gray Davis Democratic 19.1 Republican flip
Colorado William F. Owens Republican 0.6 Democratic flip
Connecticut John Rowland Republican 27.5 Republican
Florida Jeb Bush Republican 10.6 Democratic flip
Georgia Roy Barnes Democratic 8.4 Democratic
Hawaii Benjamin Cayetano Democratic 1.3 Democratic
Idaho C. Dirk Kempthorne Republican 38.6 Republican
Illinois George Ryan Republican 3.6 Republican
Iowa Tom Vilsack Democratic 5.8 Republican flip
Kansas William Graves Republican 50.7 Republican
Maine Angus S. King Jr. Independent 39.7 Independent
Maryland Parris Glendening Democratic 10.3 Democratic
Massachusetts A. Paul Cellucci Republican 3.4 Republican
Michigan John Engler Republican 24.4 Republican
Minnesota Jesse Ventura Reform 2.7 Republican flip
Nebraska Mike Johanns Republican 7.9 Democratic flip
Nevada Kenny Guinn Republican 9.6 Democratic flip
New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen Democratic 35.2 Democratic
New Mexico Gary Johnson Republican 9.1 Republican
New York George Pataki Republican 14.1 Republican
Ohio Bob Taft Republican 5.4 Republican
Oklahoma Frank Keating Republican 16.9 Republican
Oregon John Kitzhaber Democratic 34.4 Democratic
Pennsylvania Thomas Ridge Republican 26.4 Republican
Rhode Island Lincoln Almond Republican 8.8 Republican
South Carolina James H. Hodges Democratic 8.0 Republican flip
South Dakota William J. Janklow Republican 31.2 Republican
Tennessee Donald K. Sundquist Republican 39.2 Republican
Texas George W. Bush Republican 37.1 Republican
Vermont Howard Dean Democratic 14.5 Democratic
Wisconsin Tommy Thompson Republican 21.0 Republican
Wyoming Jim Geringer Republican 15.1 Republican

Source: FiveThirtyEight election-results; each race page links the official source it was compiled from.