1982 United States gubernatorial elections

1982 United States gubernatorial elections
38 governorships ; 36 states; 2 territories
	Republican hold Republican gain Democratic hold Democratic gain

United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 2, 1982, in 36 states and two territories. The Democratic party had a net gain of seven seats. This election coincided with the Senate and the House elections. This was the last election in which a Republican won the gubernatorial race in Oregon.

Election results[]

A bolded state name features an article about the specific election.

States[]

State	Incumbent	Party	First elected	Result	Candidates
Alabama	Fob James	Democratic	1978	Incumbent retired. New governor elected. Democratic hold.	Y George Wallace (Democratic) 57.6% Emory Folmar (Republican) 39.1% Leo Suiter (Alabama Conservative) 1.6% Henry Klingler (Libertarian) 0.7% John Jackson (Alabama Nat'l Democrat) 0.4% John Dyer (Prohibition) 0.4% Martin J. Boyers (Socialist Workers) 0.2%
Alaska	Jay Hammond	Republican	1974	Incumbent term-limited. New governor elected. Democratic gain.	Y Bill Sheffield (Democratic) 46.1% Tom Fink (Republican) 37.1% Dick Randolph (Libertarian) 14.9% Joe Vogler (Alaskan Ind.) 1.7%
Arizona	Bruce Babbitt	Democratic	1978^[a]	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Bruce Babbitt (Democratic) 62.5% Leo Corbet (Republican) 32.5% Sam Steiger (Libertarian) 5.0%
Arkansas	Frank D. White	Republican	1980	Incumbent lost re-election. New governor elected. Democratic gain.	Y Bill Clinton (Democratic) 54.7% Frank D. White (Republican) 45.3%
California	Jerry Brown	Democratic	1974	Incumbent retired. New governor elected. Republican gain.	Y George Deukmejian (R) 49.3% Tom Bradley (D) 48.1% Don P. Dougherty (L) 1.0% Elizabeth Martinez (PF) 0.9% James C. Griffin (AI) 0.7%
Colorado	Richard Lamm	Democratic	1974	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Richard Lamm (Democratic) 65.7% John Fuhr (Republican) 31.2% Paul K. Grant (Libertarian) 2.0% Earl Dodge (Prohibition) 0.4% Alan Gummerson (Socialist Workers) 0.3%
Connecticut	William A. O'Neill	Democratic	1980^[b]	Incumbent elected to full term.	Y William A. O'Neill (Democratic) 53.7% Lewis B. Rome (Republican) 46.3%
Florida	Bob Graham	Democratic	1978	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Bob Graham (Democratic) 64.7% Skip Bafalis (Republican) 35.3%
Georgia	George Busbee	Democratic	1974	Incumbent term-limited. New governor elected. Democratic hold.	Y Joe Frank Harris (Democratic) 62.8% Robert H. Bell (Republican) 37.2%
Hawaii	George Ariyoshi	Democratic	1974	Incumbent re-elected.	Y George Ariyoshi (Democratic) 45.2% Frank Fasi (Independent Democrat) 28.6% D. G. Anderson (Republican) 26.1%
Idaho	John Evans	Democratic	1977^[c]	Incumbent re-elected.	Y John Evans (Democratic) 52.9% Phil Batt (Republican) 47.1%
Illinois	James R. Thompson	Republican	1976	Incumbent re-elected.	Y James R. Thompson (Republican) 49.44% Adlai Stevenson III (Democratic) 49.30% Bea Armstrong (Libertarian) 0.67% John E. Roche (U.S. Taxpayers) 0.60%
Iowa	Robert D. Ray	Republican	1968	Incumbent retired. New governor elected. Republican hold.	Y Terry Branstad (Republican) 52.8% Roxanne Conlin (Democratic) 46.6% Marcia Farrington (Libertarian) 0.3% Jim Bittner (Socialist) 0.3%
Kansas	John W. Carlin	Democratic	1976	Incumbent re-elected.	Y John W. Carlin (Democratic) 53.2% Sam Hardage (Republican) 44.5% James H. Ward (Libertarian) 1.0% Frank Shelton (American) 0.8% Warren C. Martin (Prohibition) 0.6%
Maine	Joseph E. Brennan	Democratic	1978	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Joseph E. Brennan (Democratic) 61.2% Charles R. Cragin (Republican) 37.7% Venn Warren (Independent) 0.6% J. Martin "Marty" Vachon (Independent) 0.6%
Maryland	Harry Hughes	Democratic	1978	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Harry Hughes (Democratic) 62.0% Robert A. Pascal (Republican) 38.0%
Massachusetts	Edward J. King	Democratic	1978	Incumbent lost re-nomination. New governor elected. Democratic hold.	Y Michael Dukakis (Democratic) 59.5% John W. Sears (Republican) 36.6% Frank Rich (Independent) 3.1% Rebecca Shipman (Libertarian) 0.9%
Michigan	William Milliken	Republican	1969^[d]	Incumbent retired. New governor elected. Democratic gain.	Y James Blanchard (Democratic) 51.4% Richard Headlee (Republican) 45.1% Robert Tisch (Tisch Ind. Citizens) 2.6% Dick Jacobs (Libertarian) 0.5% James Phillips (American Ind.) 0.2% Leslie E. Craine (Socialist Workers) 0.1% Martin P. McLaughlin (Workers League) 0.1%
Minnesota	Al Quie	Republican	1978	Incumbent retired. New governor elected. Democratic gain.	Y Rudy Perpich (Democratic) 58.6% Wheelock Whitney (Republican) 40.0% Kathy Wheeler (Socialist Workers) 0.6% Tom McDonald (Honest Government) 0.5% Franklin H. Haws (Libertarian) 0.4%
Nebraska	Charles Thone	Republican	1978	Incumbent lost re-election. New governor elected. Democratic gain.	Y Bob Kerrey (Democratic) 50.7% Charles Thone (Republican) 49.3%
Nevada	Robert List	Republican	1978	Incumbent lost re-election. New governor elected. Democratic gain.	Y Richard Bryan (Democratic) 53.4% Robert List (Republican) 41.8% None of These Candidates 2.9% Dan Becan (Libertarian) 1.9%
New Hampshire	Hugh Gallen	Democratic	1978	Incumbent lost re-election. New governor elected. Republican gain.	Y John H. Sununu (Republican) 51.5% Hugh Gallen (Democratic) 46.8% Meldrim Thomson Jr. (Independent) 1.7%
New Mexico	Bruce King	Democratic	1978	Incumbent term-limited. New governor elected. Democratic hold.	Y Toney Anaya (Democratic) 53.0% John B. Irick (Republican) 47.0%
New York	Hugh Carey	Democratic	1974	Incumbent retired. New governor elected. Democratic hold.	Y Mario Cuomo (Democratic) 50.9% Lewis Lehrman (Republican) 47.5% Robert J. Bohner (Right to Life) 1.0% John H. Northrup (Libertarian) 0.3% Jane Benedict (Unity) 0.1% Nancy Ross (New Alliance) 0.1% Diane Wang (Socialist Workers) 0.1%
Ohio	Jim Rhodes	Republican	1974	Incumbent term-limited. New governor elected. Democratic gain.	Y Dick Celeste (Democratic) 59.0% Bud Brown (Republican) 38.9% Phyllis Goetz (Libertarian) 1.2% Kurt O. Landefiled (Independent) 0.5% Erwin Reupert (Independent) 0.4%
Oklahoma	George Nigh	Democratic	1978	Incumbent re-elected.	Y George Nigh (Democratic) 62.1% Tom Daxon (Republican) 37.6% Allah-U Akbar Allah-U Wahid (Independent) 0.3%
Oregon	Victor Atiyeh	Republican	1978	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Victor Atiyeh (Republican) 63.1% Ted Kulongoski (Democratic) 36.9%
Pennsylvania	Dick Thornburgh	Republican	1978	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Dick Thornburgh (Republican) 50.8% Allen E. Ertel (Democratic) 48.1% Mark Zola (Socialist Workers) 0.4% Lee Frissell (Consumer) 0.4% Richard D. Fuerle (Libertarian) 0.3%
Rhode Island	J. Joseph Garrahy	Democratic	1976	Incumbent re-elected.	Y J. Joseph Garrahy (Democratic) 73.3% Vincent Marzullo (Republican) 23.6% Hilary R. Salk (Independent) 2.1% Peter Van Daam (Independent) 1.0%
South Carolina	Richard Riley	Democratic	1978	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Richard Riley (Democratic) 69.8% W. D. Workman Jr. (Republican) 30.2%
South Dakota	Bill Janklow	Republican	1978	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Bill Janklow (Republican) 70.9% Michael J. O'Connor (Democratic) 29.1%
Tennessee	Lamar Alexander	Republican	1978	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Lamar Alexander (Republican) 59.6% Randy Tyree (Democratic) 40.4%
Texas	Bill Clements	Republican	1978	Incumbent lost re-election. New governor elected. Democratic gain.	Y Mark White (Democratic) 53.2% Bill Clements (Republican) 45.9% David Hutzelman (Libertarian) 0.6% Bob Poteet (U.S. Taxpayers) 0.3%
Vermont	Richard A. Snelling	Republican	1976	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Richard A. Snelling (Republican) 55.0% Madeleine Kunin (Democratic) 44.0% Richard Gottlieb (Liberty Union) 0.5% John L. Buttolph III (Libertarian) 0.5%
Wisconsin	Lee S. Dreyfus	Republican	1978	Incumbent lost re-election. New governor elected. Democratic gain.	Y Tony Earl (Democratic) 56.8% Terry Kohler (Republican) 42.0% Larry Smiley (Libertarian) 0.6% James Wickstrom (U.S. Taxpayers) 0.5% Peter Seidman (Socialist Workers) 0.2%
Wymoing	Edgar Herschler	Democratic	1974	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Edgar Herschler (Democratic) 63.1% Warren A. Morton (Republican) 36.9%

Territories[]

Territory	Incumbent	Party	First elected	Result	Candidates
Guam	Paul M. Calvo	Republican	1978	Incumbent lost re-election.^[1] New governor elected. Democratic gain.	Y Ricardo Bordallo (Democratic) 52.4% Paul McDonald Calvo (Republican) 47.6%
U.S. Virgin Islands	Juan Francisco Luis	Independent	1978^[e]	Incumbent re-elected.^[2]	Y Juan Francisco Luis (Independent) 100%

Notes[]

^ Babbitt took office after his predecessor (Wesley Bolin) died.
^ O'Neill took office after his predecessor (Ella Grasso) resigned.
^ Evans took office after his predecessor (Cecil Andrus) resigned.
^ Milliken took office after his predecessor (George W. Romney) resigned.
^ Luis took office after his predecessor (Cyril E. King) died. He was subsequently elected in the 1978 United States Virgin Islands gubernatorial election.

References[]

^ "Guam Governor Race - Nov 02, 1982". Our Campaigns. July 3, 2015.
^ "USVI Governor Race - Nov 02, 1982". Our Campaigns. January 19, 2006.

[1] Babbitt took office after his predecessor (Wesley Bolin) died.

[2] O'Neill took office after his predecessor (Ella Grasso) resigned.

[3] Evans took office after his predecessor (Cecil Andrus) resigned.

[4] Milliken took office after his predecessor (George W. Romney) resigned.

[6] Luis took office after his predecessor (Cyril E. King) died. He was subsequently elected in the 1978 United States Virgin Islands gubernatorial election.

[5] "Guam Governor Race - Nov 02, 1982". Our Campaigns. July 3, 2015.

[7] "USVI Governor Race - Nov 02, 1982". Our Campaigns. January 19, 2006.

[a]

[b]

[c]

[d]

[1]

[e]

[2]

v t United States gubernatorial elections
List of current governors
1800 1801 1802 1803 1804 1805 1806 1810 1885 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
House elections Senate elections Presidential elections

v t (1981 ←) 1982 United States elections (→ 1983)
U.S. Senate	Arizona California Connecticut Delaware Florida Hawaii Indiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Jersey New Mexico New York North Dakota Ohio Pennsylvania Rhode Island Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming
U.S. House	Alabama Alaska Arkansas Arizona California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming
State governors	Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Lt. Gov Colorado Connecticut District of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Iowa Kansas Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Mexico New York Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Vermont Wisconsin Wyoming
Attorneys General	California Michigan
State legislature	Iowa Senate Minnesota House Senate
Mayors	New Orleans San Jose Washington, D.C.