1984 Indiana gubernatorial election
The 1984 Indiana gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 1984, in all 92 counties of Indiana. Robert D. Orr, the state's incumbent Republican governor, who defeated former State Treasurer John Snyder for the nomination, was comfortably reelected to a second term, defeating State Senator Wayne Townsend and two minor party challengers in the general election.[1] His victory marked the fifth consecutive victory for the Republican Party in Indiana gubernatorial elections, and the last time Republicans would win the governorship in the 20th century.
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 County results Orr: 50–60% 60–70% Townsend: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Indiana |
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Despite losing the election, Townsend, who defeated former United States Attorney Virginia Dill McCarty for the nomination, received 195,351 more votes than the Democratic nominee for president, Walter Mondale, who won less than 38% of the vote in Indiana and was handily defeated by Ronald Reagan in the presidential election of 1984.[2] Townsend's running mate, former Marion County Deputy Prosecutor Ann DeLaney, was the first woman ever to run for Lieutenant Governor of Indiana in the history of the state.[3][4]
As of 2022, this was the most recent Indiana gubernatorial election in which both major party candidates are now deceased.
General election
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Robert D. Orr (incumbent) | 1,146,497 | 52.16 | ||
| Democratic | Wayne Townsend | 1,036,922 | 47.18 | ||
| American | Rockland Snyder | 7,455 | 0.34 | ||
| Libertarian | James A. Ridenour | 7,114 | 0.32 | ||
| Total votes | 2,197,988 | 100.0 | |||
| Republican hold | |||||
References
- Herbers, John (November 7, 1984). "The 1984 Elections: More Than the Presidency at Stake; G.o.p. Gains Marginal in Governors' Contests" – via NYTimes.com.
- "1984 Presidential General Election Results - Indiana".
- "1984 Indiana governor candidate Wayne Townsend dies". Archived from the original on September 16, 2016. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
- King, Mason. "LEADING QUESTIONS: Pugnacious DeLaney seeks simpler life". Indianapolis Business Journal.
- "Our Campaigns - IN Governor Race - Nov 06, 1984". www.ourcampaigns.com.