1998 Alabama gubernatorial election
The Alabama gubernatorial election of 1998 was held on November 3, 1998, to select the governor of Alabama. The election saw incumbent Governor Fob James (R) against Lieutenant Governor Don Siegelman (D). The result saw Don Siegelman win a decisive victory over Fob James. As of 2023, this was the only time since 1982 that a Democrat was elected governor of Alabama.
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 County results Siegelman: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% James: 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
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Republican primary
The Republican primary took place on June 2 and saw no candidate secure over 50% of the vote, leading to a runoff on June 30. Incumbent Governor Fob James won the runoff to become the Republican nominee.
Candidates
- Winton Blount, businessman, candidate for Governor in 1994 and son of former U.S. Postmaster General Winton M. Blount
- Guy Hunt, former Governor
- Fob James, incumbent Governor
- Mac McAllister, businessman[1]
- Phil Williams Sr., former Director of the Alabama Department of Finance
Results
- 40–50%
- 50–60%
- 60–70%
- 70–80%
- 40–50%
- 50–60%
- 30-40%
| Elections in Alabama |
|---|
 |
 Government |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Fob James (incumbent) | 163,711 | 47.96 | |
| Republican | Winton Blount | 139,941 | 40.99 | |
| Republican | Guy Hunt | 27,824 | 8.15 | |
| Republican | Mac McAllister | 5,641 | 1.65 | |
| Republican | Phil Williams | 4,258 | 1.25 | |
| Total votes | 341,375 | 100.00 | ||
- 50–60%
- 60–70%
- 70–80%
- 50–60%
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Fob James (incumbent) | 253,965 | 55.92 | |
| Republican | Winton Blount | 200,200 | 44.08 | |
| Total votes | 454,165 | 100.00 | ||
Democratic primary
The Democratic primary took place on June 2 and saw Lieutenant Governor Don Siegelman easily chosen as the Democratic nominee over Birmingham attorney Lenora Pate and Wayne Sowell.
Candidates
- Lee Lamb
- Lenora Pate, attorney and former Director of the Alabama Department of Industrial Relations[4]
- Don Siegelman, Lieutenant Governor of Alabama
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Don Siegelman | 254,507 | 78.26 | |
| Democratic | Lenora Pate | 53,618 | 16.49 | |
| Democratic | Wayne Sowell | 10,108 | 3.11 | |
| Democratic | Lee Lamb | 6,597 | 2.03 | |
| Total votes | 325,190 | 100.00 | ||
General election results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Don Siegelman | 752,087 | 57.92 | +8.5 | |
| Republican | Fob James (incumbent) | 546,504 | 42.08 | -8.2 | |
| Total votes | 1,298,591 | 100.00 | N/A | ||
| Democratic gain from Republican | |||||
References
- Sack, Kevin (June 3, 1998). "Alabama Governor Forced Into Runoff in 3d-Term Bid". The New York Times. Retrieved October 3, 2014.
- "Alabama Primary Results - June 3, 1998". www.cnn.com.
- "Alabama Runoff Results - June 30, 1998". www.cnn.com.
- "Alabama Governor: The Candidates". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 3, 2014.
See also
| Alabama gubernatorial elections | |
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