1994 United States gubernatorial elections

United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 8, 1994 in 36 states and two territories. Many seats held by Democratic governors switched to the Republicans during the time known as the Republican Revolution.

1994 United States gubernatorial elections

November 8, 1994
38 governorships 36 states; 2 territories
Majority party Minority party   Party Republican Democratic Last election 19 governorships 29 governorships Seats before 20[1][2] 29 Seats after 30 19 Seat change 10 10
Republican holds   Republican pickups   Democratic holds   Democratic pickups   Independent pickups

Heading into the election, there were 21 seats held by Democrats, 14 held by Republicans, and one by an independent. By the end of the elections, 11 seats would be held by Democrats, 24 by Republicans, and one by an independent.

The elections coincided with the mid-term elections for the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. As of 2019, it is the last time that Democrats have won gubernatorial elections in Florida and Nebraska.

Election results

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

State	Incumbent	Party	Status	Opposing candidates
Alabama	Jim Folsom Jr.	Democratic	Defeated, 49.4%	Fob James (Republican) 50.3%
Alaska	Wally Hickel	Republican	Retired, Democratic victory	Tony Knowles (Democratic) 41.1% Jim Campbell (Republican) 40.8% Jack Coghill (Alaskan Independence) 13% Jim Sykes (Green) 4.1% Jack Coghill (Patriot) 0.8%
Arizona	Fife Symington	Republican	Re-elected, 52.5%	Eddie Basha Jr. (Democratic) 44.3% John Buttrick (Libertarian) 3.1%
Arkansas	Jim Guy Tucker	Democratic	Re-elected, 59.6%	Sheffield Nelson (Republican) 40.4%
California	Pete Wilson	Republican	Re-elected, 55.3%	Kathleen Brown (Democratic) 40.4% Richard Rider (Libertarian) 1.7% Jerome McCready (American Ind.) 1.6% Gloria La Riva (Peace & Freedom) 0.9%
Colorado	Roy Romer	Democratic	Re-elected, 55.5%	Bruce D. Benson (Republican) 38.7% Kevin Swanson (Taxpayers) 3.6% Philip Hufford (Green) 1.5% Earl Dodge (Prohibition) 0.7%
Connecticut	Lowell Weicker	A Connecticut Party	Retired, Republican victory	John G. Rowland (Republican) 36.2% Bill Curry (Democratic) 32.7% Eunice Groark (A Connecticut Party) 18.9% Tom Scott (Independence) 11.3% Joseph Zdonczyk (Concerned Citizens) 0.9%
Florida	Lawton Chiles	Democratic	Re-elected, 50.7%	Jeb Bush (Republican) 49.2%
Georgia	Zell Miller	Democratic	Re-elected, 51.05%	Guy Millner (Republican) 48.95%
Hawaii	John D. Waiheʻe III	Democratic	Term-limited, Democratic victory	Ben Cayetano (Democratic) 36.6% Frank Fasi (Best Party of Hawaii) 30.7% Pat Saiki (Republican) 29.2% Kioni Dudley (Green) 3.5%
Idaho	Cecil Andrus	Democratic	Retired, Republican victory	Phil Batt (Republican) 52.3% Larry Echo Hawk (Democratic) 43.9% Ronald Rankin (Independent) 3.8%
Illinois	Jim Edgar	Republican	Re-elected, 63.9%	Dawn Clark Netsch (Democratic) 34.4% David Kelley (Libertarian) 1.7%
Iowa	Terry Branstad	Republican	Re-elected, 56.80%	Bonnie Campbell (Democratic) 41.6% Richard Hughes (Nom. By Petition) 0.6% Veronica Butler (Natural Law) 0.4% Carl Olsen (Libertarian) 0.3% Michael Galati (Socialist Workers) 0.1%
Kansas	Joan Finney	Democratic	Retired, Republican victory	Bill Graves (Republican) 64.1% Jim Slattery (Democratic) 35.9%
Maine	John R. McKernan Jr.	Republican	Term-limited, Independent victory	Angus King (Independent) 35.4% Joseph E. Brennan (Democratic) 33.8% Susan Collins (Republican) 23.1% Johnathan Carter (Green) 6.4% Ed Finks (Write-in) 1.3%
Maryland	William Donald Schaefer	Democratic	Term-limited, Democratic victory	Parris Glendening (Democratic) 50.1% Ellen Sauerbrey (Republican) 49.8%
Massachusetts	Bill Weld	Republican	Re-elected, 70.8%	Mark Roosevelt (Democratic) 28.3% Dean Cook (Libertarian) 0.7% Jeffrey Rebello (LaRouche was Right) 0.2%
Michigan	John Engler	Republican	Re-elected, 61.5%	Howard Wolpe (Democratic) 38.5%
Minnesota	Arne Carlson	Independent- Republican	Re-elected, 63.3%	John Marty (DFL) 34.1% Will Shetterly (Grassroots) 1.2% Eric Olson (Libertarian) 0.9% Leslie Davis (Nutritional Rights Alliance) 0.3% Jon Hillson (Socialist Workers) 0.2%
Nebraska	Ben Nelson	Democratic	Re-elected, 73.0%	Gene Spence (Republican) 25.6% Ernie Chambers (Write-in) 0.5%
Nevada	Bob Miller	Democratic	Re-elected, 52.7%	Jim Gibbons (Republican) 41.3% Daniel Hansen (Independent American) 2.6% None of These Candidates 2.3% Denis Shotly (Libertarian) 1.1%
New Hampshire	Steve Merrill	Republican	Re-elected, 70.0%	Wayne King (Democratic) 25.6% Steve Winter (Libertarian) 4% Cal Warburton (Libertarian) 0.4%
New Mexico	Bruce King	Democratic	Defeated, 39.9%	Gary Johnson (Republican) 49.8% Roberto Mondragón (Green) 10.3%
New York	Mario Cuomo	Democratic	Defeated, 45.4%	George Pataki (Republican) 48.8% Tom Golisano (Independence) 4.2% Robert Walsh (Right-to-Life) 1.3% Robert Schulz (Libertarian) 0.2% Lawrence Lane (Socialist Workers) 0.1%
Ohio	George Voinovich	Republican	Re-elected, 71.8%	Rob Burch (Democratic) 25% Billy Inmon (Independent) 3.2%
Oklahoma	David Walters	Democratic	Retired, Republican victory	Frank Keating (Republican) 46.9% Jack Mildren (Democratic) 29.6% Wes Watkins (Independent) 23.5%
Oregon	Barbara Roberts	Democratic	Retired, Democratic victory	John Kitzhaber (Democratic) 51% Denny Smith (Republican) 42.4% Ed Hickam (American) 4.8% Danford Vander Ploeg (Libertarian) 1.7%
Pennsylvania	Bob Casey Sr.	Democratic	Term-limited, Republican victory	Tom Ridge (Republican) 45.4% Mark Singel (Democratic) 39.9% Peg Luksik (Constitution) 12.8% Patrick Fallon (Libertarian) 0.9% Timothy Holloway (Patriot) 0.9%
Rhode Island	Bruce Sundlun	Democratic	Defeated in primary, Republican victory	Lincoln Almond (Republican) 47.4% Myrth York (Democratic) 43.5% Bob Healey (Independent) 9.1%
South Carolina	Carroll A. Campbell Jr.	Republican	Term-limited, Republican victory	David Beasley (Republican) 50.4% Nick Theodore (Democratic) 47.9% John Peeples (Taxpayers) 0.9% Wayne Griffin (New Alliance) 0.6%
South Dakota	Walter Dale Miller	Republican	Defeated in primary, Republican victory	Bill Janklow (Republican) 55.4% Jim Beddow (Democratic) 40.5% Nathan Barton (Libertarian) 4.1%
Tennessee	Ned McWherter	Democratic	Term-limited, Republican victory	Don Sundquist (Republican) 54.3% Phil Bredesen (Democratic) 44.7% Stephanie Holt (Independent) 0.7% Will Smith (Independent) 0.2% Charlie Moffett (Independent) 0.2%
Texas	Ann Richards	Democratic	Defeated, 45.9%	George W. Bush (Republican) 53.5% Keary Ehlers (Libertarian) 0.6%
Vermont	Howard Dean	Democratic	Re-elected, 68.7%	David F. Kelley (Republican) 19.0% Thomas Morse (Independent) 7.1% Dennis Lane (Vermont Grassroots) 1.0% William Brueckner (Independent) 1.0% August Jaccaci (People of Vermont) 1.0% Richard Gottlieb (Liberty Union) 0.8% Bill Brunelle (Natural Law) 0.8%
Wisconsin	Tommy Thompson	Republican	Re-elected, 67.2%	Charles Chvala (Democratic) 30.9% David Harmon (Libertarian) 1.0% Edward Frami (Taxpayers) 1.0% Michael Mangan (Independent) 1.0%
Wyoming	Mike Sullivan	Democratic	Term-limited, Republican victory	Jim Geringer (Republican) 58.7% Kathy Karpan (Democratic) 40.2% Seaghan Uibreaslain (Libertarian) 1.1%

See also

• 1994 United States elections
  • 1994 United States Senate elections
  • 1994 United States House of Representatives elections

References

1. Alaskan Governor Wally Hickel was elected on the Alaskan Independence Party line in 1990, but switched to the Republican Party in April 1994.
2. "Alaska's Gov. Hickel Rejoins Gop Amid Speculation Over Another Term". The Seattle Times. Seattle. Associated Press. April 15, 1994. Retrieved September 28, 2008.