1998 Iowa gubernatorial election

The Iowa gubernatorial election of 1998 took place on November 5, 1998. Incumbent Republican Governor of Iowa Terry Branstad did not seek re-election to a fifth term.

1998 Iowa gubernatorial election
November 3, 1998
 
Nominee Tom Vilsack Jim Ross Lightfoot
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 500,231 444,787
Percentage 52.30% 46.51%
County Results
Vilsack:      40-50%      50–60%      60–70%
Lightfoot:
     40–50%      50–60%      60–70%     60–70%      70–80%      80–90%
Governor before election

Terry Branstad
Republican

 Elected Governor

Tom Vilsack
Democratic

Elections in Iowa

To replace him, State Senator Tom Vilsack narrowly won the nomination of the Democratic Party while former United States Congressman Jim Ross Lightfoot, who was previously the Republican nominee for the United States Senate in 1996, won his party's nomination. Lightfoot was the odds-on favorite to succeed Branstad and polling consistently showed him in the lead.[1] However, Vilsack narrowly won the general election, becoming the first Democrat to serve as governor of Iowa in 30 years and only the fifth Democrat to hold the office in the 20th century.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Results
Primary results by county:
  Tie between Vilsack and McCormick-49%
Democratic primary results[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Tom Vilsack 59,130 51.20
Democratic Mark McCormick 55,950 48.45
Democratic Write-ins 410 0.36
Total votes 115,490 100.00

Republican primary

Candidates

Results
Republican primary results[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Jim Ross Lightfoot 113,499 69.89
Republican David A. Oman 35,402 21.80
Republican Paul Pate 13,299 8.19
Republican Write-ins 193 0.12
Total votes 162,393 100.00

Reform Party primary

Candidates
  • Jim Hennager
  • Edward Moses
  • Jeffrey L. Hughes, Sr.

Results
Reform Party primary results[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Reform Jim Hennager 131 35.60
Reform Edward Moses 99 26.90
Reform Jeffrey L. Hughes, Sr. 99 26.90
Reform Write-ins 39 10.60
Total votes 368 100.00

General election

Results
Iowa gubernatorial election, 1998[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Democratic Tom Vilsack 500,231 52.30% +10.74%
Republican Jim Ross Lightfoot 444,787 46.51% -10.29%
Reform Jim Hennager 5,606 0.59%
Natural Law Jim Schaefer 3,144 0.33% -0.05%
Independent Mark Kennis 2,006 0.21%
Write-ins 641 0.07%
Majority 55,444 5.80% -9.44%
Turnout 956,415
Democratic gain from Republican Swing
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See also
  • United States gubernatorial elections, 1998
  • State of Iowa
  • Governors of Iowa

References
  1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2006-09-01. Retrieved 2014-10-20.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. http://publications.iowa.gov/135/1/elections/10-7.pdf
  3. http://sos.iowa.gov/elections/pdf/10-8.pdf
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