1982 Alabama gubernatorial election

The Alabama gubernatorial election of 1982 included the last campaign and final electoral victory of George Wallace. The election occurred on November 2, 1982. Incumbent Governor Fob James declined to run for a second term, allowing for an open election in 1982. In the Democratic primary, Wallace received challenges from Lieutenant Governor George McMillan, Speaker of the State House Joe McCorquodale, Jr., former Governor Jim Folsom, and Reuben McKinley. Because Wallace did not receive a majority of the votes, he advanced to a run-off with McMillan and then narrowly won the Democratic nomination. Montgomery Mayor Emory Folmar went unchallenged for the Republican nomination.

1982 Alabama gubernatorial election
November 2, 1982
 
Nominee George Wallace Emory Folmar
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 650,538 440,815
Percentage 57.6% 39.1%
County results
Wallace:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%
Folmar:      40–50%      50–60%
Governor before election

Fob James
Democratic

 Elected Governor

George Wallace
Democratic

Elections in Alabama
Government

Wallace, formerly a notorious segregationist, renounced those views in 1979. On November 2, 1982, Wallace not only won the general election, but also over 90% of the black vote. Overall, Wallace received 650,538 (57.64%) votes against Folmar's 440,815 (39.06%) votes.

Background

Incumbent Governor Fob James declined to seek a second term. Shortly after former Governor George Wallace survived an assassination attempt in 1972, he renounced his infamous segregationist past, especially when he stood in front of the school house door at the University of Alabama in 1963, noting that, "I was wrong. Those days are over, and they ought to be over." With Governor James retiring, Wallace decided to run for a fourth non-consecutive term in 1982.

Democratic primary

Incumbent Democratic Governor Fob James decided to not seek a second term.

Candidates

Primary results
  • Wallace – 425,469 (42.53%)
  • McMillan – 296,271 (29.62%)
  • McCorquodale – 250,614 (25.05%)
  • Folsom – 17,333 (1.73%)
  • McKinley – 10,617 (1.06%)

Runoff
  • Wallace – 512,203 (51.19%)
  • McMillan – 488,444 (48.81%)

Republican primary

Emory M. Folmar won the Republican Party primary without any opposition.

Election results
  • George Wallace (D) – 650,538 (57.64%)
  • Emory M. Folmar (R) – 440,815 (39.06%)
  • Leo Suiter (Alabama Conservative) – 17,936 (1.59%)
  • Henry Klingler (Libertarian) – 7,671 (0.68%)
  • John Jackson (Alabama National Democrat) – 4,693 (0.42%)
  • John Dyer (Prohibition) – 4,364 (0.39%)
  • Martin J. Boyers (Socialist Workers) – 2,578 (0.23%)

References
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