1978 Tennessee gubernatorial election
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 County results Alexander: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Butcher: 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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The 1978 Tennessee gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1978, to elect the next governor of Tennessee. Although the Tennessee State Constitution had been amended in early 1978 to allow a governor to succeed himself, Incumbent Democratic governor Ray Blanton chose not to seek re-election. Republican Lamar Alexander once again ran for governor. In the general election, Alexander defeated Democratic nominee Jake Butcher with 55.8% of the vote.
Primary elections
Primary elections were held on August 3, 1978.[1]
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Jake Butcher, businessman
- Bob Clement, Public Service Commissioner
- Richard Fulton, Mayor of Nashville
- Roger Murray
- Shelley Stiles
- Bill Jacox
- William K. Jackson
- Ben Miller
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jake Butcher | 320,329 | 40.91 | |
| Democratic | Bob Clement | 288,577 | 36.86 | |
| Democratic | Richard Fulton | 122,101 | 15.60 | |
| Democratic | Roger Murray | 40,871 | 5.22 | |
| Democratic | Shelley Stiles | 6,325 | 0.81 | |
| Democratic | Bill Jacox | 2,010 | 0.26 | |
| Democratic | William K. Jackson | 1,365 | 0.17 | |
| Democratic | Ben Miller | 1,317 | 0.17 | |
| Total votes | 782,895 | 100.00 | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
- Lamar Alexander, attorney and nominee for governor in 1974
- Harold Sterling, State Representative
- John H. Harper
- Hubert David Patty, perennial candidate
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Lamar Alexander | 230,922 | 85.97 | |
| Republican | Harold Sterling | 34,037 | 12.67 | |
| Republican | John H. Harper | 2,527 | 0.94 | |
| Republican | Hubert David Patty | 1,132 | 0.42 | |
| Total votes | 268,618 | 100.00 | ||
General election
Candidates
- Lamar Alexander, Republican
- Jake Butcher, Democratic
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Lamar Alexander | 661,959 | 55.84% | +12.07% | |
| Democratic | Jake Butcher | 523,495 | 44.16% | -11.28% | |
| Majority | 138,464 | ||||
| Turnout | 1,189,695 | ||||
| Republican gain from Democratic | Swing | ||||
References
- ^ a b c Guide to U.S. elections - CQ Press, Congressional Quarterly, inc. CQ Press. 2005. ISBN 9781568029818. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
- ^ Cook, Rhodes (October 26, 2017). America Votes 32: 2015-2016, Election Returns by State - Rhodes Cook. ISBN 9781506368993. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
