The 1978 Oklahoma gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1978, to elect the next governor of Oklahoma. Incumbent Democratic governor David Boren chose not to run for re-election to a second term in office. Instead, Boren decided to run for the United States Senate. Former governor, and sitting lieutenant governor George Nigh was elected, defeating Republican nominee Ron Shotts.
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 County results Nigh: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Shotts: 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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Democratic primary
editThe primary elections took place on August 22, 1978.
Candidates
edit- Larry Derryberry, state attorney general
- Bob Funston
- George Nigh, lieutenant governor, and former governor of Oklahoma
Results
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | George Nigh | 276,910 | 49.94 | |
| Democratic | Larry Derryberry | 208,055 | 37.52 | |
| Democratic | Bob Funston | 69,475 | 12.53 | |
| Total votes | 554,440 | 100.00 | ||
Runoff
editThe Runoff election took place on September 19, 1978.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | George Nigh | 269,681 | 57.64 | |
| Democratic | Larry Derryberry | 197,457 | 42.36 | |
| Total votes | 467,138 | 100.00 | ||
Republican primary
editThe primary elections took place on August 22, 1978.
Candidates
edit- Jim Head
- Jerry L. Mash
- Ron Shotts, former Oklahoma Sooners football player
Results
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ron Shotts | 82,895 | 76.85 | |
| Republican | Jerry L. Mash | 18,145 | 12.19 | |
| Republican | Jim Head | 11,826 | 10.96 | |
| Total votes | 107,866 | 100.00 | ||
Independents
editCandidates
edit- Billy Joe Clegg
- Jim McCuiston
- Floyd Shealy
General election
editResults
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | George Nigh | 402,240 | 51.74 | |
| Republican | Ron Shotts | 367,055 | 47.21 | |
| Independent | Billy Joe Clegg | 3,887 | 0.50 | |
| Independent | Floyd Shealy | 2,395 | 0.31 | |
| Independent | Jim McCuiston | 1,395 | 0.18 | |
| Total votes | 777,414 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d "Election Results and Statistics". Oklahoma Department of Libraries and the Office of Management and Enterprise Services. 2008. Retrieved December 26, 2016.