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