| Elections in Oklahoma |
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 Government |
The 1978 Oklahoma gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1978, for 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.
Democratic primary
The primary elections took place on August 22, 1978.
Candidates
- Larry Derryberry, state attorney general
- Bob Funston
- George Nigh, lieutenant governor, and former governor of Oklahoma
Results
| 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
The 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
The primary elections took place on August 22, 1978.
Candidates
- Jim Head
- Jerry L. Mash
- Ron Shotts, former Oklahoma Sooners football player
Results
| 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
Candidates
- Billy Joe Clegg
- Jim McCuiston
- Floyd Shealy
General election
Results
| 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
- 1978 United States elections
- 1978 United States gubernatorial elections
- 1978 United States Senate elections
References
- ^ 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.