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Plurality Winners in General Elections for Governors, 1948-2003

Sorted by State

Party takeover refers to elections in which the winner was from a non-incumbent party.

State Year Winner Winning %  Party Takeover
Alabama 2002 Bob Riley 49.0 Yes
Alaska 1978 Jay S. Hammond 39.1  
Alaska 1982 Bill Sheffield 46.1 Yes
Alaska 1986 Steve Cowper 47.3  
Alaska 1990 Walter J. Hickel 39.0 Yes
Alaska 1994 Tony Knowles 41.1 Yes
Arizona 1986 Evan Mecham 39.7 Yes
Arizona 2002 Janet Napolitano 46.0 Yes
California 1982 George Deukmeiian 49.3 Yes
California 1990 Pete Wilson 49.0  
California 2002 Gray Davis 47.0  
California 2003 Arnold Schwarzenegger 48.6 Yes
Colorado 1998 Bill Owens 49.0 Yes
Connecticut 1948 Chester Bowles 49.3 Yes
Connecticut 1950 John D. Lodge 49.7 Yes
Connecticut 1954 Abraham A. Ribicoff 49.5 Yes
Connecticut 1990 Lowell P. Weicker, Jr. 40.0 Yes
Connecticut 1994 John Rowland 36.0 Yes
Hawaii 1982 George R. Ariyoshi 45.2  
Hawaii 1994 Benjamin Cayetano 37.0  
Idaho 1966 Don Samuelson 41.4  
Idaho 1986 Cecil D. Adrus 49.9  
Illinois 1982 James R. Thompson 49.4  
Kansas 1974 Robert F. Bennett 49.5 Yes
Kansas 1978 John Carlin 49.4 Yes
Kansas 1990 Joan Finney 49.0 Yes
Maine 1974 James B. Longley 39.1 Yes
Maine 1978 Joseph E. Brennan 47.7 Yes
Maine 1986 John R. McKernan, Jr. 39.9 Yes
Maine 1990 John R. McKernan, Jr. 47.0  
Maine 1994 Angus King 35.0 Yes
Maine 2002 John Baldacci 47.0 Yes
Massachusetts 1952 Paul A. Dever 49.9 Yes
Massachusetts 1962 Endicott Peabody 49.9 Yes
Massachusetts 2002 Mitt Romney 49.8  
Michigan 1950 G. Mennen Williams 49.8  
Michigan 1990 John Engler 49.8 Yes
Minnesota 1962 Karl F. Rolvaag 49.7 Yes
Minnesota 1990 Arne Carlson 49.6 Yes
Minnesota 1998 Jesse Ventura 37.0 Yes
Minnesota 2002 Tim Pawlenty 44.0 Yes
Mississippi 1999 Ronnie Musgrove 49.6 Yes
Missouri 2000 Bob Holden 49.0  
Nebraska 1990 Ben Nelson 49.9 Yes
Nevada 1970 Mike O'Callaghan 48.1 Yes
New Hampshire 1970  Walter R. Peterson 46.0  
New Hampshire 1972  Meldrim Thomson 41.4  
New Hampshire 1978  Hugh J. Gallen 49.4 Yes
New Hampshire 2000  Jean Shaheen 49.0  
New Jersey 1981  Thomas H. Kean 49.5 Yes
New Jersey 1993  Christine Todd Whitman 49.0 Yes
New Jersey 1997  Christine Todd Whitman 47.0  
New Mexico 1974  Jerry Apodaca 49.9  
New Mexico 1994  Gary Johnson 49.9 Yes
New York 1954  Averell Harriman 49.6 Yes
New York 1966  Nelson A. Rockefeller 44.6  
New York 1994  George Pataki 49.0 Yes
New York 2002  George Pataki 49.0  
North Dakota 1960 William L. Guy  49.4 Yes
Ohio 1974  James A. Rhodes 48.6 Yes
Ohio 1978  James A. Rhodes 49.3  
Oklahoma 1970  David Hall 48.4 Yes
Oklahoma 1986  Henry Bellmon 47.5 Yes
Oklahoma 1994  Frank Keating 47.0 Yes
Oklahoma 2002  Brad Henry 43.0 Yes
Oregon 1990  Barbara Roberts 43.0  
Oregon 2002  Ted Kulongoski 49.0  
Pennsylvania 1994  Tom Ridge 45.0 Yes
Rhode Island 1994  Lincoln Almond 47.0 Yes
Texas 1972  Dolph Briscoe 47.9  
Texas 1990  Ann W. Richards 49.0 Yes
Utah 1956  George D. Clyde 38.2  
Utah 1988  Norman H. Bangerter 40.1  
Utah 1992  Michael Leavitt 42.0  
Vermont 1986  Madeleine M. Kunin 47.0  
Vermont 2002  Jim Douglas 45.0 Yes
Virginia 1965  Mills E. Godwin 47.9  
Wisconsin 2002  James Doyle 45.0 Yes
Wyoming 1958  J. J. Hickey 48.9 Yes
Wyoming 2002  Dave Freudenthal 49.9 Yes

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