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Plurality Wins
Avoided by Runoffs in Primary or General Gubernatorial Elections, 1990-2002
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In recent years, several gubernatorial candidates
have avoided plurality wins through runoff elections, in which the top two contenders run
against each other in a second round in order to determine
the majority winner. For example, former governors in Georgia and South Carolina avoided plurality wins
in the 1990s because of laws requiring runoffs in primary elections in
their states. This was also the case in Arizona in the 1990-91
general election that Fife Symington won. Following Evan Mecham's win in 1986
with just 40% of the vote, people
in Arizona voted to adopt runoff elections to ensure that elections
were won by a majority. However, the 1991 second round was delayed because the
state was not prepared to conduct a runoff, and less people ended
up voting. The next year, runoffs were voted out to avoid
wasted time and confusion.
The table below summarizes runoffs
occurring in either primary or general elections of gubernatorial races,
from 1990 to 2002.
| State |
Year |
Type |
Candidate |
1st Round |
Runoff |
| Alabama |
1994 |
Primary |
Fob James (R) |
40% |
62% |
| Arizona |
1991 |
General |
Fife Symington
(R) |
50% |
52% |
| Georgia |
1998 |
Primary |
Roy Barnes (D) |
49% |
83% |
| Georgia |
1990 |
Primary |
Zell Bryan Miller (D) |
41% |
62% |
| Mississippi |
1991 |
Primary |
Kirk Fordice (R) |
45% |
61% |
| Oklahoma |
1990 |
Primary |
David Walters (D) |
32% |
51% |
| South Carolina |
2002 |
Primary |
Mark Sanford (R) |
39% |
53% |
| South Carolina |
1994 |
Primary |
David M. Beasley (R) |
47% |
58% |
| Texas |
1990 |
Primary |
Ann W. Richards (D) |
39% |
57% |
Although only one of these runoffs occurred in the
general election, all the candidates listed above became governor by
winning at least 50% of the votes in their respective general
elections. Some states require runoffs to avoid plurality wins,
while others, such as Arizona, have gotten rid of runoffs because they can
end up being time-consuming and confusing for voters. Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) is an alternative
system that requires a candidate to win by a majority vote while avoiding
additional elections, which may be perceived as wasteful by voters.
Return to Plurality
Index.
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