1978 Iowa gubernatorial election
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 1978 Iowa gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1978. Incumbent Republican Robert D. Ray defeated Democratic nominee Jerome D. Fitzgerald with 58.32% of the vote.
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November 7, 1978
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 County results Ray: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Fitzgerald: 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
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Primary elections
Primary elections were held on June 6, 1978.[1]
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Jerome D. Fitzgerald, State Representative
- Tom Whitney
- Warren D. Strait
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jerome D. Fitzgerald | 58,039 | 55.47 | |
| Democratic | Tom Whitney | 37,132 | 35.49 | |
| Democratic | Warren D. Strait | 9,443 | 9.03 | |
| Democratic | Write-ins | 12 | 0.01 | |
| Total votes | 104,626 | 100.00 | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
- Robert D. Ray, incumbent Governor
- Donovan D. Nelson
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Robert D. Ray (incumbent) | 136,517 | 87.51 | |
| Republican | Donovan D. Nelson | 19,486 | 12.49 | |
| Republican | Write-ins | 7 | 0.00 | |
| Total votes | 156,010 | 100.00 | ||
General election
Candidates
Major party candidates
- Robert D. Ray, Republican
- Jerome D. Fitzgerald, Democratic
Other candidates
- John Ball, Libertarian
- Joseph Grant, Socialist
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Robert D. Ray (incumbent) | 491,713 | 58.32% | +0.25% | |
| Democratic | Jerome D. Fitzgerald | 345,519 | 40.98% | −0.04% | |
| Libertarian | John Ball | 3,947 | 0.47% | ||
| Socialist | Joseph Grant | 1,935 | 0.23% | ||
| Write-ins | 76 | 0.01% | |||
| Majority | 146,194 | 17.34% | |||
| Turnout | 843,190 | ||||
| Republican hold | Swing | ||||