1994 Alabama gubernatorial election
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The 1994 Alabama gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1994, to select the governor of Alabama. The election saw Republican Fob James defeat incumbent Democrat Jim Folsom Jr. in an upset. This was the first of three consecutive Alabama gubernatorial elections where the incumbent was defeated. This was one of four gubernatorial elections where an incumbent Democrat was defeated in 1994.
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November 8, 1994
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 County results James: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Folsom: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% | |||||||||||||||||
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Democratic primary
The Democratic primary saw Jim Folsom defeat Paul Hubbert for the Democratic nomination. Lieutenant Governor Folsom became governor on April 22, 1993, after Republican Governor H. Guy Hunt was removed from office.[1]
Candidates
- Tom Hayden
- Paul Hubbert, Executive Secretary of the Alabama Education Association and nominee for governor in 1990
- Jim Folsom Jr., incumbent Governor
- F. Ross Stewart
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jim Folsom Jr. (incumbent) | 380,227 | 54.04 | |
| Democratic | Paul Hubbert | 285,554 | 40.58 | |
| Democratic | F. Ross Stewart | 24,354 | 3.46 | |
| Democratic | Tom Hayden | 13,532 | 1.92 | |
| Total votes | 703,667 | 100 | ||
Republican primary
Fob James defeated five other candidates for the Republican nomination.
Candidates
- Ann Bedsole, State Senator
- Winton Blount III, businessman and son of former Postmaster General Winton Blount
- Fob James, former Democratic Governor
- Mickey Kirkland, pastor
- Jack Pollard, candidate for governor in 1990
- Robin Swift, businessman
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Fob James | 84,021 | 39.54 | |
| Republican | Ann Bedsole | 54,450 | 25.63 | |
| Republican | Winton Blount III | 51,795 | 24.38 | |
| Republican | Mickey Kirkland | 18,538 | 8.72 | |
| Republican | Robin Swift | 3,138 | 1.48 | |
| Republican | Jack Pollard | 543 | 0.26 | |
| Total votes | 212,485 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Fob James | 130,233 | 62.44 | |
| Republican | Ann Bedsole | 78,338 | 37.56 | |
| Total votes | 208,571 | 100.00 | ||
General election
Polling
Results
Folsom led in the polls during the campaign which showed him 10 to 12 percent ahead of James on the last weekend before the election. However, James pulled off a narrow upset victory in the election.[4]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Fob James | 604,926 | 50.33 | ||
| Democratic | Jim Folsom Jr. (incumbent) | 594,169 | 49.43 | ||
| Write-in | 2,874 | 0.24 | |||
| Total votes | 1,201,969 | 100.00 | |||
| Republican gain from Democratic | |||||