1998 Arkansas gubernatorial election explained

Election Name:1998 Arkansas gubernatorial election
Country:Arkansas
Flag Year:1924
Type:presidential
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:1994 Arkansas gubernatorial election
Previous Year:1994
Next Election:2002 Arkansas gubernatorial election
Next Year:2002
Election Date:November 3, 1998
Image1:File:Mike Huckabee, August 2002 c.jpg
Image Upright:0.6
Nominee1:Mike Huckabee
Party1:Republican Party (United States)
Popular Vote1:421,989
Percentage1:59.77%
Nominee2:Bill Bristow
Party2:Democratic Party (United States)
Popular Vote2:272,923
Percentage2:38.66%
Map Size:210px
Governor
Before Election:Mike Huckabee
Before Party:Republican Party (United States)
After Election:Mike Huckabee
After Party:Republican Party (United States)

The 1998 Arkansas gubernatorial election took place on November 3, 1998 for the post of Governor of Arkansas. Incumbent Republican Governor Mike Huckabee defeated Democratic nominee Bill Bristow to win a full term in office.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Results

Republican primary

Candidates

Results

General election

Campaign

In the beginning of the race, it was suspected that Republican nominee, incumbent governor Mike Huckabee would have to face a hard-fought election. Huckabee had assumed the office of governor in July 1996 after Jim Guy Tucker resigned over implications of his involvement in the Whitewater affair.[1] Because Huckabee had not yet been elected to the post, and the aftermath of Tucker's resignation had temporarily tarnished the title of Governor, it was deemed the Democratic challenger, Jonesboro attorney Bill Bristow, would be of worthy competition. However, Huckabee's appeal as an honest Southern Baptist minister in the wake of scandal and his brief but high-profile experience opposed to Bristow's lack thereof made him a much more attractive candidate amongst the Arkansas electorate.[2] His well-funded grassroots campaign across all portions of the state and Bristow's lack of support from the Democratic Party, which was more focused on Blanche Lincoln's U.S. Senate race, enabled him to soar in the polls. On election day, Huckabee won the election with nearly 60% of the vote, the largest margin for any Republican Governor of Arkansas since Reconstruction till Asa Hutchinson’s 2018 election performance of 65.3%.

According to a CNN exit poll, Huckabee received 48% of the African-American vote in his 1998 election;[3] but some experts have questioned whether those numbers are a representative sample on how he did on the whole in the election.[4]

Results

Notes and References

  1. News: Arkansas Governor Resigns After Furor. Steve. Barnes. The New York Times. 16 July 1996.
  2. News: THE 1998 ELECTIONS: THE NATION -- GOVERNORS; George W. Bush Is Re-elected in Texas; His Brother Jeb Is Victorious in Florida. David E.. Rosenbaum. The New York Times. 4 November 1998.
  3. News: Could Mike Huckabee be America's Second Black President? . Faughnahan . Brian . January 15, 2008 . . January 7, 2015.
  4. News: Ahead of debate, Huckabee's claim of black support questioned. Arkansas News. September 26, 2007. 2017-02-21. https://web.archive.org/web/20150923194725/http://archives.arkansasnews.com/2007/09/26/ahead-of-debate-huckabees-claim-of-black-support-questioned/. 2015-09-23. dead.