1986 Tennessee gubernatorial election
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 County results McWherter: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Dunn: 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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The 1986 Tennessee gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 1986, to elect the next governor of Tennessee. Democratic nominee Ned McWherter defeated former Republican Governor Winfield Dunn with 54.3% of the vote.
With this win, McWherter flipped the state back into Democratic control, with the state legislature also being controlled by Democrats.
Primary elections
Primary elections were held on August 7, 1986.[1]
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Ned McWherter, Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives
- Jane Eskind, Public Service Commissioner
- Richard Fulton, Mayor of Nashville
- Joseph L. Crichton
- Bill Jacox
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Ned McWherter | 314,449 | 42.47 | |
| Democratic | Jane Eskind | 225,551 | 30.46 | |
| Democratic | Richard Fulton | 190,016 | 25.66 | |
| Democratic | Joseph L. Crichton | 6,582 | 0.89 | |
| Democratic | Bill Jacox | 3,817 | 0.52 | |
| Total votes | 740,415 | 100.00 | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
- Winfield Dunn, former Governor
- Hubert David Patty, perennial candidate
- Charles Gordon Vick, perennial candidate
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Winfield Dunn | 222,458 | 94.23 | |
| Republican | Hubert David Patty | 7,660 | 3.25 | |
| Republican | Charles Gordon Vick | 5,954 | 2.52 | |
| Total votes | 236,072 | 100.00 | ||
General election
Candidates
- Ned McWherter, Democratic
- Winfield Dunn, Republican
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Ned McWherter | 656,602 | 54.26% | ||
| Republican | Winfield Dunn | 553,449 | 45.74% | ||
| Majority | 103,153 | ||||
| Turnout | 1,210,339 | ||||
| Democratic gain from Republican | Swing | ||||
References
- ^ a b c Crowell, Gentry. "Tennessee Blue Book: 1987-1988 - Gentry Crowell". Retrieved October 5, 2018.
- ^ Cook, Rhodes (October 26, 2017). America Votes 32: 2015-2016, Election Returns by State - Rhodes Cook. ISBN 9781506368993. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
