1994 Iowa gubernatorial election

1994 Iowa gubernatorial election

November 8, 1994
 
Nominee Terry Branstad Bonnie Campbell
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 566,395 414,453
Percentage 56.8% 41.6%

County results
Branstad:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%
Campbell:      40–50%      50–60%

Governor before election

Terry Branstad
Republican

Elected Governor

Terry Branstad
Republican

The 1994 Iowa gubernatorial election took place on November 8, 1994. Incumbent Republican Governor Terry Branstad narrowly defeated a primary challenger by 11,419 votes. On the Democratic side, State Attorney General Bonnie Campbell won her party's nomination. Branstad ultimately won re-election to a fourth term as governor, defeating Campbell in a landslide. This was the last time until 2010 that a Republican was elected Governor of Iowa, when Branstad defeated incumbent Democrat Chet Culver.

Republican primary

Candidates

Results

Republican primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Terry Branstad (inc.) 161,228 51.80
Republican Fred Grandy 149,809 48.13
Write-in 240 0.08
Total votes 311,277 100.00

Democratic primary

Candidates

Results

Democratic primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Bonnie Campbell 99,718 77.71
Democratic Bill Reichardt 24,630 19.19
Democratic Darold Powers 3,170 2.47
Write-in 799 0.62
Total votes 128,317 100.00

General election

Governor Terry Branstad made reinstatement of the death penalty a central focus of his 1994 re-election campaign; however, despite successfully being re-elected, he was unable to implement this policy due to opposition from Democrats in the Iowa State Senate.[2]

Polling

Source Date Branstad (R) Campbell (D)
Des Moines Register Nov. 7, 1994 47% 34%
KCCI-TV Nov. 4, 1994 47% 43%
Cedar Rapids Gazette Oct. 23, 1994 45% 43%
Des Moines Register Oct. 7, 1994 45% 41%

Debate

1994 Iowa gubernatorial election debate
No. Date Host Moderator Link Republican Democratic
Key:
 P  Participant   A  Absent   N  Not invited   I  Invited  W  Withdrawn
Terry Branstad Bonnie Campbell
1 Oct. 6, 1994 WHO-TV C-SPAN P P

Results

Iowa gubernatorial election, 1994[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Terry Branstad (inc.) 566,395 56.80% −3.81%
Democratic Bonnie Campbell 414,453 41.56% +2.71%
Independent Richard O'Dell Hughes 5,505 0.55%
Natural Law Veronica Bells Butler 3,737 0.37%
Libertarian Carl Eric Olsen 2,772 0.28%
Socialist Workers Michael Galati 770 0.08% −0.36%
Write-ins 3,616 0.36%
Majority 151,942 15.24% −6.52%
Turnout 997,248
Republican hold Swing

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Primary Election, June 7, 1994 Official Canvass Summary" (PDF). Iowa Secretary of State.
  2. ^ "Branstad says death penalty push unlikely in 2013". Mason City Globe Gazette. December 10, 2012. Retrieved May 10, 2019.
  3. ^ "1994 General Election, November 8 1994, Official Canvass Summary" (PDF). Iowa Secretary of State.