1978 Oregon gubernatorial election
November 7, 1978
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County results Atiyeh: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Straub: 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Oregon |
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The 1978 Oregon gubernatorial election took place on November 7, 1978. In a rematch of the 1974 contest, Republican nominee Victor Atiyeh defeated Democratic incumbent Robert Straub to win the election.
As of 2025, this is the last time that an incumbent Governor of Oregon lost re-election.
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Robert W. Straub, incumbent Governor of Oregon
Eliminated in primary
- Marvin J. Hollingsworth
- Emily Ashworth, teacher[1]
- William L. Patrick
- James R. Smith
- E. "Buck" Lambert
- E. Allen Propst, candidate for governor in 1970[2]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Bob Straub | 144,761 | 51.71% | |
| Democratic | Marvin J. Hollingsworth | 52,901 | 18.90% | |
| Democratic | Emily Ashworth | 49,201 | 17.58% | |
| Democratic | William L. Patrick | 11,232 | 4.01% | |
| Democratic | James R. Smith | 8,195 | 2.93% | |
| Democratic | E. "Buck" Lambert | 8,005 | 2.86% | |
| Democratic | E. Allen Propst | 5,649 | 2.02% | |
| Total votes | 279,944 | 100.0% | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Victor G. Atiyeh, state senator and nominee in 1974
Eliminated in primary
- Tom McCall, former Governor of Oregon
- Roger E. Martin, state representative
- William A. Jolley
- L.E. "Bud" Kretsinger, tavern owner[4]
- Gerald Wayne "Jerry" Todd
- William Desmond Hewitt, pianist and marijuana legalization advocate[5]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Victor Atiyeh | 115,593 | 46.42% | |
| Republican | Tom McCall | 83,568 | 33.56% | |
| Republican | Roger Martin | 42,644 | 17.13% | |
| Republican | William A. Jolley | 3,133 | 1.26% | |
| Republican | L.E. "Bud" Kretsinger | 2,332 | 0.94% | |
| Republican | Gerald Wayne "Jerry" Todd | 989 | 0.40% | |
| Republican | William Desmond Hewitt | 741 | 0.30% | |
| Total votes | 249,000 | 100.0% | ||
Election results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Victor G. Atiyeh | 498,452 | 54.90% | |||
| Democratic | Robert W. Straub (incumbent) | 409,411 | 45.10% | |||
| Total votes | 907,863 | 100.00% | ||||
| Republican gain from Democratic | ||||||
References
- ^ "Emily Ashworth featured at Gallery By the Bay July and August". The Coos Bay World. June 9, 2017. Retrieved November 10, 2025.
- ^ "1970 Gubernatorial Democratic Primary Election Results - Oregon". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved November 10, 2025.
- ^ a b "Official Abstract of Votes, Primary Election, May 23, 1978". Oregon Secretary of State. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
- ^ Dillon, Dave (June 19, 2008). "Remembering Bud". Tillamook Headlight-Herald. Retrieved November 10, 2025.
- ^ "William Hewitt Obituary (1932 - 2023) - Portland, OR - The Oregonian". Legacy.com. Retrieved November 10, 2025.
- ^ "OR Governor Race - Nov 7, 1978". Our Campaigns. Retrieved November 11, 2010.