1986 Tennessee gubernatorial election
November 4, 1986
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County results McWherter: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Dunn: 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Tennessee |
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| Government |
The 1986 Tennessee gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 1986, to elect the next governor of Tennessee. Incumbent Republican governor Lamar Alexander was term-limited, leaving the governorship an open seat. Democratic nominee Ned McWherter defeated former Republican governor Winfield Dunn with 54.3% of the vote.[1]
With this win, McWherter flipped the state back into Democratic control, with the state legislature also being controlled by Democrats.
Background
Republican governor Winfield Dunn's term ended in 1975; at the time, the Constitution of Tennessee barred governors from serving consecutive terms. He returned to the private sector, working for several years as the vice president of public relations for the Nashville-based Hospital Corporation of America.[2]
In 1986, Dunn once again ran for governor. He easily defeated Hubert Patty and Charles Vick in the Republican primary, but questions over party unity dogged his campaign.[2] During his first term, Dunn had vetoed a bill calling for the establishment of a medical school at East Tennessee State University, reasoning that the state's three existing medical schools were adequate. Though the legislature overrode his veto, he nevertheless drew the enmity of powerful 1st district congressman Jimmy Quillen, in whose district the school was to be located. Quillen was still smarting over the veto more than a decade later, and withheld his endorsement in 1986. Without Quillen's endorsement, Dunn struggled in East Tennessee (normally a Republican stronghold), and was defeated in the general election by the Democratic nominee, Ned McWherter.[2]
Primary elections
Primary elections were held on August 7, 1986.[3]
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Ned McWherter, Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives[4]
- 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% | +13.82% | |
| Republican | Winfield Dunn | 553,449 | 45.74% | −13.82% | |
| Majority | 103,153 | ||||
| Turnout | 1,210,339 | ||||
| Democratic gain from Republican | Swing | ||||
See also
References
- ^ "1986 Gubernatorial General Election Results - Tennessee". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 8, 2026.
- ^ a b c Phillip Langsdon, Tennessee: A Political History (Franklin, Tenn.: Hillsboro Press, 2000), pp. 370–381, 396–397.
- ^ a b c Crowell, Gentry. "Tennessee Blue Book: 1987–1988 – Gentry Crowell". Retrieved October 5, 2018.
- ^ Ap (August 8, 1986). "TENNESSEE SPEAKER TAKES NOMINAION IN GOVERNOR'S RACE". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 8, 2026.
- ^ Cook, Rhodes (October 26, 2017). America Votes 32: 2015–2016, Election Returns by State – Rhodes Cook. ISBN 9781506368993. Retrieved October 5, 2018.