1989 United States elections
| ← 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 → Off-year elections | |
| Election day | November 7 |
|---|---|
| House elections | |
| Seats contested | 8 mid-term vacancies |
| Net seat change | Democratic +1 |
| Gubernatorial elections | |
| Seats contested | 2 |
| Net seat change | Democratic +1 |
| 1989 gubernatorial election results map | |
| Legend | |
| Democratic gain Democratic hold No election | |
Elections were held in the United States on November 7, 1989, consisting of two gubernatorial races, eight House special elections, and many local elections. No Senate special elections were held.
Federal elections
United States House of Representatives special elections
In 1989, eight special elections were held to fill vacancies to the United States Congress. They were for Alabama's 3rd congressional district, Indiana's 4th congressional district, Wyoming's at-large congressional district, Florida's 18th congressional district, California's 15th congressional district, Texas's 12th congressional district, Texas's 18th congressional district and Mississippi's 5th congressional district.
| District | Incumbent | This race | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates | |
| Alabama 3 | Bill Nichols | Democratic | 1966 | Incumbent died December 13, 1988. New member elected April 4, 1989. Democratic hold.[1] |
|
| Indiana 4 | Dan Coats | Republican | 1980 | Incumbent resigned January 3, 1989, to become U.S. Senator. New member elected March 28, 1989. Democratic gain.[2] |
|
| Wyoming at-large | Dick Cheney | Republican | 1978 | Incumbent resigned March 17, 1989, to become U.S. Secretary of Defense. New member elected April 26, 1989. Republican hold.[3][4] |
|
| Florida 18 | Claude Pepper | Democratic | 1962 | Incumbent died May 30, 1989. New member elected August 29, 1989. Republican gain.[5][6] |
|
| California 15 | Tony Coelho | Democratic | 1978 | Incumbent resigned June 15, 1989. New member elected September 12, 1989. Democratic hold.[7] |
|
| Texas 12 | Jim Wright | Democratic | 1954 | Incumbent resigned June 30, 1989. New member elected September 12, 1989. Democratic hold.[8][9] |
|
| Texas 18 | Mickey Leland | Democratic | 1978 | Incumbent died August 7, 1989. New member elected December 9, 1989. Democratic hold.[10] |
|
| Mississippi 5 | Larkin I. Smith | Republican | 1988 | Incumbent died August 13, 1989. New member elected October 17, 1989. Democratic gain.[11] |
|
State and local elections
Several statewide elections were held in 1989, most notably the gubernatorial elections in two U.S. States and one U.S. territory.
Gubernatorial elections
Two gubernatorial elections were held in 1989 in New Jersey and the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Democratic Party won both elections, flipping the New Jersey governor's office. A territorial gubernatorial race also was held in the Northern Mariana Islands, won by the Republican candidate.
| State | Incumbent | Party | First elected |
Result | Candidates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | Thomas Kean | Republican | 1981 | Incumbent term-limited. New governor elected. Democratic gain.[12] |
|
| Virginia | Gerald Baliles | Democratic | 1985 | Incumbent term-limited. New governor elected. Democratic hold.[13] |
|
References
- ^ "Our Campaigns - AL District 03 - Special Election Race - Apr 04, 1989".
- ^ "Our Campaigns - IN District 4- Special Election Race - Mar 28, 1989".
- ^ "Our Campaigns - WY At-Large - Special Election Race - Apr 25, 1989".
- ^ "Wyoming's Election For U.S. House Seat Goes to Republican". April 26, 1989. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
- ^ Yanez, Luisa (August 30, 1989). "Ros-Letinen takes seat" (PDF). South Florida Sun Sentinel. Retrieved March 10, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "First Cuban-American Elected to Congress". August 29, 1989. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
- ^ "Our Campaigns - CA District 15 - Special Election Race - Sep 12, 1989".
- ^ "Our Campaigns - TX District 12- Special Election Run-Off Race - Sep 12, 1989".
- ^ Suro, Roberto (September 14, 1989). "Jim Wright As Speaker For Texans". Retrieved December 4, 2017.
- ^ "Texas State Senator Elected to Congress To Fill Leland Seat". December 9, 1989. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
- ^ "Democrat Wins a House Seat in Mississippi". October 17, 1989. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
- ^ "1989 Gubernatorial General Election Results - New Jersey". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Elections. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
- ^ "1989 Gubernatorial General Election Results - Virginia". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Elections. Retrieved 3 March 2025.