1994 Oklahoma gubernatorial election

1994 Oklahoma gubernatorial election
November 8, 1994
Turnout42% 9.19 pp
 
Nominee Frank Keating Jack Mildren Wes Watkins
Party Republican Democratic Independent
Popular vote 466,740 294,936 233,336
Percentage 46.91% 29.64% 23.45%
County results
Keating:      30–40%      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%
Mildren:      30–40%      40–50%      50–60%
Watkins:      30–40%      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%
Governor before election

David Walters
Democratic

Elected Governor

Frank Keating
Republican

The 1994 Oklahoma gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1994, and was a race for Governor of Oklahoma. Former United States Associate Attorney General Frank Keating pulled an upset in the three-way race to become only the third Republican governor in Oklahoma history.

The Democratic vote was split between Lieutenant Governor Jack Mildren, an Oklahoma Sooners star quarterback from 1969 to 1971, and former Democratic congressman Wes Watkins, who ran as an independent. Watkins won 24% of the vote and carried numerous counties (by wide margins in some cases); his 233,000 votes far exceeded Keating's 171,000-vote winning margin over Mildren.

This was the first time since Oklahoma statehood that Jackson, Stephens, and Grady counties voted Republican in a gubernatorial election, and the first time since 1914 that Comanche county voted Republican.

Primary election

Primary elections were held on August 23, 1994 with runoffs occurring on September 20, 1994.

Democratic party

Lt. Governor Jack Mildren and Bernice Shedrick advanced to the runoff where both candidates received vote totals similar to the first primary, securing the win for Mildren.

Candidates

Results

Democratic primary results[1][2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jack Mildren 214,765 48.56%
Democratic Bernice Shedrick 165,066 37.33%
Democratic Danny Williams 46,571 10.53%
Democratic Joe Vickers 15,821 3.58%
Total votes 442,223 100.00%
Democratic primary runoff results[2][3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jack Mildren 223,861 58.82%
Democratic Bernice Shedrick 156,749 41.18%
Total votes 380,610 100.00%

Republican party

Frank Keating, a former assistant attorney general and member of the Reagan and Bush administrations, defeated four other Republicans to win the GOP nomination.

Candidates

Results

Republican primary results [1][2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Frank Keating 117,265 56.94%
Republican Jerry Pierce 60,280 29.27%
Republican Virginia Hale 15,229 7.39%
Republican Thomas H. Lay 7,744 3.76%
Republican Jerry Kobyluk 5,429 2.64%
Total votes 205,947 100.00%

General election

Wes Watkins, a former representative from Oklahoma's 3rd congressional district, mounted an independent campaign for governor. Watkins had previously sought the Democratic nomination for governor in 1990, but narrowly lost in a runoff to David Walters despite having received the most votes in the initial three-way primary.

Polling

Source Date Keating (R) Mildren (D) Watkins (I)
KSWO-TV Nov. 4, 1994 40% 39% 15%
Tulsa World Nov. 1, 1994 28% 29% 21%

Results

1994 Oklahoma gubernatorial election[2][4][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Frank Keating 466,740 46.91% +14.25%
Democratic Jack Mildren 294,936 29.64% −27.77%
Independent Wes Watkins 233,336 23.45%
Total votes 995,012 100.00%
Plurality 171,804 17.27%
Republican gain from Democratic Swing +42.02%

Results by county

County[2][4] Frank Keating
Republican 		Jack Mildren
Democratic 		Wes Watkins
Independent 		Margin[a] Total votes cast
# % # % # % # %
Adair 2,063 41.95% 1,937 39.39% 918 18.67% 126 2.56% 4,918
Alfalfa 1,017 43.44% 550 23.49% 774 33.06% 243[b] 10.38% 2,341
Atoka 839 23.18% 761 21.03% 2,019 55.79% -1,180[c] -32.61% 3,619
Beaver 1.252 58.95% 416 19.59% 456 21.47% 796[b] 37.48% 2,124
Beckham 2,235 41.85% 1,590 29.77% 1,516 28.38% 645 12.08% 5,341
Blaine 1,803 42.58% 1,076 25.41% 1,355 32.00% 448[b] 10.58% 4,234
Bryan 1,683 17.19% 2,251 23.00% 5,855 59.81% -3,604[d] -36.82% 9,789
Caddo 2,607 32.88% 2,705 34.11% 2,618 33.01% -87[e] -1.10% 7,930
Canadian 15,004 60.53% 5,460 22.03% 4,322 17.44% 9,544 38.51% 24,786
Carter 3,788 30.41% 3,316 26.62% 5,352 42.97% -1,564[c] -12.56% 12,456
Cherokee 3,620 34.63% 4,569 43.71% 2,265 21.67% -949 -9.08% 10,454
Choctaw 652 15.14% 1,127 26.17% 2,528 58.70% -1,401[d] -32.53% 4,307
Cimarron 830 60.01% 226 16.34% 327 23.64% 503[b] 36.37% 1,383
Cleveland 31,459 54.29% 17,409 30.04% 9,076 15.66% 14,050 24.25% 57,944
Coal 381 19.86% 552 28.78% 985 51.36% -433[d] -22.58% 1,918
Comanche 10,032 40.97% 9,554 39.02% 4,902 20.02% 478 1.95% 24,488
Cotton 545 23.28% 885 37.80% 911 38.91% -26[d] -1.11% 2,341
Craig 1,561 35.50% 1,760 40.03% 1,076 24.47% -199 -4.53% 4,397
Creek 7,825 42.71% 6,476 35.35% 4,020 21.94% 1,349 7.36% 18,321
Custer 3,857 47.46% 2,098 25.82% 2,171 26.72% 1,686[b] 20.75% 8,126
Delaware 4,050 43.08% 3,619 38.50% 1,732 18.42% 431 4.58% 9,401
Dewey 870 38.91% 472 21.11% 894 39.98% -24[c] -1.07% 2,236
Ellis 784 43.58% 365 20.29% 650 36.13% 134[b] 7.45% 1,799
Garfield 11,120 35.34% 5,131 25.53% 3,843 19.13% 5,989 29.80% 20,094
Garvin 2,795 33.06% 2,677 31.66% 2,983 35.28% -188[c] -2.22% 8,455
Grady 5,822 43.81% 3,921 29.51% 3,545 26.68% 1,901 14.31% 13,288
Grant 1,004 40.96% 596 24.32% 851 34.72% 153[b] 6.24% 2,451
Greer 609 30.00% 847 41.72% 574 28.28% -238 -11.72% 2,030
Harmon 252 22.60% 460 41.26% 403 36.14% -57[e] -5.11% 1,115
Harper 722 42.55% 385 22.69% 590 34.77% 132[b] 7.78% 1,697
Haskell 736 22.22% 1,220 36.82% 1,357 40.96% -137[d] -4.14% 3,313
Hughes 805 18.19% 1,119 25.29% 2,501 56.52% -1,382[d] -31.23% 4,425
Jackson 2,604 37.89% 2,180 31.72% 2,089 30.39% 424 6.17% 6,873
Jefferson 408 17.17% 972 40.91% 996 41.92% -24[d] -1.01% 2,376
Johnston 505 16.84% 620 20.67% 1,874 62.49% -1,254[d] -41.81% 2,999
Kay 8,652 48.52% 5,243 29.40% 3,938 22.08% 3,409 19.12% 17,833
Kingfisher 2,628 48.74% 974 18.06% 1,790 33.20% 838[b] 15.54% 5,392
Kiowa 1,357 35.41% 1,490 38.88% 985 25.70% -133 -3.47% 3,832
Latimer 509 16.81% 1,121 37.02% 1,398 46.17% -277[d] -9.15% 3,028
Le Flore 2,699 26.77% 3,529 35.00% 3,854 38.23% -325[d] -3.22% 10,082
Lincoln 3,777 39.49% 2,250 23.52% 3,538 36.99% 239[b] 2.50% 9,565
Logan 5,020 51.39% 2,526 25.86% 2,223 22.76% 2,494 25.53% 9,769
Love 366 14.86% 545 22.13% 1,552 63.01% -1,007[d] -40.89% 2,463
Major 1,588 49.19% 579 17.94% 1,061 32.87% 527[b] 16.33% 3,228
Marshall 831 21.78% 1,075 28.18% 1,909 50.04% -834[d] -21.86% 3,815
Mayes 3,902 36.47% 4,453 41.62% 2,345 21.92% -551 -5.15% 10,700
McClain 3,545 43.16% 2,421 29.47% 2,248 27.37% 1,124 13.68% 8,214
McCurtain 1,553 18.57% 2,461 29.43% 4,348 52.00% -1,887[d] -22.57% 8,362
McIntosh 1,931 27.67% 2,990 42.85% 2,057 29.48% -933[e] -13.37% 6,978
Murray 1,011 25.71% 1,188 30.21% 1,734 44.09% -546[d] -13.88% 3,933
Muskogee 6,728 33.93% 8,515 42.94% 4,587 23.13% -1,787 -9.01% 19,830
Noble 1,865 43.01% 840 19.37% 1,631 37.62% 234[b] 5.40% 4,336
Nowata 1,148 36.06% 1,195 37.53% 841 26.41% -47 -1.48% 3,184
Okfuskee 1,018 28.29% 1,253 34.82% 1,327 36.88% -74[d] -2.06% 3,598
Oklahoma 107,489 58.15% 50,589 27.37% 26,785 14.49% 56,900 30.78% 184,863
Okmulgee 3,335 31.23% 4,718 44.18% 2,626 24.59% -1,383 -12.95% 10,679
Osage 4,863 39.15% 5,040 40.58% 2,518 20.27% -177 -1.43% 12,421
Ottawa 2,985 34.62% 4,325 50.16% 1,312 15.22% -1,340 -15.54% 8,622
Pawnee 2,038 38.27% 1,889 35.47% 1,399 26.27% 149 2.80% 5,326
Payne 7,518 36.95% 3,455 16.98% 9,374 46.07% -1,856[c] -9.12% 20,347
Pittsburg 3,352 24.27% 4,558 33.00% 5,903 42.74% -1,345[d] -9.74% 13,813
Pontotoc 2,456 20.41% 2,377 19.75% 7,201 59.84% -4,745[c] -39.43% 12,034
Pottawatomie 7,458 41.08% 4,967 27.36% 5,730 31.56% 1,728[b] 9.52% 18,155
Pushmataha 760 18.21% 1,115 26.71% 2,299 55.08% -1,184[d] -28.37% 4,174
Roger Mills 705 38.55% 479 26.19% 645 35.27% 60[b] 3.28% 1,829
Rogers 9,991 50.34% 6,106 30.76% 3,751 18.90% 3,885 19.57% 19,848
Seminole 2,049 27.32% 1,943 25.91% 3,507 46.77% -1,458[c] -19.44% 7,499
Sequoyah 2,827 35.03% 3,911 48.46% 1,333 16.52% -1,084 -13.43% 8,071
Stephens 5,556 36.57% 4,931 32.46% 4,704 30.97% 625 4.11% 15,191
Texas 2,668 59.13% 792 17.55% 1,052 23.32% 1,616[b] 35.82% 4,512
Tillman 766 28.02% 1,215 44.44% 753 27.54% -449 -16.42% 2,734
Tulsa 99,606 59.93% 45,549 27.41% 21,044 12.66% 54,057 32.53% 166,199
Wagoner 7,319 47.35% 5,167 33.43% 2,972 19.23% 2,152 13.92% 15,458
Washington 10,319 59.77% 4,401 25.49% 2,544 14.74% 5,918 34.28% 17,264
Washita 1,645 40.07% 1,293 31.50% 1,167 28.43% 352 8.57% 4,105
Woods 1,648 44.50% 830 22.41% 1,225 33.08% 423[b] 11.42% 3,703
Woodward 3,120 49.89% 1,336 21.36% 1,798 28.75% 1,322[b] 21.14% 6,254
Totals 466,470 46.91% 294,936 29.64% 233,336 23.45% 171,804 17.27% 995,012

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Independent

Notes

  1. ^ Because this was a three-way race, the margins between county winners and county runners up vary among the candidates. The default margin is Keating over Mildren and other combinations are noted for each county.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Keating's margin over Watkins
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Watkins' margin over Keating
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Watkins' margin over Mildren
  5. ^ a b c Mildren's margin over Watkins

References

  1. ^ a b "1994 Primary Results" (PDF). Oklahoma State Election Board. Retrieved January 8, 2026.
  2. ^ a b c d e Ward, Lance, ed. (1994). State of Oklahoma Election Results and Statistics 1994. Oklahoma City: Oklahoma State Election Board. Retrieved January 8, 2026.
  3. ^ "1994 Runoff Results" (PDF). Oklahoma State Election Board. Retrieved January 8, 2026.
  4. ^ a b "1994 General Results" (PDF). Oklahoma State Election Board. Retrieved January 8, 2026.
  5. ^ "1994 Gubernatorial General Election Results - Oklahoma". uselectionatlas.org.
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