1998 Oklahoma gubernatorial election

1998 Oklahoma gubernatorial election
November 3, 1998
 
Nominee Frank Keating Laura Boyd
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 505,498 357,552
Percentage 57.86% 40.93%
County results
Keating:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%
Boyd:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%
Governor before election

Frank Keating
Republican

Elected Governor

Frank Keating
Republican

The 1998 Oklahoma gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1998, and was a race for Governor of Oklahoma.

Incumbent Republican Frank Keating won re-election in a landslide against Democratic State Representative Laura Boyd. The Reform Party, the first alternative party to be able to run a candidate for governor in the state since 1970, had Hoppy Heidelberg as its candidate.[1] Heidelberg was removed from a gubernatorial debate that he disrupted after not being allowed to be a participant.[2]

This was the first occasion since Oklahoma statehood that Bryan, Carter, Cotton, Garvin, Greer, Harmon, Jefferson, Kiowa, Love, Murray, and Pontotoc counties voted for a Republican for Governor, although several of these counties backed Independent candidate Wes Watkins four years earlier.

This election marked the first time a woman received the nomination for governor from a major party in Oklahoma. It was also the first time a Republican was elected to a consecutive term (Henry Bellmon was the first Republican to serve two terms, though not consecutive).

Primary election

Primary elections were held on August 25, 1998 with runoffs occurring on September 15, 1998, although no runoffs were required in the gubernatorial race.

Republican party

Incumbent governor Frank Keating was renominated without opposition after potential challenger Joe Vickers was removed from the primary ballot. Keating alleged that Vickers had changed his party registration from Democratic to Republican too late to appear on the Republican ballot. The state election board upheld Keating's challenge.[3]

Democratic party

State representative Laura Boyd won the Democratic nomination over fellow representative James Hager. This was the first time since runoffs were reinstated in 1946 that the Democratic primary for governor without an incumbent did not require a subsequent runoff.[a]

Candidates

Results

Democratic primary results[4][5]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Laura Boyd 171,121 60.24%
Democratic James Hager 112,941 39.76%
Total votes 284,062 100.00%

General election

In addition to Keating and Boyd, Hoppy Heidelberg, a former member of the Oklahoma City Bombing grand jury, ran on the Reform Party ticket.

Results

1998 gubernatorial election, Oklahoma[5][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Frank Keating (incumbent) 505,498 57.86% +10.96%
Democratic Laura Boyd 357,552 40.93% +11.29%
Reform Hoppy Heidelberg 10,535 1.21%
Total votes 873,585 100.00%
Majority 147,946 16.94%
Republican hold Swing -0.33%

Results by county

County[5] Frank Keating
Republican 		Laura Boyd
Democratic 		Hoppy Heidelberg
Reform 		Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # %
Adair 2,111 48.96% 2,140 49.63% 61 1.41% -29 -0.67% 4,312
Alfalfa 1,367 64.60% 726 34.31% 23 1.09% 641 30.29% 2,116
Atoka 1,658 48.00% 1,746 50.55% 50 1.45% -88 -2.55% 3,454
Beaver 1,529 74.95% 466 22.84% 45 2.21% 1,063 52.11% 2,040
Beckham 2,673 61.50% 1,641 37.76% 32 0.74% 1,032 23.75% 4,346
Blaine 2,161 66.11% 1,052 32.18% 56 1.71% 1,109 33.92% 3,269
Bryan 4,476 53.73% 3,772 45.28% 83 1.00% 704 8.45% 8,331
Caddo 3,598 53.36% 3,077 45.63% 68 1.01% 521 7.73% 6,743
Canadian 15,873 74.14% 5,292 24.72% 244 1.14% 10,581 49.42% 21,409
Carter 6,978 57.13% 5,124 41.95% 112 0.92% 1,854 15.18% 12,214
Cherokee 4,083 41.89% 5,540 56.84% 123 1.26% -1,457 -14.95% 9,746
Choctaw 1,657 43.69% 2,091 55.13% 45 1.19% -434 -11.44% 3,793
Cimarron 906 75.50% 261 21.75% 33 2.75% 645 53.75% 1,200
Cleveland 30,960 60.57% 19,460 38.07% 693 1.36% 11,500 22.50% 51,113
Coal 838 46.61% 937 52.11% 23 1.28% -99 -5.51% 1,798
Comanche 12,621 59.00% 8,578 40.10% 193 0.90% 4,043 18.90% 21,392
Cotton 1,182 56.23% 889 42.29% 31 1.47% 293 13.94% 2,102
Craig 1,589 35.96% 2,787 63.07% 43 0.97% -1,198 -27.11% 4,419
Creek 8,431 50.27% 8,114 48.38% 226 1.35% 317 1.89% 16,771
Custer 4,616 64.89% 2,451 34.45% 47 0.66% 2,165 30.43% 7,114
Delaware 5,160 51.94% 4,635 46.66% 139 1.40% 525 5.28% 9,934
Dewey 1,171 68.20% 523 30.46% 23 1.34% 648 37.74% 1,717
Ellis 1,108 69.38% 463 28.99% 26 1.63% 645 40.39% 1,597
Garfield 11,191 65.04% 5,837 33.92% 178 1.03% 5,354 31.12% 17,206
Garvin 3,597 53.41% 3,056 45.37% 82 1.22% 541 8.03% 6,735
Grady 7,345 60.55% 4,606 37.97% 180 1.48% 2,739 22.58% 12,131
Grant 1,295 60.60% 800 37.44% 42 1.97% 495 23.16% 2,137
Greer 1,042 57.41% 757 41.71% 16 0.88% 285 15.70% 1,815
Harmon 471 52.57% 417 46.54% 8 0.89% 54 6.03% 896
Harper 904 59.99% 570 37.82% 33 2.19% 334 22.16% 1,507
Haskell 1,108 37.16% 1,837 61.60% 37 1.24% -729 -24.45% 2,982
Hughes 1,682 45.08% 2,007 53.79% 42 1.13% -325 -8.71% 3,731
Jackson 4,438 70.06% 1,862 29.39% 35 0.55% 2,576 40.66% 6,335
Jefferson 930 52.96% 811 46.18% 15 0.85% 119 6.78% 1,756
Johnston 1,350 47.75% 1,450 51.29% 27 0.96% -100 -3.54% 2,827
Kay 9,030 63.37% 5,004 35.12% 215 1.51% 4,026 28.25% 14,249
Kingfisher 3,375 76.22% 1,001 22.61% 52 1.17% 2,374 53.61% 4,428
Kiowa 1,787 56.09% 1,369 42.97% 30 0.94% 418 13.12% 3,186
Latimer 991 35.41% 1,774 63.38% 34 1.21% -783 -27.97% 2,799
Le Flore 5,446 47.39% 5,910 51.43% 136 1.18% -464 -4.04% 11,492
Lincoln 5,621 62.71% 3,211 35.83% 131 1.46% 2,410 26.89% 8,963
Logan 5,564 66.08% 2,743 32.58% 113 1.34% 2,821 33.50% 8,420
Love 1,176 51.60% 1,084 47.56% 19 0.83% 92 4.04% 2,279
Major 1,997 72.99% 707 25.84% 32 1.17% 1,290 47.15% 2,736
Marshall 2,252 56.93% 1,670 42.21% 34 0.86% 582 14.71% 3,956
Mayes 4,000 40.05% 5,871 58.78% 117 1.17% -1,871 -18.73% 9,988
McClain 4,385 61.60% 2,614 36.72% 119 1.67% 1,771 24.88% 7,118
McCurtain 2,926 43.23% 3,587 53.00% 255 3.77% -661 -9.77% 6,768
McIntosh 2,437 39.02% 3,698 59.22% 110 1.76% -1,261 -20.19% 6,245
Murray 1,763 49.72% 1,740 49.07% 43 1.21% 23 0.65% 3,546
Muskogee 7,761 42.51% 10,265 56.23% 230 1.26% -2,504 -13.72% 18,256
Noble 2,180 62.75% 1,234 35.52% 60 1.73% 946 27.23% 3,474
Nowata 1,641 50.77% 1,546 47.83% 45 1.39% 95 2.94% 3,232
Okfuskee 1,432 45.78% 1,632 52.17% 64 2.05% -200 -6.39% 3,128
Oklahoma 102,216 65.94% 50,977 32.89% 1,817 1.17% 51,239 33.06% 155,010
Okmulgee 3,428 38.95% 5,291 60.12% 82 0.93% -1,863 -21.17% 8,801
Osage 4,700 42.65% 6,166 55.95% 154 1.40% -1,466 -13.30% 11,020
Ottawa 3,555 43.71% 4,464 54.88% 115 1.41% -909 -11.18% 8,134
Pawnee 1,969 48.94% 1,990 49.47% 64 1.59% -21 -0.52% 4,023
Payne 10,283 60.97% 6,418 38.05% 165 0.98% 3,865 22.92% 16,866
Pittsburg 5,437 42.10% 7,339 56.82% 140 1.08% -1,902 -14.73% 12,916
Pontotoc 6,297 54.72% 5,083 44.17% 128 1.11% 1,214 10.55% 11,508
Pottawatomie 10,336 61.29% 6,291 37.30% 238 1.41% 4,045 23.98% 16,865
Pushmataha 1,724 45.81% 1,987 52.80% 52 1.38% -263 -6.99% 3,763
Roger Mills 949 66.18% 466 32.50% 19 1.32% 483 33.68% 1,434
Rogers 9,766 53.35% 8,253 45.09% 286 1.56% 1,513 8.27% 18,305
Seminole 3,159 47.70% 3,394 51.25% 70 1.06% -235 -3.55% 6,623
Sequoyah 4,007 48.41% 4,141 50.03% 129 1.56% -134 -1.62% 8,277
Stephens 9,355 65.63% 4,763 33.42% 136 0.95% 4,592 32.22% 14,254
Texas 3,222 74.69% 1,035 23.99% 57 1.32% 2,187 50.70% 4,314
Tillman 1,127 49.43% 1,131 49.61% 22 0.96% -4 -0.18% 2,280
Tulsa 81,938 57.43% 59,346 41.59% 1,394 0.98% 22,592 15.83% 142,678
Wagoner 7,425 50.46% 7,067 48.03% 223 1.52% 358 2.43% 14,715
Washington 8,907 61.42% 5,438 37.50% 156 1.08% 3,469 23.92% 14,501
Washita 2,012 62.31% 1,173 36.33% 44 1.36% 839 25.98% 3,229
Woods 2,341 67.52% 1,099 31.70% 27 0.78% 1,242 35.82% 3,467
Woodward 3,482 65.07% 1,805 33.73% 64 1.20% 1,677 31.34% 5,351
Totals 505,498 57.86% 357,552 40.93% 10,535 1.21% 147,946 16.94% 873,585

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

Counties that flipped from Independent to Republican

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

Counties that flipped from Independent to Democratic

Notes

  1. ^ No runoff was required in 1982 when incumbent George Nigh faced only token opposition in the primary.

References

  1. ^ "Ex-OC Bombing Juror Hoppy Heidelberg to Run for Governor | Latest Headlines | tulsaworld.com".
  2. ^ Hinton, Mick (October 27, 1998). "Reform Candidate Says He's Banned From OU". The Oklahoman.
  3. ^ Hinton, Mick; English, Paul (July 15, 1998). "Keating Gets GOP Challenger Vickers Ousted From Race". The Oklahoman.
  4. ^ "Oklahoma State Election Board, Primary Election Results, August 25, 1998" (PDF).
  5. ^ a b c Ward, Lance, ed. (1998). State of Oklahoma Election Results and Statistics 1998. Oklahoma City: Oklahoma State Election Board. Retrieved January 8, 2026.
  6. ^ "State of Oklahoma Official Returns, General Election - November 3, 1998" (PDF). Oklahoma State Election Board. p. 2.
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