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1978 New Mexico gubernatorial election

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1978 New Mexico gubernatorial election

← 1974 November 7, 1978 1982 →
 
Nominee Bruce King Joe Skeen
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 174,631 170,848
Percentage 50.55% 49.45%

County results
King:      50–60%      60–70%
Skeen:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%

Governor before election

Jerry Apodaca
Democratic

Elected Governor

Bruce King
Democratic

The 1978 New Mexico gubernatorial election took place on November 7, 1978, in order to elect the Governor of New Mexico. Due to term limits, incumbent Democrat Jerry Apodaca was ineligible to seek a second term as governor. Bruce King, a member of the Democratic Party who had previously served as governor from 1971 to 1975, won the open seat. With a margin of victory of just 1.09% this was the second closest contest of the 1978 Gubernatorial Cycle, behind only the election in Texas.

Primary election

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Democratic primary

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The Democratic primary was won by former Governor Bruce King.

Results

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New Mexico Democratic gubernatorial primary, 1978[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Bruce King 92,432 61.31%
Democratic Robert E. Ferguson 58,334 38.69%
Total votes 150,766 100.00%

Republican primary

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The Republican primary was won by former state senator Joe Skeen.

Results

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New Mexico Republican gubernatorial primary, 1978[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Joe Skeen 38,638 81.17%
Republican Philip R. Grant 8,966 18.84%
Total votes 47,604 100.00%

General election

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Results

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1978 New Mexico gubernatorial election[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Bruce King 174,631 50.55% +0.61%
Republican Joseph R. Skeen 170,848 49.45% −0.65%
Majority 3,783 1.10%
Total votes 345,479 100.00%
Democratic hold Swing -0.04%

Results by county

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County Bruce King
Democratic
Joe Skeen
Republican
Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # %
Bernalillo 55,448 48.26% 59,443 51.74% -3,995 -3.48% 114,891
Catron 649 49.13% 672 50.87% -23 -1.74% 1,321
Chaves 5,134 33.94% 9,991 66.06% -4,857 -32.11% 15,125
Colfax 2,187 53.12% 1,930 46.88% 257 6.24% 4,117
Curry 4,054 48.51% 4,303 51.49% -249 -2.98% 8,357
De Baca 521 52.31% 475 47.69% 46 4.62% 996
Doña Ana 9,539 45.12% 11,603 54.88% -2,064 -9.76% 21,142
Eddy 7,419 54.02% 6,314 45.98% 1,105 8.05% 13,733
Grant 4,624 59.74% 3,116 40.26% 1,508 19.48% 7,740
Guadalupe 1,591 69.72% 691 30.28% 900 39.44% 2,282
Harding 259 41.77% 361 58.23% -102 -16.45% 620
Hidalgo 766 54.36% 643 45.64% 123 8.73% 1,409
Lea 4,665 44.48% 5,824 55.52% -1,159 -11.05% 10,489
Lincoln 1,009 29.46% 2,416 70.54% -1,407 -41.08% 3,425
Los Alamos 2,349 32.65% 4,845 67.35% -2,496 -34.70% 7,194
Luna 2,117 45.29% 2,557 54.71% -440 -9.41% 4,674
McKinley 5,244 59.29% 3,600 40.71% 1,644 18.59% 8,844
Mora 1,494 62.07% 913 37.93% 581 24.14% 2,407
Otero 4,140 44.43% 5,178 55.57% -1,038 -11.14% 9,318
Quay 1,632 47.65% 1,793 52.35% -161 -4.70% 3,425
Rio Arriba 7,106 68.78% 3,226 31.22% 3,880 37.55% 10,332
Roosevelt 1,793 36.87% 3,070 63.13% -1,277 -26.26% 4,863
San Juan 6,866 44.31% 8,631 55.69% -1,765 -11.39% 15,497
San Miguel 4,729 62.29% 2,863 37.71% 1,866 24.58% 7,592
Sandoval 5,303 59.77% 3,570 40.23% 1,733 19.53% 8,873
Santa Fe 14,080 60.44% 9,217 39.56% 4,863 20.87% 23,297
Sierra 1,486 47.66% 1,632 52.34% -146 -4.68% 3,118
Socorro 2,524 57.39% 1,874 42.61% 650 14.78% 4,398
Taos 4,418 66.07% 2,269 33.93% 2,149 32.14% 6,687
Torrance 1,858 62.06% 1,136 37.94% 722 24.11% 2,994
Union 704 41.46% 994 58.54% -290 -17.08% 1,698
Valencia 8,923 61.03% 5,698 38.97% 3,225 22.06% 14,621
Total 174,631 50.55% 170,848 49.45% 3,783 1.10% 345,479

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

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Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

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References

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  1. ^ "NM Governor D Primary 1978". Our Campaigns. Retrieved December 16, 2016.
  2. ^ "NM Governor R Primary 1978". Our Campaigns. Retrieved December 16, 2016.
  3. ^ New Mexico State Records Center & Archives, Canvass of Returns of General Election Held on November 7, 1978 - State of New Mexico