1978 Alabama gubernatorial election

1978 Alabama gubernatorial election

← 1974 November 7, 1978 1982 →

Nominee Fob James H. Guy Hunt Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 551,786 196,963 Percentage 72.6% 25.9%

County results James:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90% Hunt:      50–60%      60–70%

Governor before election George Wallace Democratic Elected Governor Fob James Democratic

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Government
v t e

The 1978 Alabama gubernatorial election took place on November 7, 1978, to elect the governor of Alabama. Fob James, a businessman who had switched from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party and campaigned as a "born-again Democrat", won the Democratic primary in an upset over Attorney General Bill Baxley. He went on to defeat Guy Hunt in a landslide in the general election. Incumbent Democrat George Wallace was term limited and could not seek a third consecutive term; he later successfully ran again in 1982.

Hunt was the first Republican to win Cullman County since Reconstruction.