1978 Texas gubernatorial election

1978 Texas gubernatorial election

← 1974 November 7, 1978 1982 →
 
Nominee Bill Clements John Luke Hill
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 1,183,828 1,166,919
Percentage 50.0% 49.2%

County results
Clements:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%
Hill:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%
Compeán:      50–60%

Governor before election

Dolph Briscoe
Democratic

Elected Governor

Bill Clements
Republican

The 1978 Texas gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1978, to elect the governor of Texas. In a surprising upset, Republican Bill Clements was narrowly elected over Democratic State Attorney General John Luke Hill, winning 50% of the vote to Hill's 49%. In doing so, Clements became the first Republican to be elected governor since Reconstruction in 1869.

Besides Clements' upset victory in the gubernatorial election, Republican Senator John Tower was re-elected to a third full six-year term in the Texas U.S. Senate race. However, the majority of the down-ballot statewide offices remained with the Democratic Party. With a margin of victory of just 0.72%, this was the closest race of the 1978 Gubernatorial Cycle. This is the last time Zavala County did not vote for the Democratic candidate, instead voting for Raza Unida.


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