1978 Alabama gubernatorial election

none related races 1978 United States gubernatorial elections January 2025 September 2023 1978 Alabama gubernatorial election Alabama presidential no 1974 Alabama gubernatorial election 1974 1982 Alabama gubernatorial election 1982 November 7, 1978 Reagan Contact Sheet C1331 (cropped2) (cropped).jpg 0.6 Fob James Democratic Party (United States) 551,886 72.59% Guy Hunt 1978.jpg H. Guy Hunt Republican Party (United States) 196,963 25.88% 1978 Alabama gubernatorial election results map by county.svg 250px County resultsJames: #a5b0ff 40–50% #7996e2 50–60% #6674de 60–70% #584cde 70–80% #3933e5 80–90% #0d056c >90%Hunt: #e27f7f 50–60% #d75d5d 60–70% Governor George Wallace Democratic Party (United States) Fob James Democratic Party (United States) 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. Democratic primary Candidates Bill Baxley, Attorney General of Alabama Jere Beasley, Lieutenant Governor Albert Brewer, former Governor Jim Folsom, former Governor K. C. Foster Horace Howell Fob James, businessmanhttp://www.archives.state.al.us/govs_list/g_james.html Alabama Department of Archives and History Alabama Governors: Forrest Hood (Fob) James, Jr. July 23, 2014 March 3, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160303183638/http://www.archives.state.al.us/govs_list/g_james.html dead Sid McDonald, State Senator Bob Muncaster Shorty Price, perennial candidate Fred Sandefer Cornelia Wallace, former First Lady of Alabama Charles Woods, businessman and perennial candidate Results Despite entering the race as a former Republican with low name identification and little political experience, by the time of the primary, James led Baxley, Beasley, and Brewer, who were considered the main contenders, in the polls. James placed first in the primary, followed by Baxley. Fob James then won the primary runoff against Bill Baxley. center|thumb|200px|Primary results by county James: #c88fe4 50–60% #b368d9 60–70% #9d40cc 70–80% Baxley: #87be51 50–60% #63a61f 60–70% Democratic primary resultshttps://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=79627 AL Governor, 1978 - D Primary Our Campaigns 30 May 2021 Fob James Democratic Party (United States) 256,196 28.47 Bill Baxley Democratic Party (United States) 210,089 23.35 Albert Brewer Democratic Party (United States) 193,479 21.50 Sid McDonald Democratic Party (United States) 143,930 15.99 Jere Beasley Democratic Party (United States) 77,202 8.58 K. C. Foster Democratic Party (United States) 4,948 0.55 Horace Howell Democratic Party (United States) 4,730 0.53 Jim Folsom Democratic Party (United States) 4,632 0.52 Bob Muncaster Democratic Party (United States) 1,776 0.20 Shorty Price Democratic Party (United States) 1,396 0.16 Charles Woods Democratic Party (United States) 700 0.08 Fred Sandefer Democratic Party (United States) 622 0.07 Cornelia Wallace Democratic Party (United States) 217 0.02 899,917 100 Democratic runoff resultshttps://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=79629 AL Governor, 1978 - D Runoff Our Campaigns 30 May 2021 Fob James Democratic Party (United States) 515,520 55.17 Bill Baxley Democratic Party (United States) 418,932 44.83 934,452 100 Republican primary Candidates Guy Hunt, former Cullman County Probate Judge Results Republican primary resultshttps://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=79628 AL Governor, 1978 - R Primary Our Campaigns 30 May 2021 Guy Hunt Republican Party (United States) 21,499 83.17 Bert Hayes Republican Party (United States) 2,817 10.90 Julian Elgin Republican Party (United States) 1,534 5.93 25,850 100 General election Results 1978 Alabama gubernatorial electionHoward Jr. Milo B. Alabama Official and Statistical Register, 1979 1979 293-295 https://archive.org/details/alabama-official-statistical-register-1979 28 August 2025 Fob James Democratic Party (United States) 551,886 72.59 Guy Hunt Republican Party (United States) 196,693 25.88 Jim Partain Prohibition Party 8,103 1.07 Richard Dare Determination 3,522 0.46 760,104 100 Democratic Party (United States) Fob James won all but two counties: Cullman, where Hunt had been Probate Judge; and Winston, a traditionally Republican stronghold.http://www.sos.state.al.us/cf/election/her/her-sw.cfm July 23, 2014 Alabama Secretary of State Source for Popular Vote data: Alabama Secretary of State. Governor - 1978 Election, Alabama Secretary of State dead https://web.archive.org/web/20070610170901/http://www.sos.state.al.us/cf/election/her/her-sw.cfm June 10, 2007 References 30em External links Gubernatorial 1978 Alabama Category:November 1978 in the United States