1998 Kansas gubernatorial election
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| Elections in Kansas |
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The 1998 Kansas gubernatorial election took place on November 3, 1998. Incumbent Republican Governor Bill Graves won re-election in a 50% landslide over his opponent, State Representative Tom Sawyer, becoming the first Republican incumbent Governor of Kansas to win reelection since John Anderson Jr.’s reelection victory in 1962.
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Tom Sawyer, Kansas State Representative
- Fred Phelps, founder of the Westboro Baptist Church
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Tom Sawyer | 88,248 | 85.28 | |
| Democratic | Fred Phelps | 15,233 | 14.72 | |
| Total votes | 103,481 | 100.00 | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
- Bill Graves, incumbent governor of Kansas
- David Miller, former chairman of the Kansas Republican Party
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Bill Graves (inc.) | 225,782 | 72.80 | |
| Republican | David Miller | 84,368 | 27.20 | |
| Total votes | 310,150 | 100.00 | ||
General election
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[a] |
Margin of error |
Bill Graves (R) |
Tom Sawyer (D) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mason-Dixon[2] | July 6–8, 1998 | 804 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 67% | 16% | 17% |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Bill Graves (inc.) | 544,882 | 73.37% | +9.27% | |
| Democratic | Tom Sawyer | 168,243 | 22.65% | −13.25% | |
| Constitution | Kirt Poovey | 21,710 | 2.92% | ||
| Reform | Darrel King | 7,830 | 1.05% | ||
| Majority | 376,639 | 50.71% | +22.53% | ||
| Turnout | 742,665 | ||||
| Republican hold | Swing | ||||
Notes
- ^ Key:
A – all adults
RV – registered voters
LV – likely voters
V – unclear
References
- ^ a b "Kansas Secretary of State - Official 1998 Kansas Primary Election Results". Kssos.org. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
- ^ "CNN AllPolitics Election '98 - Kansas 1998 Polls". CNN. Archived from the original on June 26, 2025. Retrieved June 26, 2025.
- ^ "Kansas Secretary of State - Official 1998 Kansas General Election Results". Kssos.org. Retrieved April 3, 2019.