The 1978 Alabama gubernatorial election took place on November 7, 1978, to elect the governor of Alabama. Incumbent Democratic Governor George Wallace did not run for re-election. 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.
| |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
County results James: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Hunt: 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
|
Hunt was the first Republican to win Cullman County since Reconstruction. This election was the only Alabama gubernatorial election between 1958 and 1982 that did not feature a member of the Wallace family.
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.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Fob James | 256,196 | 28.47 | |
Democratic | Bill Baxley | 210,089 | 23.35 | |
Democratic | Albert Brewer | 193,479 | 21.50 | |
Democratic | Sid McDonald | 143,930 | 15.99 | |
Democratic | Jere Beasley | 77,202 | 8.58 | |
Democratic | K. C. Foster | 4,948 | 0.55 | |
Democratic | Horace Howell | 4,730 | 0.53 | |
Democratic | Jim Folsom | 4,632 | 0.52 | |
Democratic | Bob Muncaster | 1,776 | 0.20 | |
Democratic | Shorty Price | 1,396 | 0.16 | |
Democratic | Charles Woods | 700 | 0.08 | |
Democratic | Fred Sandefer | 622 | 0.07 | |
Democratic | Cornelia Wallace | 217 | 0.02 | |
Total votes | 899,917 | 100 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Fob James | 515,520 | 55.17 | |
Democratic | Bill Baxley | 418,932 | 44.83 | |
Total votes | 934,452 | 100 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Guy Hunt | 21,499 | 83.17 | |
Republican | Bert Hayes | 2,817 | 10.90 | |
Republican | Julian Elgin | 1,534 | 5.93 | |
Total votes | 25,850 | 100 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Fob James | 551,786 | 72.59 | |
Republican | Guy Hunt | 196,693 | 25.88 | |
Prohibition | Jim Partain | 8,103 | 1.07 | |
Independent | Richard Dare | 3,522 | 0.46 | |
Total votes | 760,104 | 100 | ||
Democratic hold |
Fob James won all but two counties: Cullman, where Hunt had been Probate Judge; and Winston, a traditionally Republican stronghold.[6]