1986 Alabama gubernatorial election
November 4, 1986
 
Nominee H. Guy Hunt Bill Baxley
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 696,203 537,163
Percentage 56.4% 43.6%
County results
Hunt:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%
Baxley:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%
Governor before election

George Wallace
Democratic

 Elected Governor

H. Guy Hunt
Republican

The 1986 Alabama gubernatorial election saw the election of Republican H. Guy Hunt over Democrat Bill Baxley. In state politics, this election is largely seen as a realigning election since Hunt was the first Republican to be elected governor in 114 years – the last Republican to be elected was David P. Lewis in 1872 during the Reconstruction era. In March 1986, incumbent George Wallace announced that he would not seek a fifth term as governor, ending an era in Alabama politics.

Though Alabama had supported Republicans in national elections, state and local elections were dominated by Democrats. Therefore many people anticipated that the winner of the Democratic primary would win the election.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Results

Democratic primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Bill Baxley 345,985 36.80
Democratic Charlie Graddick 275,714 29.33
Democratic Fob James 195,844 20.83
Democratic George McMillan 117,258 12.47
Democratic Barbara E. O'Neal 5,287 0.56
Total votes 940,088 100.00
Democratic runoff results[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Charlie Graddick 470,051 50.47
Democratic Bill Baxley 461,295 49.53
Total votes 931,346 100.00

Controversy

The Democratic primary brought out a number of candidates. It resulted in a runoff between Lieutenant Governor Bill Baxley and Attorney General Charles Graddick. Graddick, the more conservative of the two Democrats, won the runoff election by a slim margin. Baxley challenged the results, and claimed that Graddick violated Democratic Party rules by encouraging people who voted in the Republican primary to cross over and vote in the Democratic runoff election.[3] While Republicans in the state have held open primaries for years, the Democrats bar Republicans and Independents from voting in its primary election. This challenge went to the Alabama Supreme Court, which ruled that crossover voting had taken place in large numbers and that the Democratic Party either had to select Baxley as the nominee or hold another runoff election. The party opted to name Baxley as its nominee.[4][5]

General election and aftermath

Results

1986 Alabama gubernatorial election[6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Guy Hunt 696,203 56.45
Democratic Bill Baxley 537,163 43.55
Total votes 1,233,366 100.00
Republican gain from Democratic

The selection of Baxley spurned a negative reaction from Graddick's supporters. As a result, they supported Guy Hunt in the general election, who won with 56 percent of the vote.

This election marked the transformation of politics in Alabama from a state dominated by many perspectives in one party to a two-party state.[7]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "1986 Gubernatorial Democratic Primary Election Results - Alabama". US Election Atlas. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
  2. ↑ "1986 Gubernatorial Democratic Runoff Election Results - Alabama". US Election Atlas. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
  3. ↑ "HENDERSON v. GRADDICK | 641 F.Supp. 1192 (1986) | pp119211678". Leagle.com. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
  4. ↑ "802 F2d 1302 Curry v. Baker J & D Graddick | OpenJurist".
  5. ↑ Schmidt, William E. (August 2, 1986). "Alabama Democrats' Runoff for Governor is Thrown Out". The New York Times.
  6. ↑ Kalb, Deborah, ed. (2010). Guide to U.S. Elections. Washington, DC: CQ Press. p. 1599. ISBN 978-1-60426-536-1.
  7. ↑ "Article 404 - Tuscaloosa News - Tuscaloosa, AL".
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