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 County results Johnson: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Chávez: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in New Mexico |
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The1998 New Mexico gubernatorial election was a contest to elect the nextgovernor of New Mexico. The winner of the election would serve a term from January 1, 1999 until January 1, 2003. Incumbent Republican (nowLibertarian) GovernorGary Johnson was elected to a second term. As of 2026, this is the last time a non-Hispanic was elected governor of New Mexico.
In his campaign, Johnson promised to continue the policies of his first term: improving schools; cutting state spending, taxes, and bureaucracy; and frequent use of his veto and line-item veto power.[1] Fielding a strong Hispanic candidate in a 40% Hispanic state, the Democrats were expected to oust Johnson,[2] but Johnson won by a margin of 55% to 45%.[3] This made him the first governor of New Mexico to serve two successive four-year terms after term limits were expanded to two terms in 1991.[4] Johnson made the promotion of a school voucher system a "hallmark issue" of his second term.[5]This election is the first time since1968 that an incumbent Republican Governor of New Mexico was re-elected or won re-election.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Martin J. Chávez | 82,147 | 48.11% | |
| Democratic | Gary K. King | 51,847 | 30.37% | |
| Democratic | Jerry Apodaca | 16,303 | 9.55% | |
| Democratic | Robert E. Vigil | 10,483 | 6.14% | |
| Democratic | Reese P. Fullerton | 5,800 | 3.40% | |
| Democratic | Ben Chavez | 4,127 | 2.42% | |
| Democratic | Frances Salas (write-in) | 29 | 0.02% | |
| Total votes | 170,736 | 100.00% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Gary Johnson (incumbent) | 64,669 | 100.00% | |
| Total votes | 64,669 | 100.00% | ||
In his campaign, Johnson promised to continue the policies of his first term: improving schools; cutting state spending, taxes, and bureaucracy; and frequent use of his veto and line-item veto power.[1] Fielding a strong Hispanic candidate in a 40% Hispanic state, the Democrats were expected to oust Johnson,[2] but Johnson won by a margin of 55% to 45%.[3] This made him the first governor of New Mexico to serve two successive four-year terms after term limits were expanded to two terms in 1991.[4] Johnson made the promotion of a school voucher system a "hallmark issue" of his second term.[5]
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size[a] | Margin of error | Gary Johnson (R) | Martin Chávez (D) | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research & Polling, Inc.[7][A] | October 27–29, 1998 | 916 (RV) | ± 3.0% | 49% | 39% | 12% |
| Mason-Dixon[7] | October 6–7, 1998 | 412 (LV) | ± 5.0% | 45% | 43% | 12% |
| Mason-Dixon[7] | September 15–16, 1998 | 409 (LV) | ± 5.0% | 42% | 44% | 14% |
| Research & Polling, Inc.[7][A] | September 5–10, 1998 | 909 (RV) | ± 3.0% | 42% | 40% | 18% |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Gary Johnson (incumbent) | 271,948 | 54.53% | +4.72% | |
| Democratic | Martin Chávez | 226,755 | 45.47% | +5.55% | |
| Majority | 45,193 | 9.06% | |||
| Total votes | 498,703 | 100.00% | |||
| Republicanhold | Swing | -0.83% | |||
| County | Gary Johnson Republican | Martin Chávez Democratic | Margin | Total votes cast | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Bernalillo | 96,329 | 57.55% | 71,067 | 42.45% | 25,262 | 15.09% | 167,396 |
| Catron | 1,063 | 66.73% | 530 | 33.27% | 533 | 33.46% | 1,593 |
| Chaves | 10,409 | 63.55% | 5,969 | 36.45% | 4,440 | 27.11% | 16,378 |
| Cibola | 2,952 | 43.69% | 3,805 | 56.31% | -853 | -12.62% | 6,757 |
| Colfax | 2,541 | 54.36% | 2,133 | 45.64% | 408 | 8.73% | 4,674 |
| Curry | 7,248 | 71.49% | 2,890 | 28.51% | 4,358 | 42.99% | 10,138 |
| De Baca | 714 | 65.63% | 374 | 34.38% | 340 | 31.25% | 1,088 |
| Doña Ana | 16,635 | 49.67% | 16,858 | 50.33% | -223 | -0.67% | 33,493 |
| Eddy | 8,927 | 60.47% | 5,835 | 39.53% | 3,092 | 20.95% | 14,762 |
| Grant | 4,689 | 47.14% | 5,259 | 52.86% | -570 | -5.73% | 9,948 |
| Guadalupe | 756 | 33.80% | 1,481 | 66.20% | -725 | -32.41% | 2,237 |
| Harding | 389 | 57.89% | 283 | 42.11% | 106 | 15.77% | 672 |
| Hidalgo | 1,117 | 53.55% | 969 | 46.45% | 148 | 7.09% | 2,086 |
| Lea | 9,066 | 74.12% | 3,166 | 25.88% | 5,900 | 48.23% | 12,232 |
| Lincoln | 3,613 | 63.70% | 2,059 | 36.30% | 1,554 | 27.40% | 5,672 |
| Los Alamos | 5,729 | 64.02% | 3,220 | 35.98% | 2,509 | 28.04% | 8,949 |
| Luna | 3,375 | 57.03% | 2,543 | 42.97% | 832 | 14.06% | 5,918 |
| McKinley | 5,788 | 41.72% | 8,085 | 58.28% | -2,297 | -16.56% | 13,873 |
| Mora | 697 | 27.86% | 1,805 | 72.14% | -1,108 | -44.28% | 2,502 |
| Otero | 8,721 | 66.38% | 4,417 | 33.62% | 4,304 | 32.76% | 13,138 |
| Quay | 2,265 | 60.22% | 1,496 | 39.78% | 769 | 20.45% | 3,761 |
| Rio Arriba | 3,206 | 30.26% | 7,389 | 69.74% | -4,183 | -39.48% | 10,595 |
| Roosevelt | 3,387 | 69.12% | 1,513 | 30.88% | 1,874 | 38.24% | 4,900 |
| San Juan | 20,233 | 70.53% | 8,454 | 29.47% | 11,779 | 41.06% | 28,687 |
| San Miguel | 2,015 | 22.91% | 6,781 | 77.09% | -4,766 | -54.18% | 8,796 |
| Sandoval | 14,595 | 59.94% | 9,756 | 40.06% | 4,839 | 19.87% | 24,351 |
| Santa Fe | 13,821 | 33.81% | 27,053 | 66.19% | -13,232 | -32.37% | 40,874 |
| Sierra | 2,624 | 63.54% | 1,506 | 36.46% | 1,118 | 27.07% | 4,130 |
| Socorro | 2,920 | 45.21% | 3,539 | 54.79% | -619 | -9.58% | 6,459 |
| Taos | 2,713 | 31.12% | 6,005 | 68.88% | -3,292 | -37.76% | 8,718 |
| Torrance | 2,623 | 61.16% | 1,666 | 38.84% | 957 | 22.31% | 4,289 |
| Union | 1,077 | 64.76% | 586 | 35.24% | 491 | 29.52% | 1,663 |
| Valencia | 9,711 | 54.03% | 8,263 | 45.97% | 1,448 | 8.06% | 17,974 |
| Total | 271,948 | 54.53% | 226,755 | 45.47% | 45,193 | 9.06% | 498,703 |
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