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 County results Owens: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% Schoettler: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% | ||||||||||||||||||||
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The1998 Colorado gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1998 to select the governor of the state of Colorado. Under newly applicable term limits, incumbent GovernorRoy Romer, a Democrat, was unable to seek re-election. Lieutenant GovernorGail Schoettler, ran to succeed Romer, and won the Democratic primary; her running mate,Bernie Buescher, won the lieutenant-gubernatorial primary unopposed. In the Republican primary,Bill Owens, theState Treasurer, and his eventual running mate,Joe Rogers, won their respective primaries by wide margins.
In the general election, Owens narrowly defeated Schoettler, aided by a strong performance by Republican U.S. SenatorBen Nighthorse Campbell in hisre-election campaign. Owens's narrow election meant that he was the first Republican Governor in 24 years, and Rogers's election made him the second Black Lieutenant Governor in the state's history, afterGeorge L. Brown, who was elected in 1974. This was also the last election in which Colorado held separate primary elections for governor and lieutenant governor; following a statutory change in 2000, gubernatorial candidates selected their running mates prior to the primary.[1]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Gail Schoettler | 80,038 | 55.51 | |
| Democratic | Mike Feeley | 64,034 | 44.41 | |
| Democratic | Write-ins | 125 | 0.09 | |
| Total votes | 144,191 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Bernie Buescher | 111,786 | 99.68 | |
| Democratic | Write-ins | 355 | 0.32 | |
| Total votes | 112,141 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Bill Owens | 126,816 | 59.20 | |
| Republican | Tom Norton | 87,214 | 40.71 | |
| Republican | Write-ins | 186 | 0.09 | |
| Total votes | 214,216 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Joe Rogers | 109,781 | 57.72 | |
| Republican | Jim Congrove | 80,246 | 42.19 | |
| Republican | Write-ins | 173 | 0.09 | |
| Total votes | 190,200 | 100.00 | ||
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size[a] | Margin of error | Gail Schoettler (D) | Bill Owens (R) | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ciruli Associates[3][A] | October 30, 1998 | 500 (LV) | ± 4.4% | 42% | 46% | 12% |
| Ciruli Associates[3][A] | October 29, 1998 | 500 (LV) | ± 4.4% | 41% | 45% | 14% |
| Mason Dixon[3] | October 26–28, 1998 | 831 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 41% | 45% | 15% |
| Ciruli Associates[3][A] | October 27, 1998 | 500 (LV) | ± 4.4% | 40% | 46% | 14% |
| Ciruli Associates[3][A] | October 26, 1998 | 500 (LV) | ± 4.4% | 42% | 45% | 13% |
| Ciruli Associates[3][A] | October 25, 1998 | 500 (LV) | ± 4.4% | 41% | 45% | 14% |
| Ciruli Associates[3][A] | October 22, 1998 | 500 (LV) | ± 4.4% | 41% | 47% | 12% |
| Ciruli Associates[3][A] | October 19–22, 1998 | 400 (RV) | ± 5.0% | 41% | 47% | 12% |
| Mason Dixon[3] | October 9–12, 1998 | 804 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 39% | 44% | 17% |
| Ciruli Associates[3][A] | October 1–10, 1998 | (LV) | ± .% | 40% | 40% | 20% |
| Mason Dixon[3] | July 27–29, 1998 | 849 (LV) | ± 3.4% | 36% | 38% | 26% |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Bill Owens | 645,806 | 49.04% | +10.36% | |
| Democratic | Gail Schoettler | 637,655 | 48.42% | −7.05% | |
| Libertarian | Sandra D. Johnson | 22,150 | 1.68% | – | |
| Constitution | Tim Leonard | 10,966 | 0.83% | −2.79% | |
| Majority | 8,151 | 0.62% | −16.15% | ||
| Turnout | 1,316,939 | ||||
| Republicangain fromDemocratic | Swing | ||||
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