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 County results Taft: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% Fisher: 40–50% 50–60% | ||||||||||||||||||||
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The1998 Ohio gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1998. IncumbentRepublicanGovernor of OhioGeorge Voinovich could not seek a third term due to term limits, andran for the United States Senate instead. To replace him, formerAttorney General of OhioLee Fisher andOhio Secretary of StateBob Taft won theDemocratic andRepublican primaries, respectively. Taft and Fisher faced off in a highly competitive general election, and in the end, Taft (a great-grandson ofU.S. President andSupreme Court Chief JusticeWilliam Howard Taft) defeated Fisher.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Lee Fisher | 663,832 | 100.00 | |
| Total votes | 663,832 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Bob Taft | 691,946 | 100.00 | |
| Total votes | 691,946 | 100.00 | ||
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size[a] | Margin of error | Bob Taft (R) | Lee Fisher (D) | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louis Harris and Associates[3][A] | October 30–31, 1998 | 773 (RV) | ± 4.0% | 44% | 39% | 17% |
| Mason-Dixon[3] | October 25–27, 1998 | 815 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 49% | 42% | 9% |
| Louis Harris and Associates[3][A] | October 23–26, 1998 | 679 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 47% | 43% | 10% |
| University of Cincinnati[3] | October 22–26, 1998 | 754 (LV) | ± 3.6% | 51% | 35% | 14% |
| University of Cincinnati[3] | October 8–18, 1998 | 540 (LV) | ± 4.2% | 52% | 37% | 11% |
| University of Cincinnati[3] | October 2–7, 1998 | 405 (LV) | ± 5.0% | 46% | 37% | 17% |
| Mason-Dixon[3] | October 2–5, 1998 | 805 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 48% | 40% | 12% |
| University of Cincinnati[3] | September 8–20, 1998 | 521 (LV) | ± 4.3% | 49% | 39% | 12% |
| Mason-Dixon[3] | September 12–14, 1998 | 817 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 44% | 35% | 21% |
| University of Cincinnati[3] | May 13 – June 1, 1998 | 560 (RV) | ± 4.0% | 52% | 36% | 12% |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Bob Taft | 1,678,721 | 50.05% | −21.72% | |
| Democratic | Lee Fisher | 1,498,956 | 44.69% | +19.71% | |
| Reform | John R. Mitchel | 111,468 | 3.32% | ||
| Natural Law | Zanna Feitler | 65,068 | 1.94% | ||
| Majority | 179,765 | 5.36% | −41.43% | ||
| Turnout | 3,354,213 | ||||
| Republicanhold | Swing | ||||
Official campaign websites (archived)
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