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 County results Simpson: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Whitaker: 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Wyoming | ||||||||||||
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The1978 United States Senate election in Wyoming was held on November 7, 1978. Incumbent Republican SenatorClifford Hansen declined to seek a third term in office. Former State RepresentativeAlan K. Simpson, the son of former SenatorMilward Simpson, won a contested Republican primary and faced Raymond B. Whitaker, the1960 Democratic nominee for the Senate, in the general election. Despite a favorable environment for Republicansnationwide, Simpson's performance decreased considerably from Hansen's1972 landslide. Nonetheless, he easily defeated Whitaker, winning 62% of the vote to Whitaker's 38%.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Alan K. Simpson | 37,332 | 54.66% | |
| Republican | Hugh Binford | 20,768 | 30.41% | |
| Republican | Gordon H. Barrows | 8,494 | 12.44% | |
| Republican | James G. Maxey | 1,709 | 2.50% | |
| Total votes | 68,303 | 100.00% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Raymond B. Whitaker | 19,854 | 47.62% | |
| Democratic | Dean M. Larson | 11,039 | 26.48% | |
| Democratic | Charles Carroll | 10,797 | 25.90% | |
| Total votes | 41,690 | 100.00% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Alan Simpson | 82,908 | 62.17% | −9.15% | |
| Democratic | Raymond B. Whitaker | 50,456 | 37.83% | +9.15% | |
| Majority | 32,452 | 24.33% | −18.30% | ||
| Turnout | 133,364 | ||||
| Republicanhold | |||||
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