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 County results Ashcroft: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Hearnes: 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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The1988 Missouri gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1988, and resulted in a victory for theRepublican nominee, incumbentGovernorJohn Ashcroft, over theDemocratic candidate,State RepresentativeBetty Cooper Hearnes, andLibertarian Mike Roberts.
Betty Hearnes was married toWarren E. Hearnes, who had served as governor from 1965 to 1973.[1]This election was the first time that an incumbent Republican Governor of Missouri was re-elected to a second consecutive term, the most recent being2020. As of2024, this is the last timeBoone,Jackson, andSt. Louis Counties voted Republican in a gubernatorial election.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | John Ashcroft (incumbent) | 1,339,531 | 64.22 | +7.58 | |
| Democratic | Betty Cooper Hearnes | 724,919 | 34.75 | −8.59 | |
| Libertarian | Mike Roberts | 21,467 | 1.03 | +1.03 | |
| Majority | 614,612 | 29.46 | +16.14 | ||
| Turnout | 2,085,917 | 42.43 | −0.45 | ||
| Republicanhold | Swing | ||||
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