1998 Oklahoma gubernatorial election

1998 Oklahoma gubernatorial election
	County results; Keating: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80%; Boyd: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70%
Governor before election; Frank Keating; Republican	Elected Governor ; Frank Keating; Republican

The 1998 Oklahoma gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1998, and was a race for Governor of Oklahoma.

Incumbent Republican Frank Keating won re-election in a landslide against Democratic State Representative Laura Boyd. The Reform Party, the first alternative party to be able to run a candidate for governor in the state since 1970, had Hoppy Heidelberg as its candidate.^[1] Heidelberg was removed from a gubernatorial debate that he disrupted after not being allowed to be a participant.^[2]

This was the first occasion since Oklahoma statehood that Bryan County, Carter County, Cotton County, Garvin County, Greer County, Harmon County, Jefferson County, Kiowa County, Love County, Murray County, and Pontotoc County voted for a Republican for Governor, although several of these counties backed Independent candidate Wes Watkins four years earlier.

Candidates

Republican

Frank Keating – incumbent Governor of Oklahoma, former Reagan Administration official
Joe Vickers - perennial candidate, removed from the ballot after his candidacy was successfully challenged by Keating ^[3]

Democrat

Laura Boyd – State Representative from Norman, Oklahoma
James Hager - State Representative from Pawhuska, Oklahoma

Reform

Hoppy Heidelberg – former member of the Oklahoma City Bombing grand jury

Significance

The election is significant for two reasons:

1. It marked the first time a woman received the nomination for governor from a major party in Oklahoma.
2. It marked the first time a Republican was elected to a consecutive term (Henry Bellmon was the first Republican to serve two terms, though not consecutive).

Democratic primary

Results

Democratic primary results^[4]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Laura Boyd	171,121	60.2
	Democratic	James Hager	112,941	39.8
Total votes			284,062	100.00

General Election Results

1998 gubernatorial election, Oklahoma ^[5]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Frank Keating (incumbent)	505,498	57.9%	+11.0%
	Democratic	Laura Boyd	357,552	40.9%	+11.3%
	Reform	Hoppy Heidelberg	10,535	1.2%	New
Majority
Turnout
	Republican hold		Swing