Election 1978 Results
Each election opens in its own mode: the forecast before the votes are counted, the live count while races are still too close to call, and the results once every race is decided.
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1978 Maine governor election
Joseph Brennan (Democrat) beat Linwood E. Palmer Jr. (Republican) in Maine in 1978, 47.8% to 34.4%, a margin of 13.4 points and 49,631 votes.
Maine changed party: in 1974 it went third-party, for James B. Longley.
Democrats led in 11 of the 16 counties as they stood then and Republicans in 5. The largest, Cumberland, cast 76,426 votes and went to the Democrat by 13.2 points. The closest was Waldo, where 66 votes separated the two parties.
Early projection, based on early and incomplete polling: the likely matchups, each weighted by the betting markets' odds of both nominations, not a result. Each county is its 2024 presidential margin moved by its state's projected swing; set a national vote and every state, district and county moves by the same amount from our projection. Colours run in 100 steps from a safe Republican to a safe Democratic margin. Boundaries: US Census Bureau.
Governor
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joseph Brennan won | Democratic | 176,493 | 47.8% |
| Linwood E. Palmer Jr. | Republican | 126,862 | 34.4% |
| Herman C. Frankland | Independent | 65,889 | 17.8% |
| Total | 369,244 |
Every county
| County | Democrat | Republican | Others | Total | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cumberland | 37,628 49.2% | 27,507 36.0% | 11,291 | 76,426 | D+13.2 |
| York | 23,486 52.7% | 15,175 34.1% | 5,904 | 44,565 | D+18.6 |
| Penobscot | 21,046 48.6% | 14,101 32.5% | 8,186 | 43,333 | D+16.0 |
| Kennebec | 19,717 52.4% | 12,026 31.9% | 5,898 | 37,641 | D+20.4 |
| Androscoggin | 18,637 55.2% | 8,591 25.4% | 6,548 | 33,776 | D+29.7 |
| Aroostook | 13,162 54.3% | 6,142 25.3% | 4,925 | 24,229 | D+29.0 |
| Oxford | 7,159 43.5% | 5,950 36.2% | 3,336 | 16,445 | D+7.4 |
| Hancock | 4,898 31.5% | 6,853 44.1% | 3,794 | 15,545 | R+12.6 |
| Somerset | 6,666 46.4% | 4,639 32.3% | 3,072 | 14,377 | D+14.1 |
| Knox | 3,934 34.3% | 5,412 47.2% | 2,114 | 11,460 | R+12.9 |
| Lincoln | 2,803 26.6% | 5,939 56.5% | 1,777 | 10,519 | R+29.8 |
| Washington | 4,445 43.3% | 2,600 25.3% | 3,219 | 10,264 | D+18.0 |
| Sagadahoc | 3,605 40.9% | 3,105 35.2% | 2,111 | 8,821 | D+5.7 |
| Waldo | 3,281 39.0% | 3,347 39.8% | 1,791 | 8,419 | R+0.8 |
| Franklin | 3,607 43.6% | 2,947 35.7% | 1,710 | 8,264 | D+8.0 |
| Piscataquis | 2,419 39.2% | 2,528 40.9% | 1,227 | 6,174 | R+1.8 |
Counties as they stood in 1978; some have since been split, merged or renamed. Margin: the Democrat's share of all votes minus the Republican's. Sources and how the results were checked.
Maine governor elections we hold
| Year | Winner | Margin |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Janet Mills (D) | D+13.1 |
| 2018 | Janet Mills (D) | D+7.7 |
| 2014 | Paul LePage (R) | R+4.8 |
| 2010 | Paul LePage (R) | R+19.1 |
| 2006 | John Baldacci (D) | D+7.9 |
| 2002 | John Baldacci (D) | D+5.7 |
| 1998 | Angus King (other) | |
| 1994 | Angus King (other) | |
| 1990 | John McKernan Jr. (R) | R+2.6 |
| 1986 | John R. McKernan Jr. (R) | R+9.7 |
| 1982 | Joseph Brennan (D) | D+23.8 |
| 1978 | Joseph Brennan (D) | D+13.4 |
| 1974 | James B. Longley (other) | |
| 1970 | Kenneth M. Curtis (D) | D+0.3 |
| 1966 | Kenneth M. Curtis (D) | D+6.2 |
| 1962 | John H. Reed (R) | R+0.2 |
| 1960 | John H. Reed (R) | R+5.3 |
| 1958 | Clinton A. Clauson (D) | D+4.0 |
| 1956 | Edmund Muskie (D) | D+18.3 |
| 1954 | Edmund S. Muskie (D) | D+9.0 |
| 1952 | Burton M. Cross (R) | R+18.6 |
| 1950 | Frederick G. Payne (R) | R+21.4 |
| 1948 | Frederick G. Payne (R) | R+31.2 |
| 1946 | Horace A. Hildreth (R) | R+22.6 |
| 1944 | Horace A. Hildreth (R) | R+40.5 |
| 1942 | Sumner Sewall (R) | R+33.7 |
| 1940 | Sumner Sewall (R) | R+27.7 |
| 1938 | Lewis O. Barrows (R) | R+5.9 |
| 1936 | Lewis O. Barrows (R) | R+13.9 |
| 1934 | Louis J. Brann (D) | D+8.1 |
| 1932 | Louis J. Brann (D) | D+1.0 |
| 1930 | William Tudor Gardiner (R) | R+10.1 |
| 1928 | William Tudor Gardiner (R) | R+38.6 |
| 1926 | Ralph O. Brewster (R) | R+11.0 |
| 1924 | Ralph O. Brewster (R) | R+14.4 |
| 1922 | Percival P. Baxter (R) | R+15.9 |
| 1920 | Frederick H. Parkhurst (R) | R+31.8 |
| 1918 | Carl Milliken (R) | R+4.1 |
| 1916 | Carl E. Milliken (R) | R+9.1 |
| 1914 | Oakley C. Curtis (D) | D+2.3 |
| 1912 | William T. Haines (R) | R+2.3 |
| 1910 | Frederick W. Plaisted (D) | D+6.1 |
| 1908 | Bert M. Fernald (R) | R+5.1 |
| 1906 | William T. Cobb (R) | R+6.0 |
| 1904 | William T. Cobb (R) | R+20.4 |
| 1902 | John F. Hill (R) | R+24.8 |
| 1900 | John F. Hill (R) | R+28.3 |
| 1898 | Llewellyn Powers (R) | R+28.2 |
| 1896 | Llewellyn Powers (R) | R+39.1 |
| 1894 | Henry B. Cleaves (R) | R+36.1 |
| 1892 | Henry B. Cleaves (R) | R+9.6 |
| 1890 | Edwin C. Burleigh (R) | R+16.6 |
| 1888 | Edwin C. Burleigh (R) | R+12.4 |
| 1886 | Joseph R. Bodwell (R) | R+10.6 |
| 1884 | Frederick Robie (R) | R+13.9 |
| 1882 | Frederick Robie (R) | R+6.2 |
| 1880 | Harris M. Plaisted (D) | D+0.1 |
| 1879 | Daniel F. Davis (R) | R+34.0 |
| 1878 | Alonzo Garcelon (D) | R+22.5 |
| 1877 | Selden Connor (R) | R+11.1 |
| 1876 | Selden Connor (R) | R+11.3 |
| 1875 | Selden Connor (R) | R+4.5 |
| 1874 | Nelson Dingley Jr. (R) | R+9.7 |
| 1873 | Nelson Dingley Jr. (R) | R+15.8 |
| 1872 | Sidney Perham (R) | R+13.0 |
| 1871 | Sidney Perham (R) | R+10.2 |
| 1870 | Sidney Perham (R) | R+8.3 |
| 1869 | Joshua L. Chamberlain (R) | R+12.9 |
| 1868 | Joshua L. Chamberlain (R) | R+14.7 |
| 1867 | Joshua L. Chamberlain (R) | R+11.3 |
| 1866 | Joshua L. Chamberlain (R) | R+24.8 |
| 1865 | Samuel Cony (R) | R+26.6 |