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United States · Election results history · 1978 governors · Tennessee
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.

1978 Tennessee governor election

Lamar Alexander (Republican) beat Jake Butcher (Democrat) in Tennessee in 1978, 55.6% to 44.0%, a margin of 11.6 points and 138,464 votes.

Tennessee changed party: in 1974 it went Democratic, for L. Ray Blanton.

Republicans led in 59 of the 95 counties as they stood then and Democrats in 36. The largest, Shelby, cast 203,794 votes and went to the Republican by 5.6 points. The closest was Morgan, where 13 votes separated the two parties.

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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

CandidatePartyVotesShare
Lamar Alexander won Republican 661,959 55.6%
Jake Butcher Democratic 523,495 44.0%
All other candidates 4,241 0.4%
Total1,189,695

Every county

CountyDemocratRepublicanOthersTotalMargin
Shelby 95,856 47.0% 107,307 52.7% 631 203,794 R+5.6
Davidson 57,620 43.5% 74,491 56.2% 390 132,501 R+12.7
Knox 40,794 43.7% 52,193 55.9% 363 93,350 R+12.2
Hamilton 26,685 40.9% 38,283 58.7% 291 65,259 R+17.8
Sullivan 13,153 36.2% 22,975 63.2% 221 36,349 R+27.0
Blount 7,047 31.4% 15,384 68.5% 39 22,470 R+37.1
Washington 7,325 33.6% 14,348 65.9% 104 21,777 R+32.2
Anderson 11,782 55.2% 9,484 44.4% 82 21,348 D+10.8
Madison 8,235 40.5% 12,053 59.3% 53 20,341 R+18.8
Rutherford 8,298 42.1% 11,340 57.5% 90 19,728 R+15.4
Sumner 8,127 42.6% 10,926 57.2% 43 19,096 R+14.7
Williamson 5,000 31.7% 10,728 68.1% 35 15,763 R+36.3
Montgomery 6,962 44.6% 8,534 54.7% 101 15,597 R+10.1
Roane 6,000 41.2% 8,482 58.3% 74 14,556 R+17.1
Gibson 7,074 51.9% 6,518 47.8% 36 13,628 D+4.1
Hamblen 6,020 44.8% 7,370 54.8% 58 13,448 R+10.0
Wilson 5,997 44.8% 7,347 54.9% 32 13,376 R+10.1
Greene 4,442 33.5% 8,798 66.3% 37 13,277 R+32.8
Carter 3,596 27.4% 9,468 72.2% 54 13,118 R+44.8
Putnam 6,116 47.4% 6,737 52.3% 40 12,893 R+4.8
Bradley 4,142 32.3% 8,649 67.4% 35 12,826 R+35.1
Maury 4,748 39.2% 7,358 60.7% 13 12,119 R+21.5
Coffee 4,953 46.9% 5,580 52.8% 26 10,559 R+5.9
Hawkins 3,786 36.2% 6,651 63.5% 33 10,470 R+27.4
Lawrence 4,703 45.1% 5,699 54.7% 25 10,427 R+9.6
Sevier 2,905 28.5% 7,247 71.1% 41 10,193 R+42.6
McMinn 3,774 37.7% 6,210 62.1% 23 10,007 R+24.3
Carroll 4,182 44.5% 5,182 55.1% 37 9,401 R+10.6
Monroe 3,978 43.0% 5,226 56.5% 41 9,245 R+13.5
Dickson 4,033 47.2% 4,472 52.4% 34 8,539 R+5.1
Jefferson 2,771 32.5% 5,509 64.7% 238 8,518 R+32.1
Robertson 4,439 52.3% 4,030 47.5% 23 8,492 D+4.8
Cumberland 3,190 38.0% 5,183 61.7% 32 8,405 R+23.7
Dyer 3,517 42.7% 4,673 56.7% 56 8,246 R+14.0
Loudon 2,949 35.8% 5,253 63.8% 28 8,230 R+28.0
Henry 3,575 46.1% 4,150 53.6% 23 7,748 R+7.4
Franklin 4,063 52.8% 3,613 47.0% 18 7,694 D+5.8
Weakley 4,200 55.5% 3,327 43.9% 46 7,573 D+11.5
Bedford 4,089 54.0% 3,461 45.7% 20 7,570 D+8.3
Campbell 3,343 44.5% 4,137 55.1% 24 7,504 R+10.6
Warren 4,060 54.3% 3,409 45.6% 11 7,480 D+8.7
Obion 4,135 55.7% 3,257 43.9% 29 7,421 D+11.8
Tipton 3,735 51.5% 3,495 48.2% 26 7,256 D+3.3
Cocke 2,240 31.9% 4,747 67.7% 28 7,015 R+35.7
McNairy 3,053 45.0% 3,715 54.8% 12 6,780 R+9.8
Henderson 2,376 37.0% 4,031 62.8% 10 6,417 R+25.8
Marion 2,891 47.7% 3,148 52.0% 19 6,058 R+4.2
Hardin 2,476 42.6% 3,324 57.2% 9 5,809 R+14.6
Lauderdale 3,179 55.3% 2,555 44.4% 15 5,749 D+10.9
Marshall 2,818 50.9% 2,712 49.0% 10 5,540 D+1.9
Hardeman 2,868 52.7% 2,545 46.8% 25 5,438 D+5.9
Rhea 2,217 41.3% 3,130 58.4% 15 5,362 R+17.0
Fayette 2,879 53.9% 2,422 45.4% 39 5,340 D+8.6
Lincoln 3,244 61.3% 2,034 38.4% 16 5,294 D+22.9
Giles 2,856 54.3% 2,396 45.5% 12 5,264 D+8.7
Claiborne 2,562 48.8% 2,681 51.0% 12 5,255 R+2.3
Benton 2,629 51.5% 2,466 48.3% 7 5,102 D+3.2
Haywood 2,742 54.3% 2,298 45.5% 11 5,051 D+8.8
Humphreys 2,665 53.5% 2,308 46.3% 12 4,985 D+7.2
Cheatham 2,208 44.9% 2,688 54.7% 17 4,913 R+9.8
Unicoi 1,285 29.0% 3,122 70.4% 25 4,432 R+41.4
Hickman 2,379 53.8% 2,038 46.1% 7 4,424 D+7.7
White 2,239 52.3% 2,032 47.4% 13 4,284 D+4.8
Morgan 2,118 49.7% 2,131 50.0% 16 4,265 R+0.3
Overton 2,680 62.8% 1,574 36.9% 11 4,265 D+25.9
Wayne 1,424 33.4% 2,830 66.4% 11 4,265 R+33.0
Grainger 1,648 39.4% 2,524 60.3% 14 4,186 R+20.9
Crockett 2,011 50.1% 1,994 49.7% 6 4,011 D+0.4
Smith 2,091 54.0% 1,771 45.8% 9 3,871 D+8.3
Chester 1,839 47.6% 2,019 52.3% 4 3,862 R+4.7
Polk 1,947 50.6% 1,896 49.2% 7 3,850 D+1.3
Union 2,570 67.8% 1,215 32.0% 7 3,792 D+35.7
Decatur 1,754 46.4% 2,025 53.5% 4 3,783 R+7.2
Dekalb 1,858 49.5% 1,883 50.2% 12 3,753 R+0.7
Johnson 719 19.9% 2,873 79.7% 13 3,605 R+59.8
Scott 1,448 42.6% 1,933 56.9% 16 3,397 R+14.3
Macon 1,216 36.2% 2,138 63.7% 4 3,358 R+27.5
Fentress 1,521 46.8% 1,723 53.0% 9 3,253 R+6.2
Cannon 1,497 50.2% 1,478 49.5% 10 2,985 D+0.6
Bledsoe 1,449 48.8% 1,511 50.8% 12 2,972 R+2.1
Jackson 1,881 66.0% 943 33.1% 27 2,851 D+32.9
Grundy 1,568 60.5% 1,015 39.2% 8 2,591 D+21.3
Lewis 1,531 59.5% 1,039 40.4% 3 2,573 D+19.1
Clay 1,186 47.2% 1,322 52.6% 5 2,513 R+5.4
Stewart 1,384 56.9% 1,045 42.9% 5 2,434 D+13.9
Sequatchie 1,071 48.9% 1,112 50.8% 8 2,191 R+1.9
Meigs 883 42.4% 1,189 57.1% 12 2,084 R+14.7
Perry 1,145 56.2% 881 43.3% 10 2,036 D+13.0
Houston 1,097 57.0% 824 42.8% 3 1,924 D+14.2
Hancock 689 41.7% 961 58.1% 4 1,654 R+16.4
Lake 1,104 68.4% 508 31.5% 3 1,615 D+36.9
Pickett 669 41.5% 939 58.3% 4 1,612 R+16.7
Trousdale 884 56.3% 681 43.3% 6 1,571 D+12.9
Van Buren 766 58.4% 542 41.3% 3 1,311 D+17.1
Moore 642 55.4% 511 44.1% 5 1,158 D+11.3

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.

Tennessee governor elections we hold

YearWinnerMargin
2022 Bill Lee (R) R+32.0
2018 Bill Lee (R) R+21.0
2014 Bill Haslam (R) R+47.5
2010 Bill Haslam (R) R+31.9
2006 Phil Bredesen (D) D+38.9
2002 Phil Bredesen (D) D+3.1
1998 Don Sundquist (R) R+39.2
1994 Don Sundquist (R) R+9.6
1990 Ned McWherter (D) D+24.2
1986 Ned McWherter (D) D+8.5
1982 Lamar Alexander (R) R+19.1
1978 Lamar Alexander (R) R+11.6
1974 L. Ray Blanton (D) D+11.7
1970 Winfield Dunn (R) R+6.0
1966 Buford Ellington (D) D+81.2
1962 Frank G. Clement (D) D+34.8
1958 Buford Ellington (D) D+49.2
1954 Frank G. Clement (D) D+86.7
1952 Frank G. Clement (D) D+58.7
1950 Gordon Browning (D) D+78.1
1948 Gordon Browning (D) D+33.8
1946 James N. McCord (D) D+33.4
1944 James N. McCord (D) D+26.5
1942 Prentice Cooper (D) D+40.3
1940 Prentice Cooper (D) D+44.2
1938 Prentice Cooper (D) D+43.4
1936 Gordon Browning (D) D+61.7
1934 Hill McAlister (D) D+61.8
1932 Hill McAlister (D) D+13.0
1930 Henry H. Horton (D) D+28.2
1928 Henry H. Horton (D) D+22.1
1926 Austin Peay (D) D+29.5
1924 Austin Peay (D) D+14.4
1922 Austin Peay (D) D+15.8
1920 Alfred A. Taylor (R) R+10.4
1918 Albert H. Roberts (D) D+25.0
1916 Tom C. Rye (D) D+11.0
1914 Tom C. Rye (D) D+7.8
1912 Ben W. Hooper (R) R+3.1
1910 Ben W. Hooper (R) R+4.3
1908 Malcolm R. Patterson (D) D+8.2
1906 Malcolm R. Patterson (D) D+9.4
1904 James B. Frazier (D) D+11.9
1902 James B. Frazier (D) D+25.0
1900 Benton McMillin (D) D+9.7
1898 Benton McMillin (D) D+18.2
1896 Robert L. Taylor (D) D+2.2
1894 Peter Turney (D) D+1.1
1892 Peter Turney (D) D+9.7
1890 John P. Buchanan (D) D+18.7
1888 Robert L. Taylor (D) D+6.0
1886 Robert L. Taylor (D) D+7.2
1884 William B. Bate (D) D+2.8
1882 William B. Bate (D) D+12.0
1880 Alvin Hawkins (R) R+10.2
1878 Albert S. Marks (D) D+31.2
1876 James D. Jr. Porter (D) D+62.7
1874 James D. Jr. Porter (D) D+29.8
1872 A. A. Freeman (R) R+100.0
1870 John C. Brown (D) D+31.1
1867 William G. Brownlow (R) R+76.8
1865 William G. Brownlow (R) R+99.9