Election 1986 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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1986 Tennessee governor election
Ned McWherter (Democrat) beat Winfield Dunn (Republican) in Tennessee in 1986, 54.2% to 45.7%, a margin of 8.5 points and 103,153 votes.
Tennessee changed party: in 1982 it went Republican, for Lamar Alexander.
Democrats led in 76 of the 95 counties as they stood then and Republicans in 19. The largest, Shelby, cast 195,748 votes and went to the Democrat by 5.1 points. The closest was Johnson, where 47 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ned McWherter won | Democratic | 656,602 | 54.2% |
| Winfield Dunn | Republican | 553,449 | 45.7% |
| All other candidates | 288 | 0.0% | |
| Total | 1,210,339 |
Every county
| County | Democrat | Republican | Others | Total | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelby | 102,762 52.5% | 92,776 47.4% | 210 | 195,748 | D+5.1 |
| Davidson | 76,116 53.9% | 64,976 46.0% | 27 | 141,119 | D+7.9 |
| Knox | 34,356 42.5% | 46,393 57.4% | 6 | 80,755 | R+14.9 |
| Hamilton | 34,765 45.4% | 41,737 54.6% | 1 | 76,503 | R+9.1 |
| Sullivan | 20,369 55.5% | 16,326 44.5% | 5 | 36,700 | D+11.0 |
| Madison | 12,444 50.8% | 12,041 49.2% | 24,485 | D+1.6 | |
| Sumner | 12,546 53.2% | 11,036 46.8% | 1 | 23,583 | D+6.4 |
| Rutherford | 11,711 53.1% | 10,327 46.9% | 1 | 22,039 | D+6.3 |
| Washington | 13,207 60.5% | 8,620 39.5% | 1 | 21,828 | D+21.0 |
| Blount | 8,486 40.3% | 12,558 59.7% | 6 | 21,050 | R+19.3 |
| Williamson | 7,683 37.5% | 12,782 62.5% | 20,465 | R+24.9 | |
| Anderson | 9,516 50.5% | 9,326 49.5% | 2 | 18,844 | D+1.0 |
| Bradley | 7,085 41.9% | 9,825 58.1% | 16,910 | R+16.2 | |
| Wilson | 9,464 56.1% | 7,414 43.9% | 1 | 16,879 | D+12.1 |
| Montgomery | 9,286 56.4% | 7,179 43.6% | 16,465 | D+12.8 | |
| Roane | 7,675 53.7% | 6,614 46.3% | 14,289 | D+7.4 | |
| Gibson | 9,463 66.4% | 4,795 33.6% | 14,258 | D+32.7 | |
| Maury | 7,821 60.3% | 5,159 39.7% | 12,980 | D+20.5 | |
| Putnam | 7,531 59.6% | 5,113 40.4% | 12,644 | D+19.1 | |
| Greene | 5,610 47.4% | 6,230 52.6% | 11,840 | R+5.2 | |
| Carter | 6,586 57.4% | 4,895 42.6% | 1 | 11,482 | D+14.7 |
| Hamblen | 5,989 55.5% | 4,800 44.5% | 10,789 | D+11.0 | |
| McMinn | 4,810 45.5% | 5,754 54.5% | 2 | 10,566 | R+8.9 |
| Coffee | 6,127 59.6% | 4,152 40.4% | 2 | 10,281 | D+19.2 |
| Weakley | 8,199 80.8% | 1,943 19.2% | 2 | 10,144 | D+61.7 |
| Lawrence | 5,788 58.2% | 4,155 41.8% | 1 | 9,944 | D+16.4 |
| Sevier | 3,246 32.6% | 6,697 67.3% | 1 | 9,944 | R+34.7 |
| Hawkins | 5,316 55.3% | 4,302 44.7% | 1 | 9,619 | D+10.5 |
| Carroll | 6,014 64.1% | 3,372 35.9% | 9,386 | D+28.1 | |
| Henry | 7,455 80.5% | 1,811 19.5% | 9,266 | D+60.9 | |
| Robertson | 6,202 67.1% | 3,042 32.9% | 1 | 9,245 | D+34.2 |
| Dickson | 6,087 66.3% | 3,094 33.7% | 9,181 | D+32.6 | |
| Cumberland | 4,137 46.4% | 4,779 53.6% | 8,916 | R+7.2 | |
| Loudon | 3,846 47.2% | 4,299 52.8% | 8,145 | R+5.6 | |
| Franklin | 5,300 65.2% | 2,827 34.8% | 2 | 8,129 | D+30.4 |
| Dyer | 5,009 61.7% | 3,107 38.3% | 1 | 8,117 | D+23.4 |
| Warren | 5,359 67.2% | 2,611 32.8% | 7,970 | D+34.5 | |
| Obion | 5,827 73.5% | 2,106 26.5% | 7,933 | D+46.9 | |
| Monroe | 3,764 47.8% | 4,104 52.2% | 7,868 | R+4.3 | |
| Jefferson | 3,513 45.5% | 4,205 54.5% | 3 | 7,721 | R+9.0 |
| McNairy | 4,198 56.3% | 3,256 43.7% | 7,454 | D+12.6 | |
| Bedford | 4,811 65.6% | 2,524 34.4% | 7,335 | D+31.2 | |
| Campbell | 4,379 60.2% | 2,892 39.8% | 7,271 | D+20.5 | |
| Tipton | 4,242 59.0% | 2,951 41.0% | 7,193 | D+17.9 | |
| Marion | 4,253 60.5% | 2,775 39.5% | 7,028 | D+21.0 | |
| Henderson | 3,173 49.1% | 3,291 50.9% | 6,464 | R+1.8 | |
| Rhea | 3,320 51.5% | 3,124 48.5% | 1 | 6,445 | D+3.0 |
| Claiborne | 3,250 55.3% | 2,622 44.7% | 5,872 | D+10.7 | |
| Hardeman | 3,708 64.3% | 2,055 35.7% | 5,763 | D+28.7 | |
| Hardin | 3,085 53.7% | 2,658 46.3% | 5,743 | D+7.4 | |
| Giles | 4,007 70.1% | 1,712 29.9% | 5,719 | D+40.1 | |
| Lauderdale | 3,943 71.0% | 1,613 29.0% | 5,556 | D+41.9 | |
| Fayette | 3,398 61.2% | 2,154 38.8% | 3 | 5,555 | D+22.4 |
| Cocke | 2,422 44.3% | 3,042 55.7% | 5,464 | R+11.3 | |
| Cheatham | 3,362 61.6% | 2,099 38.4% | 5,461 | D+23.1 | |
| Humphreys | 4,138 76.1% | 1,299 23.9% | 5,437 | D+52.2 | |
| Benton | 3,947 73.2% | 1,444 26.8% | 5,391 | D+46.4 | |
| Marshall | 3,637 67.6% | 1,743 32.4% | 5,380 | D+35.2 | |
| Lincoln | 3,500 68.9% | 1,577 31.1% | 5,077 | D+37.9 | |
| White | 3,353 67.0% | 1,653 33.0% | 5,006 | D+34.0 | |
| Haywood | 3,071 62.9% | 1,808 37.0% | 2 | 4,881 | D+25.9 |
| Hickman | 3,207 69.1% | 1,432 30.9% | 4,639 | D+38.3 | |
| Smith | 3,194 72.5% | 1,213 27.5% | 4,407 | D+45.0 | |
| Overton | 2,878 70.0% | 1,231 30.0% | 4,109 | D+40.1 | |
| Dekalb | 2,795 68.4% | 1,290 31.6% | 4,085 | D+36.8 | |
| Morgan | 3,015 74.0% | 1,062 26.0% | 4,077 | D+47.9 | |
| Unicoi | 2,313 57.2% | 1,730 42.8% | 2 | 4,045 | D+14.4 |
| Polk | 2,214 56.0% | 1,739 44.0% | 3,953 | D+12.0 | |
| Decatur | 2,503 64.7% | 1,367 35.3% | 3,870 | D+29.4 | |
| Wayne | 1,735 45.8% | 2,052 54.2% | 3,787 | R+8.4 | |
| Chester | 1,913 53.1% | 1,689 46.9% | 3,602 | D+6.2 | |
| Crockett | 2,249 63.1% | 1,317 36.9% | 3,566 | D+26.1 | |
| Fentress | 1,828 53.5% | 1,592 46.5% | 3,420 | D+6.9 | |
| Macon | 1,898 56.3% | 1,473 43.7% | 3,371 | D+12.6 | |
| Scott | 1,924 59.6% | 1,302 40.4% | 3,226 | D+19.3 | |
| Johnson | 1,582 49.3% | 1,629 50.7% | 3,211 | R+1.5 | |
| Grundy | 2,254 71.1% | 914 28.9% | 3,168 | D+42.3 | |
| Cannon | 2,141 70.0% | 916 30.0% | 3,057 | D+40.1 | |
| Jackson | 2,325 76.7% | 708 23.3% | 3,033 | D+53.3 | |
| Bledsoe | 1,471 48.7% | 1,549 51.3% | 3,020 | R+2.6 | |
| Grainger | 1,581 52.7% | 1,420 47.3% | 3,001 | D+5.4 | |
| Union | 1,538 55.0% | 1,256 45.0% | 2,794 | D+10.1 | |
| Lewis | 1,893 67.8% | 900 32.2% | 2,793 | D+35.6 | |
| Stewart | 2,024 72.8% | 757 27.2% | 2,781 | D+45.6 | |
| Sequatchie | 1,381 60.4% | 907 39.6% | 2,288 | D+20.7 | |
| Meigs | 1,222 53.6% | 1,059 46.4% | 2,281 | D+7.1 | |
| Clay | 1,228 58.1% | 885 41.9% | 2,113 | D+16.2 | |
| Houston | 1,562 75.0% | 522 25.0% | 2,084 | D+49.9 | |
| Perry | 1,438 73.3% | 525 26.7% | 1,963 | D+46.5 | |
| Hancock | 875 48.2% | 940 51.7% | 2 | 1,817 | R+3.6 |
| Lake | 1,153 73.9% | 407 26.1% | 1,560 | D+47.8 | |
| Pickett | 674 44.2% | 851 55.8% | 1,525 | R+11.6 | |
| Trousdale | 1,165 76.4% | 359 23.6% | 1,524 | D+52.9 | |
| Van Buren | 990 67.3% | 480 32.7% | 1,470 | D+34.7 | |
| Moore | 772 65.8% | 402 34.2% | 1,174 | D+31.5 |
Counties as they stood in 1986; 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
| Year | Winner | Margin |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |