United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 7, 1978, in 36 states and two territories. The Republicans had a net gain of six seats, Democrats sustained a net loss of five seats, and there would be no governors of any other parties following these elections.

This was the first year in which Illinois held a gubernatorial election in a midterm election year since 1846. The state of Illinois moved its gubernatorial election date from presidential election years to midterm congressional election years. This election coincided with the Senate and the House elections.

Election results States State Incumbent Party Firstelected Result Candidates Alabama George Wallace 19621966 1970 Incumbent term-limited. New governor elected. Democratic hold. Alaska Jay Hammond 1974 Incumbent re-elected. Arizona Bruce Babbitt 1978 Incumbent elected to full term. Arkansas David Pryor 1974 Incumbent retired. New governor elected. Democratic hold. California Jerry Brown 1974 Incumbent re-elected. Colorado Richard Lamm 1974 Incumbent re-elected. Connecticut Ella Grasso 1974 Incumbent re-elected. Florida Reubin Askew 1970 Incumbent term-limited. New governor elected. Democratic hold. Georgia George Busbee 1974 Incumbent re-elected. Hawaii George Ariyoshi 1974 Incumbent re-elected. Idaho John Evans 1978 Incumbent elected to full term. Illinois James R. Thompson 1976 Incumbent re-elected. Iowa Robert D. Ray 1968 Incumbent re-elected. Kansas Robert F. Bennett 1974 Incumbent lost re-election. New governor elected. Democratic gain. Maine James B. Longley 1974 Incumbent retired. New governor elected. Democratic gain. Maryland Marvin Mandel(Blair Lee III, acting governor) 1969 Incumbent term-limited. New governor elected. Democratic hold. Massachusetts Michael Dukakis 1974 Incumbent lost re-nomination. New governor elected. Democratic hold. Michigan William Milliken 1969 Incumbent re-elected. Minnesota Rudy Perpich 1976 Incumbent lost election to full term. New governor elected. Republican gain. Nebraska J. James Exon 1970 Incumbent term-limited. New governor elected. Republican gain. Nevada Mike O'Callaghan 1970 Incumbent term-limited. New governor elected. Republican gain. New Hampshire Meldrim Thomson Jr. 1972 Incumbent lost re-election. New governor elected. Democratic gain. New Mexico Jerry Apodaca 1974 Incumbent term-limited. New governor elected. Democratic hold. New York Hugh Carey 1974 Incumbent re-elected. Ohio Jim Rhodes 19621970 1974 Incumbent re-elected. Oklahoma David Boren 1970 Incumbent retired. New governor elected. Democratic hold. Oregon Robert W. Straub 1974 Incumbent lost re-election. New governor elected. Republican gain. Pennsylvania Milton Shapp 1970 Incumbent term-limited. New governor elected. Republican gain. Rhode Island J. Joseph Garrahy 1976 Incumbent re-elected. South Carolina James B. Edwards 1974 Incumbent term-limited. New governor elected. Democratic gain. South Dakota Harvey L. Wollman 1978 Incumbent lost nomination. New governor elected. Republican gain. Tennessee Ray Blanton 1974 Incumbent term-limited. New governor elected. Republican gain. Texas Dolph Briscoe 1972 Incumbent lost re-nomination. New governor elected. Republican gain. Vermont Richard A. Snelling 1972 Incumbent re-elected. Wisconsin Martin J. Schreiber 1977 Incumbent lost election to full term. New governor elected. Republican gain. Wyoming Edgar Herschler 1974 Incumbent re-elected.

Territories and federal district Territory Incumbent Party Firstelected Result Candidates District of Columbia Walter Washington 1974 Incumbent lost renomination.New mayor elected.Democratic hold. Guam Ricardo Bordallo 1974 Incumbent lost re-election. New governor elected. Republican gain. U.S. Virgin Island Juan Francisco LuisICM 1978 Incumbent elected to full term.

Close states States where the margin of victory was under 1%: Texas, 0.8%

States where the margin of victory was under 5%: New Mexico, 1.1% Ohio, 1.7% Wyoming, 1.8% Kansas, 2.1% New Hampshire, 4.0% Guam, 4.2% Oklahoma, 4.5%

States where the margin of victory was under 10%: Massachusetts, 5.3% New York, 5.7% Pennsylvania, 6.1% Minnesota, 7.0% Arizona, 7.7% Wisconsin, 9.5% Oregon, 9.8%

Alabama

The 1978 Alabama gubernatorial election took place on November 7, 1978, to elect the governor of Alabama. Fob James, a businessman who had switched from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party and campaigned as a "born-again Democrat", won the Democratic primary in an upset over Attorney General Bill Baxley. He went on to defeat Guy Hunt in a landslide in the general election. Incumbent Democrat George Wallace was term limited and could not seek a third consecutive term; he later successfully ran again in 1982.

Alaska

The 1978 Alaska gubernatorial election took place on November 7, 1978, to elect the governor of Alaska. Republican incumbent Jay Hammond defeated four opponents: former Governor of Alaska and write-in candidate Wally Hickel, Alaska Senator and Democratic nominee Chancy Croft, former Commissioner of Natural Resources and Independent candidate Tom Kelly and Alaskan Independence Party nominee Don Wright. After losing to Hammond in the Republican primary, Hickel ran as a write-in candidate and was able to outperform Croft. Republican Tom Fink and Democrat Jay Kerttula also ran in the open primary.

This was the first time an incumbent Republican governor was re-elected for a second term, and this would not occur again until 2022.

Arizona

The 1978 Arizona gubernatorial election took place on November 7, 1978, for the post of Governor of Arizona. Democrat Bruce Babbitt defeated Republican nominee Evan Mecham. Babbitt was the former Attorney General of Arizona, but after the death of Governor Wesley Bolin, Babbit became governor. Bolin himself ascended to office from the position of Secretary of State, meaning his replacement, Rose Mofford was not eligible to the office as she was not elected. This drama of exchanging office would continue after Babbitt's term came to an end, as Mofford would become governor and succeeded Evan Mecham, Babbitt's challenger, in 1988.

Arkansas

The 1978 Arkansas gubernatorial election, held on November 7, was the first time that future president Bill Clinton was elected Governor of Arkansas.

California

The 1978 California gubernatorial election occurred on November 7, 1978. The Democratic incumbent, Jerry Brown, defeated the Republican nominee Attorney General Evelle J. Younger and independent candidate Ed Clark in a landslide.

Colorado

The 1978 Colorado gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1978. Incumbent Democrat Richard Lamm defeated Republican nominee Ted L. Strickland with 58.76% of the vote.

Connecticut

The 1978 Connecticut gubernatorial election was held on Tuesday November 7, to elect Governor of Connecticut, Incumbent Governor Ella Grasso and running mate William A. O'Neill defeated Republican candidate Ronald A. Sarasin and running mate Lewis Rome with 59.15% of the vote.

Florida

The 1978 Florida gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1978. Democratic nominee Bob Graham was elected, defeating Republican nominee Jack Eckerd with 55.59% of the vote.

Georgia

The 1978 Georgia gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1978. George Busbee was re-elected, the first time a Governor of Georgia was re-elected for a second four-year term under the amendment made to the constitution in 1976 and the first time overall after serving a complete first four-year term.

Hawaii

The 1978 Hawaii gubernatorial election was Hawaii's sixth gubernatorial election. The election was held on November 7, 1978, and resulted in a victory for the Democratic candidate, Governor George Ariyoshi over Republican candidate, State Senator John R. Leopold and three other candidates. Ariyoshi received more votes than any other candidate in every county in the state.

Idaho

The 1978 Idaho gubernatorial election was held on Tuesday, November 7, and incumbent Democrat John Evans defeated Republican nominee Allan Larsen with 58.75% of the vote.

Illinois

The 1978 Illinois gubernatorial election was held on Tuesday, November 7, 1978. Republican James R. Thompson easily won a second term in office, defeating Democratic nominee Michael Bakalis by nearly 600,000 votes.

Iowa

The 1978 Iowa gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1978. Incumbent Republican Robert D. Ray defeated Democratic nominee Jerome D. Fitzgerald with 58.32% of the vote.

Kansas

The 1978 Kansas gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1978. Democratic nominee John W. Carlin defeated incumbent Republican Robert Frederick Bennett with 49.4% of the vote.

Maine

The 1978 Maine gubernatorial election took place on November 7, 1978. Incumbent Independent Governor James B. Longley had promised to not seek a second term when he was elected in 1974, and held true to his pledge. Former State Senator Joseph E. Brennan of the Democratic Party defeated both challenger Republican Linwood E. Palmer Jr. and right-wing independent candidate Herman Frankland. Richard Carey unsuccessfully ran for the Democratic nomination, while Charles Cragin unsuccessfully ran for the Republican nomination.

Maryland

The 1978 Maryland gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1978. Democratic nominee Harry Hughes defeated Republican nominee John Glenn Beall Jr. with 70.62% of the vote.

Massachusetts

The 1978 Massachusetts gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1978. Former Massachusetts Port Authority executive director Edward J. King was elected to a four-year term, from January 4, 1979, until January 6, 1983. King won the Democratic nomination by defeating incumbent governor of Massachusetts Michael Dukakis in the Democratic primary.

Michigan

The 1978 Michigan gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1978. Incumbent Republican William Milliken was elected to a third term as Michigan Governor.

Minnesota

The 1978 Minnesota gubernatorial election took place on November 7, 1978. Independent-Republican Party candidate U.S. House Rep Al Quie defeated Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party incumbent Rudy Perpich.

Nebraska

The 1978 Nebraska gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1978, and featured U.S. Representative Charles Thone, a Republican, defeating Democratic nominee, Lieutenant Governor Gerald Whelan. Incumbent Governor J. James Exon, a Democrat, was barred from seeking a third term. Exon was elected to the U.S. Senate that same day.

Nevada

The 1978 Nevada gubernatorial election occurred on November 7, 1978. Incumbent Democratic governor Mike O'Callaghan was term limited. Republican nominee Robert List was elected Governor of Nevada, defeating Democratic nominee Robert E. Rose. Jack Lund Schofield unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination.

New Hampshire

The 1978 New Hampshire gubernatorial election took place on November 7, 1978. Incumbent Republican governor Meldrim Thomson Jr., who defeated former governor Wesley Powell for the Republican nomination, ran for a fourth term in office, but was defeated by former State Representative Hugh Gallen.

New Mexico

The 1978 New Mexico gubernatorial election took place on November 7, 1978, in order to elect the Governor of New Mexico. Due to term limits, incumbent Democrat Jerry Apodaca was ineligible to seek a second term as governor. Bruce King, a member of the Democratic Party who had previously served as governor from 1971 to 1975, won the open seat.

New York

The 1978 New York gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1978 to elect the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of New York. It was the first reelection of a Democratic governor in New York since 1938.

Ohio

The 1978 Ohio gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1978. Incumbent Republican Jim Rhodes defeated Democratic nominee Dick Celeste with 49.31% of the vote.

Oklahoma