The 1998 Oregon gubernatorial election took place on November 3, 1998. Incumbent Democrat John Kitzhaber easily defeated Republican Bill Sizemore to win a second term. Kitzhaber won 35 out of 36 counties; the only county won by Sizemore was Malheur County. This is the only gubernatorial election since 1982 in Oregon in which the margin of victory was in double digits. It is also the most recent election in which any county in Eastern Oregon or Southern Oregon voted for the Democratic nominee, and the most recent gubernatorial election in which a candidate would win while carrying the majority of the state's counties. Sizemore ran again for governor in 2010 and 2022 and lost the Republican primary both times.

This election was the first time where an incumbent Democratic Governor of Oregon was re-elected since 1906.

Primary election Oregon held primary elections on May 19, 1998.

Democratic party Candidates Dave Foley, retired engineer John Kitzhaber, incumbent governor Paul Damian Wells, anti-political party activist

Results

Republican party

Candidates Jeffrey Brady, dentist Walter Huss, former Chair of the Oregon Republican Party Bill Sizemore, anti-tax activist Bill Spidal, investor and former police officer

Results

General election

Campaign Incumbent governor Kitzhaber emphasized his support of education and the environment.

Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error JohnKitzhaber (D) BillSizemore (R) UndecidedDavis & HibbittsSeptember 30 – October 6, 1998618 (LV)± 4.0%70%17%13%Davis & HibbittsMarch 20–29, 1998618 (LV)± 4.0%67%26%7%

Results

Results by county Kitzhaber was the first Democrat since Charles H. Martin in 1934 to win Jefferson County, Josephine County, and Sherman County. As of 2026, this is also the most recent election in which those three counties, along with Baker County, Coos County, Crook County, Curry County, Deschutes County, Douglas County, Gilliam County, Grant County, Harney County, Jackson County, Klamath County, Lake County, Linn County, Morrow County, Polk County, Sherman County, Umatilla County, Union County, Wallowa County, Wheeler County, and Yamhill County have backed a Democrat in a gubernatorial election. County John KitzhaberDemocratic Bill SizemoreRepublican Richard P. BurkeLibertarian Blair BobierGreen All OthersVarious Margin Total votes cast # % # % # % # % # % # %Baker3,36053.23%2,63141.68%1101.74%350.55%1762.79%72911.55%6,312Benton20,27869.40%6,91823.67%5161.77%9523.26%5571.91%13,36045.72%29,221Clackamas73,55963.42%37,37232.22%1,9321.67%1,0680.92%2,0531.77%36,18731.20%115,984Clatsop9,08669.90%3,21224.71%2151.65%1511.16%3342.57%5,87445.19%12,998Columbia10,95665.16%4,86728.94%3652.17%1701.01%4572.72%6,08936.21%16,815Coos14,23359.59%7,97133.37%5202.18%3321.39%8283.47%6,26226.22%23,884Crook2,93453.31%2,31342.02%891.62%320.58%1362.47%62111.28%5,504Curry5,08655.06%3,49837.87%1872.02%810.88%3864.18%1,58817.19%9,238Deschutes22,27456.64%14,84037.73%8942.27%4751.21%8462.15%7,43418.90%39,329Douglas19,87454.43%14,34039.27%7802.14%2930.80%1,2293.37%5,53415.16%36,516Gilliam54369.00%22027.95%101.27%20.25%121.52%32341.04%787Grant1,58550.43%1,35443.08%742.35%110.35%1193.79%2317.35%3,143Harney1,32347.78%1,30847.24%270.98%80.29%1033.72%150.54%2,769Hood River3,93666.98%1,66228.28%881.50%881.50%1021.74%2,27438.70%5,876Jackson33,87559.52%19,98435.11%1,0771.89%6321.11%1,3452.36%13,89124.41%56,913Jefferson3,08060.32%1,77134.68%891.74%250.49%1412.76%1,30925.64%5,106Josephine13,17748.74%11,38242.10%7752.87%4071.51%1,2964.79%1,7956.64%27,037Klamath9,07449.14%8,46445.83%3601.95%970.53%4722.56%6103.30%18,467Lake1,51648.81%1,42545.88%622.00%180.58%852.74%912.93%3,106Lane76,99868.33%28,36725.17%2,1701.93%2,6342.34%2,5122.23%48,63143.16%112,681Lincoln11,85866.88%4,77626.94%3531.99%2891.63%4532.56%7,08239.95%17,729Linn19,74758.85%12,16336.25%6111.82%2670.80%7652.28%7,58422.60%33,553Malheur3,34845.26%3,71150.17%851.15%310.42%2223.00%-363-4.91%7,397Marion56,18164.53%26,85830.85%1,2921.48%7240.83%2,0062.30%29,32333.68%87,061Morrow1,73166.30%76629.34%250.96%120.46%772.95%96536.96%2,611Multnomah155,13773.29%42,65720.15%3,7351.76%5,0932.41%5,0612.39%112,48053.14%211,683Polk13,17363.67%6,58331.82%2821.36%1840.89%4672.26%6,59031.85%20,689Sherman56465.51%25429.50%252.90%20.23%161.86%31036.00%861Tillamook6,98068.53%2,71726.68%1551.52%1051.03%2282.24%4,26341.86%10,185Umatilla9,12763.86%4,54931.83%1941.36%720.50%3512.46%4,57832.03%14,293Union5,36460.72%3,01534.13%1571.78%540.61%2442.76%2,34926.59%8,834Wallowa1,71354.35%1,29441.05%521.65%190.60%742.35%41913.29%3,152Wasco5,78867.73%2,32827.24%1341.57%560.66%2402.81%3,46040.49%8,546Washington83,45565.52%38,68030.37%2,2021.73%1,1830.93%1,8491.45%44,77535.15%127,369Wheeler37654.18%26738.47%213.03%71.01%233.31%10915.71%694Yamhill15,77258.95%9,48435.45%5372.01%2340.87%7282.72%6,28823.50%26,755Total717,06164.42%334,00130.01%20,2001.81%15,8431.42%25,9932.34%383,06034.41%1,113,098

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic Baker Coos Crook Curry Deschutes Douglas Gilliam Grant Harney Jackson Jefferson Josephine Klamath Lake Linn Marion Morrow Polk Sherman Umatilla Union Wallowa Wheeler Yamhill

Notes

References