The 1998 New Mexico gubernatorial election was a contest to elect the next governor of New Mexico. The winner of the election would serve a term from January 1, 1999 until January 1, 2003. Incumbent Republican (now Libertarian) Governor Gary Johnson was re-elected to a second term. As of 2024, this is the last time a non-Hispanic was elected governor of New Mexico.
In his campaign, Johnson promised to continue the policies of his first term: improving schools; cutting state spending, taxes, and bureaucracy; and frequent use of his veto and line-item veto power.[1] Fielding a strong Hispanic candidate in a 40% Hispanic state, the Democrats were expected to oust Johnson,[2] but Johnson won by a margin of 55% to 45%.[3] This made him the first governor of New Mexico to serve two successive four-year terms after term limits were expanded to two terms in 1991.[4] Johnson made the promotion of a school voucher system a "hallmark issue" of his second term.[5]
This election is the first time since 1968 that an incumbent Republican Governor of New Mexico was re-elected or won re-election.
In his campaign, Johnson promised to continue the policies of his first term: improving schools; cutting state spending, taxes, and bureaucracy; and frequent use of his veto and line-item veto power.[1] Fielding a strong Hispanic candidate in a 40% Hispanic state, the Democrats were expected to oust Johnson,[2] but Johnson won by a margin of 55% to 45%.[3] This made him the first governor of New Mexico to serve two successive four-year terms after term limits were expanded to two terms in 1991.[4] Johnson made the promotion of a school voucher system a "hallmark issue" of his second term.[5]
^The New Mexico Secretary of State has not published the complete statewide general election canvass on its 1998 election page. The county results can be obtained from the individual county pages and the statewide total from an archived version of the Secretary of State's website
.jpg)
