1982 Alaska gubernatorial election

1982 Alaska gubernatorial election

← 1978 November 2, 1982 1986 →
 
Nominee Bill Sheffield Tom Fink Dick Randolph
Party Democratic Republican Libertarian
Running mate Steve McAlpine Mike Colletta Donnis Thompson
Popular vote 89,918 72,291 29,067
Percentage 46.12% 37.09% 14.91%

Results by state house district
Sheffield:      30–40%      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%
Fink:      30–40%      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%

Governor before election

Jay Hammond
Republican

Elected Governor

Bill Sheffield
Democratic

The 1982 Alaska gubernatorial election took place on November 2, 1982, for the post of Governor of Alaska. To replace outgoing Republican governor Jay Hammond, Democratic nominee Bill Sheffield defeated three opponents: Republican nominee Tom Fink, Libertarian nominee Dick Randolph and Alaskan Independence Party nominee Joe Vogler. Hammond had endorsed his lieutenant governor, Terry Miller, who lost the Republican nomination to Fink in the primary election, as did Don Wright. Sheffield defeated Steve Cowper and former Lieutenant Governor H. A. Boucher for the Democratic nomination.

As of 2023, this is the earliest gubernatorial election in Alaska in which at least one candidate, Dick Randolph, is still living. Randolph was one of the few third party candidates in Alaska's history to have served in office, serving two terms as a Libertarian in the state house before running for governor. Randolph, as a member of a political party not recognized by the state, gained access to the ballot via a nominating petition. He garnered nearly fifteen percent of the vote, to date the highest percentage received by any Libertarian Party gubernatorial candidate. His running mate, Donnis Thompson, who was married to the mayor of the Kenai Peninsula Borough, was the only woman on a statewide ballot in this year's elections, as well as one of the first in Alaskan history.

Results

1982 Alaska gubernatorial election[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Bill Sheffield 89,918 46.12% +15.90%
Republican Tom Fink 72,291 37.09% -1.98%
Libertarian Dick Randolph 29,067 14.91%
Independence Joe Vogler 3,235 1.66% -0.28%
Write-in votes 374 0.19% -26.25%
Majority 17,627 9.04%
Turnout 194,885
Democratic gain from Republican Swing

References

  1. ^ "1982 Gubernatorial General Election Results – Alaska" (PDF). Alaska Division of Elections. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 2, 2009. Retrieved August 31, 2009.


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