Louisiana gubernatorial election, 1979
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The Louisiana gubernatorial election of 1979 resulted in the election of David Treen as the first Republican governor of Louisiana since Reconstruction.
[edit] Background
Elections in Louisiana—with the exception of U.S. presidential elections—follow a variation of the open primary system called the jungle primary. Candidates of any and all parties are listed on one ballot; voters need not limit themselves to the candidates of one party. Unless one candidate takes more than 50% of the vote in the first round, a run-off election is then held between the top two candidates, who may in fact be members of the same party.[2] In this election, the first round of voting was held on October 27, 1979. The runoff was held on December 8, 1979.
[edit] Results
First voting round, October 24
| Candidate | Party affiliation | Votes received | Percentage of votes cast |
|---|---|---|---|
| David Treen | Republican | 297,674 | |
| Louis Lambert | Democrat | 283,266 | |
| Jimmy Fitzmorris | Democrat | 280,760 | |
| Paul Hardy | Democrat | 227,026 | |
| E.L. "Bubba" Henry | Democrat | 135,769 | |
| Edgar G. "Sonny" Mouton, Jr. | Democrat | 124,333 | |
| Luther Devine Knox | Democrat | 6,327 | |
| Ken Lewis | Democrat | 5,942 | |
| Greg Nelson | No Party | 4,783 |
Runoff, December 8
| Candidate | Party affiliation | Votes received | Percentage of votes cast |
|---|---|---|---|
| David Treen | Republican | 690,691 | |
| Louis Lambert | Democrat | 681,134 |
| Preceded by 1975 gubernatorial election |
Louisiana gubernatorial elections | Succeeded by 1983 gubernatorial election |
[edit] Sources
State of Louisiana. Primary and General Election Returns, 1979.
