# 1986 Arizona gubernatorial election

Elections in Arizona :
Federal government
Presidential elections
1912
1916
1920
1924
1928
1932
1936
1940
1944
1948
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Presidential primaries
Democratic
2004
2008
2016
2020
2024
Republican
2008
2012
2016
2024
U.S. Senate elections
1912
1914
1916
1920
1922
1926
1928
1932
1934
1938
1940
1944
1946
1950
1952
1956
1958
1962
1964
1968
1970
1974
1976
1980
1982
1986
1988
1992
1994
1998
2000
2004
2006
2010
2012
2016
2018
2020 sp
2022
2024
2028
U.S. House of Representatives elections
1911
1912
1914
1916
1918
1920
1922
1924
1926
1928
1930
1932
1933
AL sp
1934
1936
1938
1940
1942
1944
1946
1948
1950
1952
1954
1956
1958
1960
1961
2nd sp
1962
1964
1966
1968
1970
1972
1974
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1991
2nd sp
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
8th
2008
2010
2012
8th sp
2014
2016
2018
8th sp
2020
2022
2024 :
State government
State elections
2006
2010
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
Gubernatorial elections
1911
1914
1916
1918
1920
1922
1924
1926
1928
1930
1932
1934
1936
1938
1940
1942
1944
1946
1948
1950
1952
1954
1956
1958
1960
1962
1964
1966
1968
1970
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022
2026
Secretary of State elections
2014
2018
2022
2026
Attorney General elections
2018
2022
2026
Treasurer elections
2022
Superintendent elections
2018
2022
Senate elections
1956
1958
1960
1962
1964
1966
1968
1970
1972
1974
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
House of Representatives elections
1956
1958
1960
1962
1964
1966
1968
1970
1972
1974
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024 :
Ballot measures
List of Arizona ballot propositions
2000
203
2004
200
2006
107
204
207
2008
102
2010
100
203
2020
207
2024
139 :
Phoenix
Mayoral elections
2011
2015
2018–19 (sp)
2020
2024 :
Tucson
Mayoral elections
1991
1995
1999
2003
2007
2011
2015
2019
2023 :
Other localities
Gilbert
2012
Glendale
2012
2016
Maricopa County
2024
Mesa
2008
2012
2020
2024
Scottsdale
2008
2012 :
vte :
The 1986 Arizona gubernatorial election took place on November 4, 1986, for the post of Governor of Arizona. Republican Evan Mecham, who defeated Burton Barr for the Republican nomination, defeated the Democratic nominee and State Superintendent Carolyn Warner and independent candidate Bill Schulz.
Mecham's victory in the primary and general elections are considered among the greatest political surprises in Arizona history. Ultimately, Mecham did not complete his full four-year term in office; he was impeached and removed from office in 1988.
This was the first gubernatorial election in which La Paz County participated after separating from Yuma County in between this election and the one just before it.

## Background

Bruce Babbitt, who succeed to the office of Governor upon the 1978 death of Wesley Bolin, chose not to run for a third term in office. Babbitt was first elected over Evan Mecham in 1978 and re-elected in a landslide in 1982; some speculated that he would seek to succeed Barry Goldwater in the United States Senate, but Babbitt ultimately focused on a run for President of the United States in 1988.
Although no Republican had been elected Governor of Arizona since 1970, President Ronald Reagan had carried the state with record margins in 1980 and 1984.

## Democratic primary
### Candidates

* Tony Mason, candidate for U.S. House in 1976
* Dave Moss, candidate for governor in 1978 and 1982
* Carolyn Warner, Superintendent of Public Instruction

#### Withdrew

* Bill Schulz, businessman and Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in 1980

### Results

Democratic primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Carolyn Warner | 106,687 | 50.64% |
| | Democratic | Tony Mason | 92,413 | 43.86% |
| | Democratic | Dave Moss | 11,588 | 5.50% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 210,688 | 100.00% |

## Republican primary
### Candidates

* Burton Barr, House Majority Leader and State Representative from Phoenix
* Evan Mecham, auto dealer and perennial candidate

### Campaign

Barr, who was personally recruited by President Reagan to run for governor and had the universal support of the state Republican establishment, was the heavy favorite. His campaign largely ignored Mecham, who launched negative attacks on Barr and the state party generally. When Republicans responded to Mecham's criticism, such as when the Senate Republican leader called him an "ethical pygmy," his popularity with voters rose.

### Results

1986 Republican gubernatorial primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Evan Mecham | 121,614 | 53.74% |
| | Republican | Burton Barr | 104,682 | 46.26% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 226,296 | 100.00% |
Mecham's primary victory over Barr was received as "the biggest upset in Arizona" since Barry Goldwater's 1952 victory over United States Senator Ernest McFarland.

## General election
### Candidates

* Evan Mecham, auto dealer and perennial candidate (Republican)
* Bill Schulz, businessman and Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in 1980 (Independent)
* Carolyn Warner, Superintendent of Public Instruction (Democratic)

### Predictions

| Source | Rating | As of |
| The Cook Political Report | Toss Up | October 28, 1986 |

### Results

Arizona gubernatorial election, 1986 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Evan Mecham | 343,913 | 39.67% | +7.20% |
| | Democratic | Carolyn Warner | 298,986 | 34.49% | −27.98% |
| | Independent | Bill Schulz | 224,085 | 25.85% | +25.85% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 44,927 | 5.18% | |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 866,984 | 100.00% | |
| | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Swing | +35.18% | |

### Results by county

| County | Evan Mecham Republican | Evan Mecham Republican | Carolyn Warner Democratic | Carolyn Warner Democratic | Bill Schulz Independent | Bill Schulz Independent | Margin | Margin | Total votes cast |
| County | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | Total votes cast |
| Apache | 2,965 | 26.52% | 6,936 | 62.04% | 1,279 | 11.44% | -3,971 | -35.52% | 11,180 |
| Cochise | 8,484 | 38.52% | 8,368 | 37.99% | 5,174 | 23.49% | 116 | 0.53% | 22,026 |
| Coconino | 6,647 | 28.04% | 11,492 | 48.48% | 5,565 | 23.48% | -4,845 | -20.44% | 23,704 |
| Gila | 4,779 | 34.45% | 5,775 | 41.63% | 3,319 | 23.92% | -996 | -7.18% | 13,873 |
| Graham | 3,257 | 47.13% | 2,381 | 34.46% | 1,272 | 18.41% | 876 | 12.68% | 6,910 |
| Greenlee | 991 | 33.24% | 1,218 | 40.86% | 772 | 25.90% | -227 | -7.61% | 2,981 |
| La Paz | 1,352 | 38.99% | 1,201 | 34.63% | 915 | 26.38% | 151 | 4.35% | 3,468 |
| Maricopa | 213,049 | 43.06% | 142,540 | 28.81% | 139,231 | 28.14% | 70,509 | 14.25% | 494,820 |
| Mohave | 9,333 | 43.20% | 7,969 | 36.89% | 4,300 | 19.91% | 1,364 | 6.31% | 21,602 |
| Navajo | 6,250 | 37.77% | 7,527 | 45.49% | 2,769 | 16.74% | -1,277 | -7.72% | 16,546 |
| Pima | 56,598 | 32.97% | 72,366 | 42.16% | 42,700 | 24.87% | -15,768 | -9.19% | 171,664 |
| Pinal | 8,244 | 33.35% | 11,127 | 45.02% | 5,347 | 21.63% | -2,883 | -11.66% | 24,718 |
| Santa Cruz | 1,490 | 28.10% | 2,349 | 44.30% | 1,464 | 27.61% | -859 | -16.20% | 5,303 |
| Yavapai | 15,000 | 46.91% | 10,288 | 32.17% | 6,688 | 20.92% | 4,712 | 14.74% | 31,976 |
| Yuma | 5,474 | 33.76% | 7,449 | 45.94% | 3,290 | 20.29% | -1,975 | -12.18% | 16,213 |
| Totals | 343,913 | 39.67% | 298,986 | 34.49% | 224,085 | 25.85% | 44,927 | 5.18% | 866,984 |

#### Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

* Cochise
* Graham
* Maricopa
* Mohave
* Yavapai