# 1974 United States gubernatorial elections

United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 5, 1974, in 35 states and two territories. The Democrats achieved a net gain of four seats, Republicans took a net loss of five seats, and one Independent was elected to the governorship of a state. This election coincided with the Senate and the House elections.
In Iowa, Kansas, South Dakota and Texas, governors were elected to four-year terms for the first time, instead of two-year terms. As of 2025, this is the last time that a Democrat was elected South Dakota governor. This is the first time a woman has been elected governor whose husband was not governor of any state. (In this case, Connecticut.)

## Election results
### States

| State | Incumbent | Party | First elected | Result | Candidates |
| Alabama | George Wallace | Democratic | 1962 1966 (term-limited) 1970 | Incumbent re-elected. | Y George Wallace (Democratic) 83.16% Elvin McCary (Republican) 14.77% Jim Partain (Prohibition) 2.06% |
| Alaska | William A. Egan | Democratic | 1958 1966 (defeated) 1970 | Incumbent lost re-election. New governor elected. Republican gain. | Y Jay Hammond (Republican) 47.67% William A. Egan (Democratic) 47.37% Joe Vogler (Alaskan Ind.) 4.96% |
| Arizona | Jack Williams | Republican | 1966 | Incumbent retired. New governor elected. Democratic gain. | Y Raúl Héctor Castro (Democratic) 50.41% Russell Williams (Republican) 49.56% |
| Arkansas | Dale Bumpers | Democratic | 1970 | Incumbent retired. New governor elected. Democratic hold. | Y David Pryor (Democratic) 65.57% Ken Coon (Republican) 34.41% |
| California | Ronald Reagan | Republican | 1966 | Incumbent retired. New governor elected. Democratic gain. | Y Jerry Brown (Democratic) 50.11% Houston I. Flournoy (Republican) 47.25% Edmon Kaiser (AI) 1.34% Elizabeth Keathley (PF) 1.2% |
| Colorado | John D. Vanderhoof | Republican | 1973 | Incumbent lost election to full term. New governor elected. Democratic gain. | Y Richard Lamm (Democratic) 53.26% John D. Vanderhoof (Republican) 45.69% Earl Dodge (Prohibition) 0.77% Lann Meyers (U.S. Labor) 0.28% |
| Connecticut | Thomas Meskill | Republican | 1970 | Incumbent retired. New governor elected. Democratic gain. | Y Ella Grasso (Democratic) 58.35% Robert H. Steele (Republican) 39.91% Thomas Pallone (George Wallace Party) 1.51% Allen Peichert (American) 0.21% |
| Florida | Reubin Askew | Democratic | 1970 | Incumbent re-elected. | Y Reubin Askew (Democratic) 58.35% Jerry Thomas (Republican) 38.8% |
| Georgia | Jimmy Carter | Democratic | 1970 | Incumbent term-limited. New governor elected. Democratic hold. | Y George Busbee (Democratic) 69.07% Ronnie Thompson (Republican) 30.87% |
| Hawaii | John A. Burns | Democratic | 1962 | Incumbent retired. New governor elected. Democratic hold. | Y George Ariyoshi (Democratic) 54.58% Randolph Crossley (Republican) 45.42% |
| Idaho | Cecil Andrus | Democratic | 1970 | Incumbent re-elected. | Y Cecil Andrus (Democratic) 70.92% Jack M. Murphy (Republican) 26.47% Nolan Victor (American) 2.6% |
| Iowa | Robert D. Ray | Republican | 1968 | Incumbent re-elected. | Y Robert D. Ray (Republican) 58.07% James Schaben (Democratic) 41.02% Ralph Scott (American) 0.9% |
| Kansas | Robert Docking | Democratic | 1966 | Incumbent term-limited. New governor elected. Republican gain. | Y Robert Frederick Bennett (Republican) 49.47% Vern Miller (Democratic) 49% Marshall Uncapher (Prohibition) 1.53% |
| Maine | Kenneth M. Curtis | Democratic | 1970 | Incumbent term-limited. New governor elected. Independent gain. | Y James B. Longley (Independent) 39.14% George J. Mitchell (Democratic) 36.33% James Erwin (Republican) 23.13% Stanley Leen (Independent) 0.79% William B. Hughes (Independent) 0.36% |
| Maryland | Marvin Mandel | Democratic | 1966 | Incumbent re-elected. | Y Marvin Mandel (Democratic) 63.5% Louise Gore (Republican) 36.5% |
| Massachusetts | Francis Sargent | Republican | 1969 | Incumbent lost re-election. New governor elected. Democratic gain. | Y Michael Dukakis (Democratic) 53.5% Francis Sargent (Republican) 42.29% Leo Kahian (American) 3.4% Donald Gurewitz (Socialist Workers) .81% |
| Michigan | William Milliken | Republican | 1969 | Incumbent re-elected. | Y William Milliken (Republican) 51.07% Sander Levin (Democratic) 46.75% Zolton Ferency (Human Rights) 1.08% Hugh M. Davidson (American Independent) .76% Eldon Andrews (Conservative) .16% |
| Minnesota | Wendell R. Anderson | Democratic | 1970 | Incumbent re-elected. | Y Wendell R. Anderson (Democratic) 62.8% John W. Johnson (Republican) 29.35% James Miles (Independent) 4.8% Harry Pool (American) 1.63% Jane VanDeusen (Socialist Workers) .74% Erwin Marquit (Communist) .28% |
| Nebraska | J. James Exon | Democratic | 1970 | Incumbent re-elected. | Y J. James Exon (Democratic) 59.16% Richard Marvel (Republican) 35.4% Ernie Chambers (Independent) 5.39% |
| Nevada | Mike O'Callaghan | Democratic | 1970 | Incumbent re-elected. | Y Mike O'Callaghan (Democratic) 67.38% Shirley Crumpler (Republican) 17.1% James R. Houston (Ind. American) 15.52% |
| New Hampshire | Meldrim Thomson Jr. | Republican | 1972 | Incumbent re-elected. | Y Meldrim Thomson Jr. (Republican) 51.15% Richard W. Leonard (Democratic) 48.79% |
| New Mexico | Bruce King | Democratic | 1970 | Incumbent term-limited. New governor elected. Democratic hold. | Y Jerry Apodaca (Democratic) 49.94% Joe Skeen (Republican) 48.8% Gene Gonzales (American Independent) 1.26% |
| New York | Malcolm Wilson | Republican | 1973 | Incumbent lost election to full term. New governor elected. Democratic gain. | Y Hugh Carey (Democratic) 57.22% Malcolm Wilson (Republican) 41.94% Wayne Amato (Courage) 0.24% |
| Ohio | John J. Gilligan | Democratic | 1970 | Incumbent lost re-election. New governor elected. Republican gain. | Y Jim Rhodes (Republican) 48.62% John J. Gilligan (Democratic) 48.25% Nancy Lazar (Independent) 3.11% |
| Oklahoma | David Hall | Democratic | 1970 | Incumbent lost re-nomination. New governor elected. Democratic hold. | Y David Boren (Democratic) 63.91% Jim Inhofe (Republican) 36.09% |
| Oregon | Tom McCall | Republican | 1966 | Incumbent term-limited. New governor elected. Democratic gain. | Y Robert W. Straub (Democratic) 57.73% Victor Atiyeh (Republican) 42.14% |
| Pennsylvania | Milton Shapp | Democratic | 1970 | Incumbent re-elected. | Y Milton Shapp (Democratic) 53.66% Andrew L. Lewis Jr. (Republican) 45.11% Stephen Depue (Constitutionalist) 0.96% Frederick L. Stanton (Socialist Workers) 0.26% |
| Rhode Island | Philip Noel | Democratic | 1972 | Incumbent re-elected. | Y Philip Noel (Democratic) 78.48% James Nugent (Republican) 21.52% |
| South Carolina | John C. West | Democratic | 1970 | Incumbent term-limited. New governor elected. Republican gain. | Y James B. Edwards (Republican) 50.68% William Jennings Bryan Dorn (Democratic) 47.41% Penny Jennings (Independent) 1.58% Charles Ravenel (Write-in) .12% |
| South Dakota | Richard F. Kneip | Democratic | 1970 | Incumbent re-elected. | Y Richard F. Kneip (Democratic) 53.61% John E. Olson (Republican) 46.39% |
| Tennessee | Winfield Dunn | Republican | 1970 | Incumbent term-limited. New governor elected. Democratic gain. | Y Ray Blanton (Democratic) 55.88% Lamar Alexander (Republican) 44.12% |
| Texas | Dolph Briscoe | Democratic | 1972 | Incumbent re-elected. | Y Dolph Briscoe (Democratic) 61.41 Jim Granberry (Republican) 31.1% Ramsey Muniz (La Raza Unida) 5.64% Sam McDonnell (American) 1.34% Sherry Smith (Socialist Workers) 0.2% |
| Vermont | Thomas P. Salmon | Democratic | 1972 | Incumbent re-elected. | Y Thomas P. Salmon (Democratic) 63.03% Walter L. Kennedy (Republican) 32.36% Martha Abbott (Liberty Union) 4.6% |
| Wisconsin | Patrick Lucey | Democratic | 1970 | Incumbent re-elected. | Y Patrick Lucey (Democratic) 53.2% William Dyke (Republican) 42.08% William H. Upham Jr. (American) 2.84% Crazy Jim (Independent) 1.03% William O. Hart (Socialist) 0.43% |
| Wyoming | Stanley K. Hathaway | Republican | 1966 | Incumbent retired. New governor elected. Democratic gain. | Y Edgar Herschler (Democratic) 55.88% Dick Jones (Republican) 44.12% |

### Territories and federal district

| Territory | Incumbent | Party | First elected | Result | Candidates |
| District of Columbia | None (New office) | None (New office) | None (New office) | New office. New mayor elected. Democratic gain. | Y Walter Washington (Democratic) 82.5% Sam Harris (Independent) 7.3% Jackson R. Champion (Republican) 3.7% Raymond V. Ellis (Independent) 2.9% Nan Bailey (Socialist Workers) 2.3% Tommye Lynn Grant (Independent) 1.3% |
| Guam | Carlos Camacho | Republican | 1970 | Incumbent lost re-election. New governor elected. Democratic gain. | Y Ricardo Bordallo (Democratic) 51.4% Carlos Camacho (Republican) 48.6% |

## Closest races

States where the margin of victory was under 1%:
* Alaska, 0.3%
* Ohio, 0.37%
* Kansas, 0.47%
* Arizona, 0.85%
States where the margin of victory was under 5%:
* New Mexico, 1.14%
* New Hampshire, 2.36%
* Guam, 2.8%
* Maine, 2.81%
* California, 2.86%
* South Carolina, 3.27%
* Michigan, 4.32%
States where the margin of victory was under 10%:
* South Dakota, 7.22%
* Colorado, 7.57%
* Pennsylvania, 8.55%
* Hawaii, 9.16%