1985 United States gubernatorial elections
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3 governorships 2 states; 1 territory | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Republican hold
Democratic hold | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 5, 1985, in two states and one territory. Both seats remained in their respective parties' controls, as Democrat Gerald Baliles held the open seat in Virginia, while Republican incumbent Thomas Kean was reelected in New Jersey.
Election results
[edit]| State | Incumbent | Party | First elected |
Result | Candidates |
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| New Jersey | Thomas Kean | Republican | 1981 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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| Virginia | Chuck Robb | Democratic | 1981 | Incumbent term-limited. New governor elected. Democratic hold. |
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New Jersey
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   Kean: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | |||||||||||||||||
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The 1985 New Jersey gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 1985. Incumbent Republican Governor Thomas Kean won a landslide re-election against the Democratic candidate, Essex County Executive Peter Shapiro. As of 2025, Kean's is the largest margin in terms of percentage and raw votes in all New Jersey gubernatorial elections.[3] Kean was the first Republican to be re-elected governor since 1949, and the first Republican to ever win two four-year terms.
Virginia
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| Turnout | 53.0% (voting eligible)[4] | ||||||||||||||||
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 County and independent city results Baliles: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Durrette: 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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In the 1985 Virginia gubernatorial election, incumbent Governor Chuck Robb, a Democrat, was unable to seek re-election due to term limits. Jerry Baliles, the Attorney General of Virginia, was nominated by the Democratic Party to run against the Republican nominee, Wyatt B. Durrette.
References
[edit]- ^ Leip, David. "1985 Gubernatorial General Election Results - New Jersey". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 1, 2025.
- ^ Leip, David. "1985 Gubernatorial General Election Results - Virginia". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 1, 2025.
- ^ O'Neill, Erin (November 29, 2012). "Raymond Bateman says Tom Kean won the 1985 gubernatorial election by largest margin in state's history". PolitiFact New Jersey. Retrieved June 16, 2015.
- ^ Virginia Department of Elections (2016). "Registration/Turnout Statistics". The Commonwealth of Virginia. Archived from the original on August 16, 2016. Retrieved July 25, 2016.
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