The 1978 Nebraska gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1978, and featured U.S. Representative Charles Thone, a Republican, defeating Democratic nominee, Lieutenant Governor Gerald T. Whelan. Incumbent Governor J. James Exon, a Democrat, was barred from seeking a third term. Exon was elected to the U.S. Senate that same day.

Democratic primary

Governor

Candidates

Results

Democratic gubernatorial primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Gerald T. Whelan 104,178 79.43
Democratic Robert V. Hansen 26,509 20.21
Democratic Write-in 475 0.36

Lieutenant governor

Candidates

Orval Keyes ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor.[2] He was a member of the Nebraska Legislature in District 3 since 1969 from Springfield, Nebraska.[3]

Results

Democratic lieutenant gubernatorial primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Orval Keyes 102,935 99.49
Democratic Write-in 531 0.51

Republican primary

Governor

Candidates

Results

Republican gubernatorial primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Charles Thone 89,378 45.32
Republican Robert A. Phares 48,402 24.55
Republican Stan Juelfs 43,828 22.23
Republican Vance D. Rogers 14,076 7.14
Republican Richard Hedrick 1,470 0.75
Republican Write-in 43 0.02

Lieutenant governor

Candidates

Results

Republican lieutenant gubernatorial primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Roland A. Luedtke 53,762 30.85
Republican Dennis L. Rasmussen 50,627 29.05
Republican Rosemary M. Skrupa 28,532 16.37
Republican Don Stenberg 22,592 12.96
Republican Herbert J. Duis 18,736 10.75
Republican Write-in 48 0.03

General election

Results

Nebraska gubernatorial election, 1978[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Charles Thone 275,473 55.94%
Democratic Gerald T. Whelan 216,754 44.02%
Write-in Others 196 0.04%
Majority 58,719 11.92%
Total votes 492,423 100.00%
Republican gain from Democratic

By county

Source[1][7]

County Charles Thone
Republican		 Gerald T. Whelan
Democratic		 Write-in Margin Total
Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes %
Adams 5,179 47.42% 5,735 52.51% 8 0.07% -556 -5.09% 10,922
Antelope 2,195 64.88% 1,188 35.12% 0 0.00% 1,007 29.77% 3,383
Arthur 180 61.43% 113 38.57% 0 0.00% 67 22.87% 293
Banner 301 69.68% 131 30.32% 0 0.00% 170 39.35% 432
Blaine 268 65.69% 140 34.31% 0 0.00% 128 31.37% 408
Boone 1,615 51.14% 1,543 48.86% 0 0.00% 72 2.28% 3,158
Box Butte 2,341 61.77% 1,449 38.23% 0 0.00% 892 23.54% 3,790
Boyd 834 60.17% 552 39.83% 0 0.00% 282 20.35% 1,386
Brown 1,184 63.15% 691 36.85% 0 0.00% 493 26.29% 1,875
Buffalo 5,598 50.57% 5,472 49.43% 0 0.00% 126 1.14% 11,070
Burt 1,958 62.36% 1,182 37.64% 0 0.00% 776 24.71% 3,140
Butler 1,712 53.57% 1,484 46.43% 0 0.00% 228 7.13% 3,196
Cass 3,010 49.43% 3,080 50.57% 0 0.00% -70 -1.15% 6,090
Cedar 3,432 78.77% 925 21.23% 0 0.00% 2,507 57.54% 4,357
Chase 1,047 60.24% 691 39.76% 0 0.00% 356 20.48% 1,738
Cherry 1,683 67.03% 828 32.97% 0 0.00% 855 34.05% 2,511
Cheyenne 2,133 62.17% 1,298 37.83% 0 0.00% 835 24.34% 3,431
Clay 1,964 55.59% 1,569 44.41% 0 0.00% 395 11.18% 3,533
Colfax 2,395 60.15% 1,587 39.85% 0 0.00% 808 20.29% 3,982
Cuming 2,814 65.56% 1,478 34.44% 0 0.00% 1,336 31.13% 4,292
Custer 2,617 54.35% 2,198 45.65% 0 0.00% 419 8.70% 4,815
Dakota 2,501 58.28% 1,790 41.72% 0 0.00% 711 16.57% 4,291
Dawes 1,988 65.42% 1,050 34.55% 1 0.03% 938 30.87% 3,039
Dawson 3,673 58.34% 2,623 41.66% 0 0.00% 1,050 16.68% 6,296
Deuel 780 69.27% 346 30.73% 0 0.00% 434 38.54% 1,126
Dixon 2,088 72.20% 804 27.80% 0 0.00% 1,284 44.40% 2,892
Dodge 6,748 59.15% 4,661 40.85% 0 0.00% 2,087 18.29% 11,409
Douglas 57,371 49.06% 59,439 50.83% 126 0.11% -2,068 -1.77% 116,936
Dundy 703 61.34% 443 38.66% 0 0.00% 260 22.69% 1,146
Fillmore 2,153 61.16% 1,367 38.84% 0 0.00% 786 22.33% 3,520
Franklin 1,005 51.54% 945 48.46% 0 0.00% 60 3.08% 1,950
Frontier 823 60.38% 540 39.62% 0 0.00% 283 20.76% 1,363
Furnas 1,541 58.04% 1,114 41.96% 0 0.00% 427 16.08% 2,655
Gage 4,700 58.19% 3,377 41.81% 0 0.00% 1,323 16.38% 8,077
Garden 799 65.28% 425 34.72% 0 0.00% 374 30.56% 1,224
Garfield 604 58.70% 425 41.30% 0 0.00% 179 17.40% 1,029
Gosper 443 52.36% 403 47.64% 0 0.00% 40 4.73% 846
Grant 349 74.57% 119 25.43% 0 0.00% 230 49.15% 468
Greeley 599 41.77% 835 58.23% 0 0.00% -236 -16.46% 1,434
Hall 6,658 50.28% 6,584 49.72% 0 0.00% 74 0.56% 13,242
Hamilton 1,901 56.95% 1,437 43.05% 0 0.00% 464 13.90% 3,338
Harlan 1,028 49.12% 1,065 50.88% 0 0.00% -37 -1.77% 2,093
Hayes 408 61.26% 258 38.74% 0 0.00% 150 22.52% 666
Hitchcock 883 60.77% 570 39.23% 0 0.00% 313 21.54% 1,453
Holt 2,741 60.40% 1,797 39.60% 0 0.00% 944 20.80% 4,538
Hooker 252 70.79% 104 29.21% 0 0.00% 148 41.57% 356
Howard 1,134 47.45% 1,256 52.55% 0 0.00% -122 -5.10% 2,390
Jefferson 2,475 62.63% 1,477 37.37% 0 0.00% 998 25.25% 3,952
Johnson 1,473 58.18% 1,059 41.82% 0 0.00% 414 16.35% 2,532
Kearney 1,340 46.87% 1,519 53.13% 0 0.00% -179 -6.26% 2,859
Keith 1,808 58.38% 1,289 41.62% 0 0.00% 519 16.76% 3,097
Keya Paha 414 71.26% 167 28.74% 0 0.00% 247 42.51% 581
Kimball 1,329 68.54% 610 31.46% 0 0.00% 719 37.08% 1,939
Knox 3,037 74.77% 1,025 25.23% 0 0.00% 2,012 49.53% 4,062
Lancaster 32,545 59.69% 21,979 40.31% 0 0.00% 10,566 19.38% 54,524
Lincoln 4,887 46.42% 5,635 53.53% 5 0.05% -748 -7.11% 10,527
Logan 201 50.63% 196 49.37% 0 0.00% 5 1.26% 397
Loup 271 55.31% 219 44.69% 0 0.00% 52 10.61% 490
Madison 6,270 69.30% 2,777 30.70% 0 0.00% 3,493 38.61% 9,047
McPherson 140 56.45% 108 43.55% 0 0.00% 32 12.90% 248
Merrick 1,625 54.70% 1,346 45.30% 0 0.00% 279 9.39% 2,971
Morrill 1,136 63.57% 651 36.43% 0 0.00% 485 27.14% 1,787
Nance 970 49.31% 997 50.69% 0 0.00% -27 -1.37% 1,967
Nemaha 2,109 63.81% 1,196 36.19% 0 0.00% 913 27.62% 3,305
Nuckolls 1,336 47.51% 1,476 52.49% 0 0.00% -140 -4.98% 2,812
Otoe 3,311 59.74% 2,230 40.24% 1 0.02% 1,081 19.51% 5,542
Pawnee 1,140 63.62% 652 36.38% 0 0.00% 488 27.23% 1,792
Perkins 878 55.36% 708 44.64% 0 0.00% 170 10.72% 1,586
Phelps 2,291 57.84% 1,667 42.09% 3 0.08% 624 15.75% 3,961
Pierce 2,327 75.60% 748 24.30% 3 0.10% 1,579 51.30% 3,078
Platte 5,150 51.89% 4,774 48.11% 0 0.00% 376 3.79% 9,924
Polk 1,479 55.58% 1,182 44.42% 0 0.00% 297 11.16% 2,661
Red Willow 2,314 62.91% 1,364 37.09% 0 0.00% 950 25.83% 3,678
Richardson 2,667 56.60% 2,045 43.40% 0 0.00% 622 13.20% 4,712
Rock 573 63.46% 330 36.54% 0 0.00% 243 26.91% 903
Saline 2,705 53.33% 2,367 46.67% 0 0.00% 338 6.66% 5,072
Sarpy 7,417 48.82% 7,740 50.94% 37 0.24% -323 -2.13% 15,194
Saunders 3,656 55.16% 2,968 44.78% 4 0.06% 688 10.38% 6,628
Scotts Bluff 5,227 60.23% 3,449 39.74% 2 0.02% 1,778 20.49% 8,678
Seward 3,266 64.79% 1,775 35.21% 0 0.00% 1,491 29.58% 5,041
Sheridan 1,733 72.39% 661 27.61% 0 0.00% 1,072 44.78% 2,394
Sherman 757 39.24% 1,172 60.76% 0 0.00% -415 -21.51% 1,929
Sioux 522 68.59% 239 31.41% 0 0.00% 283 37.19% 761
Stanton 1,379 70.14% 587 29.86% 0 0.00% 792 40.28% 1,966
Thayer 1,848 62.54% 1,107 37.46% 0 0.00% 741 25.08% 2,955
Thomas 312 68.87% 141 31.13% 0 0.00% 171 37.75% 453
Thurston 1,125 62.81% 666 37.19% 0 0.00% 459 25.63% 1,791
Valley 1,356 53.92% 1,159 46.08% 0 0.00% 197 7.83% 2,515
Washington 2,896 56.72% 2,204 43.16% 6 0.12% 692 13.55% 5,106
Wayne 2,322 73.09% 855 26.91% 0 0.00% 1,467 46.18% 3,177
Webster 1,057 48.89% 1,105 51.11% 0 0.00% -48 -2.22% 2,162
Wheeler 234 49.79% 236 50.21% 0 0.00% -2 -0.43% 470
York 3,832 68.21% 1,786 31.79% 0 0.00% 2,046 36.42% 5,618

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Official Report of the Board of State Canvassers of the State of Nebraska - Primary Election, May 9, 1978 & General Election, November 7, 1978" (PDF). Nebraska Secretary of State.
  2. ↑ "Orval Keyes Is Unopposed". Chadron Record. May 3, 1978. p. 29. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 4 State of Nebraska, 2020-21 Nebraska Blue Book (PDF), pp. 317–378, retrieved May 29, 2023
  4. ↑ Harnik, Nati (August 3, 2006). "Who is Bob Plares?". Lincoln Journal Star. Nebraska. Retrieved September 19, 2017.
  5. ↑ "Rosemary Skrupa seeks No. 2 post". Lincoln Journal Star. February 27, 1978. p. 7. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  6. ↑ "More About Don | Stenberg for Senate 2012". Stenbergforsenate.com. April 16, 2012. Archived from the original on February 4, 2012. Retrieved May 25, 2012.
  7. ↑ "1978-11-07 Gubernatorial Election Results for Nebraska". Right Data USA. Retrieved December 29, 2025.


source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1978_Nebraska_gubernatorial_election