The 1978 Oregon gubernatorial election took place on November 7, 1978. In a rematch of the 1974 contest, Republican nominee Victor Atiyeh defeated Democratic incumbent Robert Straub. As of 2026, this is the last Oregon gubernatorial race where the incumbent was defeated.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

Eliminated in primary

  • Marvin J. Hollingsworth, former state representative (1971-1972)[1]
  • Emily Ashworth, teacher[2]
  • William L. Patrick, car salesman[1]
  • James R. Smith
  • E. "Buck" Lambert, car dealer[1]
  • E. Allen Propst, retired cropduster and candidate for governor in 1970[3]

Results

Democratic primary results[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Robert W. Straub (inc.) 144,761 51.71%
Democratic Marvin J. Hollingsworth 52,901 18.90%
Democratic Emily Ashworth 49,201 17.58%
Democratic William L. Patrick 11,232 4.01%
Democratic James R. Smith 8,195 2.93%
Democratic E. "Buck" Lambert 8,005 2.86%
Democratic E. Allen Propst 5,649 2.02%
Total votes 279,944 100.0%

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

Eliminated in primary

Results

Republican primary results[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Victor Atiyeh 115,593 46.42%
Republican Tom McCall 83,568 33.56%
Republican Roger Martin 42,644 17.13%
Republican William A. Jolley 3,133 1.26%
Republican L.E. "Bud" Kretsinger 2,332 0.94%
Republican Gerald Wayne "Jerry" Todd 989 0.40%
Republican William Desmond Hewitt 741 0.30%
Total votes 249,000 100.0%

General election

Results

1978 Oregon gubernatorial election[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Victor G. Atiyeh 498,452 54.90% +12.56%
Democratic Robert W. Straub (inc.) 409,411 45.10% −12.79%
Write-in Scattering 3,280 0.36%
Total votes 911,143 100.00%
Majority 89,041 9.77%
Republican gain from Democratic Swing +25.35%

Results by county

Lane County backed the losing candidate for the first time since 1930 and after this election, has voted for the winner in every subsequent gubernatorial election to date (as of 2026). This was also one of only two elections in the 20th century in which the winning gubernatorial candidate did not carry Multnomah County.[a]

County[7] Victor G. Atiyeh
Republican		 Robert W. Straub
Democratic		 Scattering
Write-in		 Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # %
Baker 3,739 66.31% 1,896 33.62% 4 0.07% 1,843 32.68% 5,639
Benton 13,658 55.20% 10,985 44.40% 99 0.40% 2,673 10.80% 24,742
Clackamas 48,708 55.73% 38,349 43.88% 340 0.39% 10,359 11.85% 87,397
Clatsop 6,787 55.98% 5,311 43.81% 25 0.21% 1,476 12.18% 12,123
Columbia 6,142 48.02% 6,576 51.42% 72 0.56% -434 -3.39% 12,790
Coos 11,597 53.80% 9,943 46.13% 15 0.07% 1,654 7.67% 21,555
Crook 2,619 58.96% 1,806 40.66% 17 0.38% 813 18.30% 4,442
Curry 4,170 67.23% 2,024 32.63% 9 0.15% 2,146 34.60% 6,203
Deschutes 11,226 57.50% 8,265 42.33% 34 0.17% 2,961 15.17% 19,525
Douglas 19,030 63.85% 10,740 36.03% 35 0.12% 8,290 27.81% 29,805
Gilliam 627 67.56% 300 32.33% 1 0.11% 327 35.24% 928
Grant 1,953 65.98% 1,004 33.92% 3 0.10% 949 32.06% 2,960
Harney 1,846 64.05% 1,029 35.70% 7 0.24% 817 28.35% 2,882
Hood River 3,246 56.83% 2,444 42.79% 22 0.39% 802 14.04% 5,712
Jackson 22,814 55.32% 18,389 44.59% 35 0.08% 4,425 10.73% 41,238
Jefferson 2,328 64.65% 1,265 35.13% 8 0.22% 1,063 29.52% 3,601
Josephine 13,515 73.27% 4,908 26.61% 22 0.12% 8,607 46.66% 18,445
Klamath 12,060 66.76% 5,985 33.13% 19 0.11% 6,075 33.63% 18,064
Lake 1,929 65.66% 1,003 34.14% 6 0.20% 926 31.52% 2,938
Lane 40,446 43.22% 52,985 56.62% 141 0.15% -12,539 -13.40% 93,572
Lincoln 7,286 56.76% 5,531 43.09% 19 0.15% 1,755 13.67% 12,836
Linn 17,482 62.48% 10,444 37.33% 54 0.19% 7,038 25.15% 27,980
Malheur 5,546 72.55% 2,097 27.43% 1 0.01% 3,449 45.12% 7,644
Marion 41,115 59.97% 27,067 39.48% 379 0.55% 14,048 20.49% 68,561
Morrow 1,287 60.42% 839 39.39% 4 0.19% 448 21.03% 2,130
Multnomah 100,530 46.83% 112,754 52.52% 1,391 0.65% -12,224 -5.69% 214,675
Polk 9,754 58.35% 6,899 41.27% 64 0.38% 2,855 17.08% 16,717
Sherman 627 62.45% 371 36.95% 6 0.60% 256 25.50% 1,004
Tillamook 4,488 54.26% 3,747 45.30% 36 0.44% 741 8.96% 8,271
Umatilla 9,272 61.62% 5,759 38.27% 16 0.11% 3,513 23.35% 15,047
Union 5,635 67.01% 2,763 32.86% 11 0.13% 2,872 34.15% 8,409
Wallowa 1,919 70.50% 798 29.32% 5 0.18% 1,121 41.18% 2,722
Wasco 4,742 58.82% 3,300 40.93% 20 0.25% 1,442 17.89% 8,062
Washington 49,918 59.30% 33,955 40.34% 300 0.36% 15,963 18.96% 84,173
Wheeler 357 53.68% 307 46.17% 1 0.15% 50 7.52% 665
Yamhill 10,054 56.85% 7,573 42.82% 59 0.33% 2,481 14.03% 17,686
Total498,45254.71%409,41144.93%3,2800.36%89,0419.77%911,143

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

Notes

  1. ↑ The other was in 1948

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Oregon Secretary of State (1978). "Marion County Voters' Pamphlet". Oregon State Library.
  2. ↑ "Emily Ashworth featured at Gallery By the Bay July and August". The Coos Bay World. June 9, 2017. Retrieved November 10, 2025.
  3. ↑ "1970 Gubernatorial Democratic Primary Election Results - Oregon". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved November 10, 2025.
  4. 1 2 "Official Abstract of Votes, Primary Election, May 23, 1978". Oregon Secretary of State. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  5. ↑ Dillon, Dave (June 19, 2008). "Remembering Bud". Tillamook Headlight-Herald. Retrieved November 10, 2025.
  6. ↑ "William Hewitt Obituary (1932 - 2023) - Portland, OR - The Oregonian". Legacy.com. Retrieved November 10, 2025.
  7. 1 2 Official Abstract of Votes General Election November 7, 1978. Oregon Secretary of State. 1978. p. 6. Retrieved April 12, 2026.
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1978_Oregon_gubernatorial_election