1958 Oregon gubernatorial election

1958 Oregon gubernatorial election
November 4, 1958
 
Nominee Mark Hatfield Robert D. Holmes
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 331,900 267,934
Percentage 55.32% 44.66%
County results
Hatfield:      50–60%      60–70%
Holmes:      50–60%
Governor before election

Robert D. Holmes
Democratic

 Elected Governor

Mark Hatfield
Republican

The 1958 Oregon gubernatorial election took place on November 4, 1958. Republican nominee Mark Hatfield defeated Democratic incumbent Robert D. Holmes in a landslide.

Primary election

Oregon held primary elections on May 16, 1958.

Democratic party

Incumbent governor Robert D. Holmes faced a primary challenge from Lew Wallace who sought the Democratic gubernatorial nomination for a fifth time.

Candidates

Results

Democratic primary results[1][2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Robert D. Holmes 129,491 62.02%
Democratic Lew Wallace 59,992 28.73%
Democratic Wiley W. Smith 18.484 8.85%
Democratic Scattering 827 0.40%
Total votes 208,794 100.00%

Republican party

Candidates

Results

Republican primary results[1][3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mark Hatfield 106,687 47.88%
Republican Sig Unander 65,180 29.25%
Republican Warren Gill 40,489 18.17%
Republican Albert Eichman 6,452 2.90%
Republican George W. Livingston 2,475 1.11%
Republican Orval Rasor 1,295 0.58%
Republican Scattering 263 0.12%
Total votes 222,841 100.00%

General election

Results

1958 Oregon gubernatorial election[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Mark Hatfield 331,900 55.32% +5.84%
Democratic Robert D. Holmes (inc.) 267,934 44.66% −5.86%
Write-in Scattering 160 0.03
Total votes 599,994 100.00%
Majority 63,966 10.66%
Republican gain from Democratic Swing +11.70%

Results by county

Hatfield was the first Republican governor to be elected without carrying Clatsop County. That county also broke a streak of backing the statewide winner that had begun in 1906; in the next election, Clatsop County would begin another such streak that would last until 2014. As of 2026, Benton County has voted for the winner in this and every subsequent gubernatorial election.[a]

County[4] Mark Hatfield
Republican		 Robert D. Holmes
Democratic		 Scattering
Write-in		 Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # %
Baker 2,685 48.52% 2,848 51.46% 1 0.02% -163 -2.95% 5,534
Benton 7,595 66.27% 3,865 33.73% 0 0.00% 3,730 32.55% 11,460
Clackamas 21,591 54.97% 17,666 44.98% 19 0.05% 3,925 9.99% 39,276
Clatsop 4,934 44.48% 6,156 55.49% 3 0.03% -1,222 -11.02% 11,093
Columbia 3,699 45.46% 4,437 54.54% 0 0.00% -738 -9.07% 8,136
Coos 6,857 43.06% 9,068 56.94% 0 0.00% -2,211 -13.88% 15,925
Crook 1,610 53.60% 1,394 46.40% 0 0.00% 216 7.19% 3,004
Curry 1,751 50.07% 1,746 49.93% 0 0.00% 5 0.14% 3,497
Deschutes 4,560 60.59% 2,966 39.41% 0 0.00% 1,594 21.18% 7,526
Douglas 10,981 56.12% 8,586 43.88% 0 0.00% 2,395 12.24% 19,567
Gilliam 701 62.31% 424 37.69% 0 0.00% 277 24.62% 1,125
Grant 1,572 63.85% 890 36.15% 0 0.00% 682 27.70% 2,462
Harney 1,204 53.56% 1,044 46.44% 0 0.00% 160 7.12% 2,248
Hood River 2,622 57.61% 1,928 42.36% 1 0.02% 694 15.25% 4,551
Jackson 14,918 60.90% 9,575 39.09% 4 0.02% 5,343 21.81% 24,497
Jefferson 1,016 58.02% 735 41.98% 0 0.00% 281 16.05% 1,751
Josephine 6,134 64.37% 3,395 35.62% 1 0.01% 2,739 28.74% 9,530
Klamath 7,988 56.71% 6,098 43.29% 0 0.00% 1,890 13.42% 14,086
Lake 1,331 62.99% 782 37.01% 0 0.00% 549 25.98% 2,113
Lane 27,167 53.60% 23,515 46.40% 2 0.00% 3,652 7.21% 50,684
Lincoln 4,451 52.60% 4,011 47.40% 0 0.00% 440 5.20% 8,462
Linn 9,807 53.58% 8,498 46.42% 0 0.00% 1,309 7.15% 18,305
Malheur 3,807 60.37% 2,499 39.63% 0 0.00% 1,308 20.74% 6,306
Marion 24,041 60.33% 15,786 39.61% 23 0.06% 8,255 20.72% 39,850
Morrow 878 53.90% 751 46.10% 0 0.00% 127 7.80% 1,629
Multnomah 106,884 53.55% 92,640 46.41% 90 0.05% 14,244 7.14% 199,614
Polk 5,531 62.27% 3,351 37.73% 0 0.00% 2,180 24.54% 8,882
Sherman 649 68.82% 294 31.18% 0 0.00% 355 37.65% 943
Tillamook 3,740 55.61% 2,986 44.39% 0 0.00% 754 11.21% 6,726
Umatilla 7,225 51.90% 6,695 48.09% 2 0.01% 530 3.81% 13,922
Union 2,923 49.17% 3,022 50.83% 0 0.00% -99 -1.67% 5,945
Wallowa 1,268 50.70% 1,233 49.30% 0 0.00% 35 1.40% 2,501
Wasco 3,557 55.69% 2,830 44.31% 0 0.00% 727 11.38% 6,387
Washington 18,909 61.54% 11,807 38.43% 11 0.04% 7,102 23.11% 30,727
Wheeler 456 58.84% 319 41.16% 0 0.00% 137 17.68% 775
Yamhill 6,858 62.60% 4,094 37.37% 3 0.03% 2,764 25.23% 10,955
Total331,90055.32%267,93444.66%1600.03%63,96610.66%599,994

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

Notes

  1. ↑ This is the second longest active bellwether streak for gubernatorial elections. Lincoln County currently has the longest active streak, which began in 1950.

References

  1. 1 2 Official Abstract of Votes Primary Nominating Election May 16, 1958. Oregon Secretary of State. 1958. pp. 6–7. Retrieved April 11, 2026.
  2. ↑ State of Oregon Voters' Pamphlet Democratic Party Primary Nominating Election May 16, 1958. Oregon Secretary of State. pp. 7–11. Retrieved April 11, 2026.
  3. ↑ State of Oregon Voters' Pamphlet Republican Party Primary Nominating Election May 16, 1958. Oregon Secretary of State. pp. 8–17. Retrieved April 11, 2026.
  4. 1 2 Official Abstract of Votes General Election November 4, 1958. Oregon Secretary of State. 1958. p. 8. Retrieved April 11, 2026.
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