1987 Kentucky gubernatorial election

1987 Kentucky gubernatorial election

November 3, 1987
Turnout	42.1% ( 14.2%)
Nominee Wallace Wilkinson John Harper Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 504,674 273,141 Percentage 64.50% 34.91%
Wilkinson:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90% Harper:      50–60%      60–70%
Governor before election Martha Layne Collins Democratic Elected Governor Wallace Wilkinson Democratic

The 1987 Kentucky gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1987. Democratic nominee Wallace Wilkinson defeated Republican nominee John Harper with 64.50% of the vote.

Primary elections

Primary elections were held on May 26, 1987.

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Wallace Wilkinson, businessman
• John Y. Brown Jr., former Governor
• Steve Beshear, incumbent Lieutenant Governor and future Governor
• W. Grady Stumbo, former Secretary of the Kentucky Cabinet for Human Resources
• Julian Carroll, former Governor
• Stanley Luttrell
• Dinwiddle Lampton Jr.

Results

Results by county:

  Wilkinson

•   20–30%
•   30–40%
•   40–50%
•   50–60%
•   60–70%
•   80–90%

  Brown

•   20–30%
•   30–40%
•   40–50%

  Beshear

•   20–30%
•   30–40%
•   40–50%
•   50–60%

  Stumbo

•   30–40%
•   40–50%
•   50–60%
•   60–70%
•   70–80%
•   80–90%

  Carroll

•   30–40%
•   40–50%

Democratic primary results

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Wallace Wilkinson	221,138	34.90
	Democratic	John Y. Brown Jr.	163,204	25.75
	Democratic	Steve Beshear	114,439	18.06
	Democratic	W. Grady Stumbo	84,613	13.35
	Democratic	Julian Carroll	42,137	6.65
	Democratic	Stanley Luttrell	3,788	0.60
	Democratic	Dinwiddle Lampton Jr.	2,638	0.42
Total votes			633,718	100.00

Republican primary

Candidates

• John Harper, State Representative
• Joseph E. Johnson III
• Leonard "Buck" Beasley
• Thurman Jerome Hamlin

Results

Republican primary results

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	John Harper	37,432	41.42
	Republican	Joseph E. Johnson III	22,396	24.78
	Republican	Leonard "Buck" Beasley	21,067	23.31
	Republican	Thurman Jerome Hamlin	9,475	10.49
Total votes			90,370	100.00

General election

Candidates

• Wallace Wilkinson, Democratic
• John Harper, Republican

Results

1987 Kentucky gubernatorial election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Wallace G. Wilkinson	504,674	64.50	+10.00
	Republican	John Harper	273,141	34.91	−9.20
	Write-in		4,639	0.59	N/A
Total votes			782,454	100.0	N/A
Turnout			821,062	42.08	−14.15
Registered electors			1,951,243
	Democratic hold