1998 Hawaii gubernatorial election
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 County results Cayetano: 50–60% Lingle: 40–50% 50–60% | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Hawaii |
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The 1998 Hawaii gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1998. Incumbent Democratic Governor of Hawaii Ben Cayetano ran for re-election to a second and final term, and he was contested by Maui Mayor Linda Lingle. The race between Cayetano and Lingle was close, with Lingle holding a sizable polling advantage.[1] Ultimately, Cayetano narrowly won re-election to a second term in the closest gubernatorial election in Hawaii's history.
This, alongside the 1966 elections, is the only time a Democrat was elected governor without sweeping every county in the state. Lingle later won Hawaii's governorship in 2002 when Cayetano was term-limited; she was re-elected in 2006.
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Ben Cayetano, incumbent Governor of Hawaii
- Jim Brewer, perennial candidate
- Richard C. S. Ho, former Hawaii State Representative
- Fred K. Tamura
- Raymond N. Onaga
- Miles F. Shiratori, perennial candidate
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Ben Cayetano (incumbent) | 95,797 | 86.40 | |
| Democratic | Jim Brewer | 6,169 | 5.56 | |
| Democratic | Richard C. S. Ho | 3,024 | 2.73 | |
| Democratic | Fred K. Tamura | 2,740 | 2.47 | |
| Democratic | Raymond N. Onaga | 1,651 | 1.49 | |
| Democratic | Miles F. Shiratori | 1,499 | 1.35 | |
| Total votes | 110,880 | 100.00 | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
- Linda Lingle, Mayor of Maui
- Frank Fasi, former Mayor of Honolulu and narrowly unsuccessful Independent candidate for governor in 1994
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Linda Lingle | 109,061 | 69.22 | |
| Republican | Frank F. Fasi | 48,488 | 30.78 | |
| Total votes | 157,549 | 100.00 | ||
General election
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[a] |
Margin of error |
Ben Cayetano (D) |
Linda Lingle (R) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mason-Dixon[3] | October 28–29, 1998 | 406 (LV) | ± 5.0% | 52% | 41% | 7% |
| Mason-Dixon[3] | October 16–19, 1998 | 425 (LV) | ± 5.0% | 52% | 37% | 11% |
| Ward Research[3][b] | September 9–13, 1998 | 800 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 34% | 48% | 18% |
| Ward Research[3][b] | July 24–28, 1998 | 600 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 31% | 51% | 18% |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Ben Cayetano (incumbent) | 204,206 | 50.11% | +13.53% | |
| Republican | Linda Lingle | 198,952 | 48.82% | +18.15% | |
| Libertarian | George Peabody | 4,398 | 1.08% | ||
| Majority | 5,254 | 1.29% | −4.62% | ||
| Turnout | 407,556 | ||||
| Democratic hold | Swing | ||||
Notes
- ^ Key:
A – all adults
RV – registered voters
LV – likely voters
V – unclear - ^ a b Poll sponsored by The Honolulu Advertiser and Channel 2 Poll
References
- ^ Silver, Nate (November 6, 2014). "Why Polls Missed A Shocker In Virginia's Senate Race". FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
- ^ a b "Office of Elections".
- ^ a b c d "CNN AllPolitics Election '98 - Hawaii 1998 Polls". CNN. Archived from the original on June 19, 2025. Retrieved June 19, 2025.
- ^ "Office of Elections".