United States gubernatorial elections, 1991

The gubernatorial elections in the United States in 1991 were held on 5 November 1991. Was chosen in the states of Kentucky, Louisiana and Mississippi. While in Kentucky and Louisiana won the Democratic Party candidate, Mississippi was the first time after 115 years back a Republican governor.

The greatest attention was like four years ago on the choice in Louisiana. Here Buddy Roemer was elected as a Democrat to the governor, but then changed during the term of office to the Republicans. For the application came back the principle of the Jungle Primary, the common code, in which several members of a party can run for office. In contrast to previous years, but this time the situation had reversed. Had it been usually given several strong democratic candidates who each took away the voices, it was now for the Republican field of candidates. Besides Roemer and Congressman Clyde C. Holloway came here David Duke to, Member of the House of Representatives from Louisiana and former Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan. The Democrats had the former governor Edwin Edwards, who had four years previously waived as incumbent on the ballot against Buddy Roemer, on the other hand fear no intra-party competitors.

The result of the Primary on October 19 was a surprise: David Duke won a majority in 31 of the 64 Parishes of Louisiana, Edwards 26, Roemer only in seven. When you vote share was Edwards ( 33.8 ) before Duke ( 31.7 ), which led to a run-off election between the two. Incumbent Roemer resigned as third with 26.5 percent of votes, just Clyde Holloway (5.3 ). The possibility that the former Klan leader Duke could be governor, attracted worldwide attention. With Buddy Roemer and David C. Treen Edwards learned the support of his two Republican opponents of the previous years; U.S. President George Bush had announced that he thought Edwards for the better alternative. The bipartisan support ultimately made ​​that the Democrat won with 61.2 percent of the votes and could begin his fourth term as governor.

A change of power there was in Mississippi. As the first Governor Ray Mabus took the introduced by his predecessor William Allain in the Constitution opportunity to reapply after one term. However, he did not write history with the fact that he completed this second term, but with the first defeat of a Democrat in the gubernatorial election since 1874. With 47.6 percent of the vote he lost to Republican challenger Kirk Fordice, a previously politically inexperienced businessman, who received 50.8 percent.

In Kentucky Governor Wallace G. Wilkinson, it was constitutionally impossible to reapply. In its place, the Democrats nominated the previous four years in office as Lieutenant Governor Brereton Jones. This won with 64.7 percent of the vote a very significant victory against Republican Larry Hopkins, a former deputy in the U.S. House of Representatives.