The 1998 Oklahoma gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1998, and was a race for Governor of Oklahoma.
Incumbent Republican Frank Keating won re-election in a landslide against Democratic State Representative Laura Boyd. The Reform Party, the first alternative party to be able to run a candidate for governor in the state since 1970, had Hoppy Heidelberg as its candidate. Heidelberg was removed from a gubernatorial debate that he disrupted after not being allowed to be a participant.
This was the first occasion since Oklahoma statehood that Bryan, Carter, Cotton, Garvin, Greer, Harmon, Jefferson, Kiowa, Love, Murray, and Pontotoc counties voted for a Republican for Governor, although several of these counties backed Independent candidate Wes Watkins four years earlier.
This election marked the first time a woman received the nomination for governor from a major party in Oklahoma. It was also the first time a Republican was elected to a consecutive term (Henry Bellmon was the first Republican to serve two terms, though not consecutive).
Primary election
Primary elections were held on August 25, 1998 with runoffs occurring on September 15, 1998, although no runoffs were required in the gubernatorial race.
Republican party
Incumbent governor Frank Keating was renominated without opposition after potential challenger Joe Vickers was removed from the primary ballot. Keating alleged that Vickers had changed his party registration from Democratic to Republican too late to appear on the Republican ballot. The state election board upheld Keating's challenge.
Democratic party
State representative Laura Boyd won the Democratic nomination over fellow representative James Hager. This was the first time since runoffs were reinstated in 1946 that the Democratic primary for governor without an incumbent did not require a subsequent runoff.
Candidates
- Laura Boyd, member of Oklahoma House of Representatives from Norman, Oklahoma
- James Hager, member of Oklahoma House of Representatives from Pawhuska, Oklahoma
General election
In addition to Keating and Boyd, Hoppy Heidelberg, a former member of the Oklahoma City Bombing grand jury, ran on the Reform Party ticket.
Results by county
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
- Caddo
- Greer
- Harmon
- Kiowa
- Nowata
Counties that flipped from Independent to Republican
- Bryan
- Carter
- Cotton
- Dewey
- Garvin
- Jefferson
- Love
- Marshall
- Murray
- Payne
- Pontotoc
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
Counties that flipped from Independent to Democratic
- Atoka
- Choctaw
- Coal
- Haskell
- Hughes
- Johnston
- Latimer
- Le Flore
- McCurtain
- Okfuskee
- Pittsburg
- Pushmataha
- Seminole