1998 Rhode Island gubernatorial election

1998 Rhode Island gubernatorial election
	November 3, 1998
	Almond: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70%; York: 40–50% 50–60%
Governor before election; Lincoln Almond; Republican	Elected Governor ; Lincoln Almond; Republican

The 1998 Rhode Island gubernatorial election took place on November 3, 1998. Incumbent Republican governor Lincoln Almond defeated Democratic nominee Myrth York in a rematch of the 1994 race.

Republican primary

Candidates

Lincoln Almond, incumbent governor of Rhode Island

Results

Republican primary results^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Lincoln Almond (incumbent)	5,510	100.00
Total votes			5,510	100.00

Democratic primary

Candidates

Myrth York, former Rhode Island state senator, 1994 Democratic nominee for governor
Jack Dennison Potter, perennial candidate

Results

Democratic primary results^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Myrth York	53,561	82.89
	Democratic	Jack Dennison Potter	11,055	17.11
Total votes			64,616	100.00

Cool Moose primary

Robert J. Healey, businessman and perennial candidate

Reform primary

Joseph Devine, 1992 Reform Party nominee for governor

General election

Polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size^[a]	Margin of error	Lincoln Almond (R)	Myrth York (D)	Undecided
Fleming & Associates^[3]^[A]	October 21–24, 1998	400 (RV)	± 5.0%	42%	38%	20%
Fleming & Associates^[3]^[A]	October 6–9, 1998	400 (LV)	± 5.0%	43%	38%	19%
KRC Communications Research^[3]^[B]	August 31 – September 2, 1998	400 (LV)	± 5.0%	42%	44%	14%

Results

Rhode Island gubernatorial election, 1998^[4]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Lincoln Almond (incumbent)	156,180	50.97%	+3.59%
	Democratic	Myrth York	129,105	42.13%	−1.41%
	Cool Moose	Robert J. Healey	19,250	6.28%	−2.82%
	Reform	Joseph F. Devine	1,848	0.60%
	Write-ins		62	0.02%
Majority			27,075	8.84%	+5.01%
Turnout			306,445
	Republican hold		Swing

Notes

^ Key:
A – all adults
RV – registered voters
LV – likely voters
V – unclear

Partisan clients

^ ^a ^b Poll sponsored by WPRI Channel 12
^ Poll sponsored by The Providence Journal & WJAR

References

^ "Republican Primary". State of Rhode Island Board of Elections. Retrieved June 29, 2025.
^ "Democrat Primary". State of Rhode Island Board of Elections. Retrieved June 29, 2025.
^ ^a ^b ^c "CNN AllPolitics Election '98 - Rhode Island 1998 Polls". CNN. Archived from the original on June 29, 2025. Retrieved June 29, 2025.
^ http://www.elections.state.ri.us/elections/results/1998/fedstatetop.php

[3] Key:
A – all adults
RV – registered voters
LV – likely voters
V – unclear

[WPRI-5] Poll sponsored by WPRI Channel 12

[6] Poll sponsored by The Providence Journal & WJAR

[1] "Republican Primary". State of Rhode Island Board of Elections. Retrieved June 29, 2025.

[2] "Democrat Primary". State of Rhode Island Board of Elections. Retrieved June 29, 2025.

[polls-4] "CNN AllPolitics Election '98 - Rhode Island 1998 Polls". CNN. Archived from the original on June 29, 2025. Retrieved June 29, 2025.

[7] ttp://www.elections.state.ri.us/elections/results/1998/fedstatetop.php

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