Oklahoma gubernatorial election, 1994

Oklahoma gubernatorial election, 1994

Nominee Frank Keating Jack Mildren Wes Watkins Party Republican Democratic Independent Popular vote 466,740 294,936 233,336 Percentage 46.9% 29.6% 23.5%

Governor before election David Walters Democratic Elected Governor Frank Keating Republican

The Oklahoma gubernatorial election of 1994 was held on November 7, 1994, and was a race for the Governor of Oklahoma. Republican Frank Keating pulled an upset in the three-way race to become only the third Republican governor in Oklahoma history. Wes Watkins, a former U.S. Congressman as a Democrat, spoiled Mildren's campaign by running as an independent. Watkins' performance in the election, obtaining 24% of the vote and carrying several counties, is one of the most notable performances for a third party candidate in modern U.S. history.

Candidates

Republican

• Frank Keating- Assistant Attorney General, General Counsel member, and Deputy Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President George H.W. Bush; Assistant Secretary of the Treasury and United States Associate Attorney General under President Ronald Reagan

Democrat

• Jack Mildren- former Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma

Independent

• Wes Watkins- former U.S. Congressman

Polling

Source	Date	Keating (R)	Mildren (D)	Watkins (I)
KSWO-TV	Nov. 4, 1994	40%	39%	15%
Tulsa World	Nov. 1, 1994	28%	29%	21%

Results

1994 gubernatorial election, Oklahoma

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Republican	Frank Keating	466,740	46.9
	Democratic	Jack Mildren	294,936	29.6
	Independent	Wes Watkins	233,336	23.5
Majority
Turnout
	Republican gain from Democratic		Swing

See also

Source: