Election Name: | 1982 Georgia gubernatorial election |
Country: | Georgia (U.S. state) |
Type: | presidential |
Ongoing: | no |
Previous Election: | 1978 Georgia gubernatorial election |
Previous Year: | 1978 |
Next Election: | 1986 Georgia gubernatorial election |
Next Year: | 1986 |
Election Date: | November 2, 1982 |
Flag Year: | 1956 |
Image1: | File:Joe Frank Harris.jpg |
Nominee1: | Joe Frank Harris |
Party1: | Democratic Party (United States) |
Popular Vote1: | 734,090 |
Percentage1: | 62.8% |
Nominee2: | Robert H. Bell |
Party2: | Republican Party (United States) |
Popular Vote2: | 434,496 |
Percentage2: | 37.2% |
Map Size: | 250px |
Governor | |
Before Election: | George Busbee |
Before Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
After Election: | Joe Frank Harris |
After Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
The 1982 Georgia gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 1982. Joe Frank Harris was elected as the 78th Governor of Georgia.
With 10 candidates, including Jack Watson and Buck Melton, running, Bo Ginn won the primary with 316,019 votes (35.11%) to 2nd place Joe Frank Harris and his 223,545 votes (24.84%), necessitating a runoff. In the runoff, Harris prevailed with 500,765 votes (54.97%) to Ginn's 410,259 votes (45.03%).[1] [2]
Robert H. Bell won the primary with 36,347 votes (59.19%) over Benjamin B. Blackburn and his 25,063 votes (40.81%).[3]
Though the Democrats once again won the election, Bell did win five counties (Cobb, Gwinnett, DeKalb, Fayette, Bulloch) and the GOP gained their most votes in an election since Howard Callaway in 1966. As of 2022, this is the last time that DeKalb County voted for the Republican candidate for governor.