| Election Name: | 1978 Arizona gubernatorial election |
| Country: | Arizona |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1974 Arizona gubernatorial election |
| Previous Year: | 1974 |
| Next Election: | 1982 Arizona gubernatorial election |
| Next Year: | 1982 |
| Election Date: | November 7, 1978 |
| Image1: | File:Bruce babbitt.jpg |
| Nominee1: | Bruce Babbitt |
| Party1: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote1: | 282,605 |
| Percentage1: | 52.5% |
| Nominee2: | Evan Mecham |
| Party2: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote2: | 241,093 |
| Percentage2: | 44.8% |
| Map Size: | 210px |
| Governor | |
| Before Election: | Bruce Babbitt |
| Before Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| After Election: | Bruce Babbitt |
| After Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
The 1978 Arizona gubernatorial election took place on November 7, 1978, for the post of Governor of Arizona. Democrat Bruce Babbitt defeated Republican nominee Evan Mecham. Babbitt was the former Attorney General of Arizona, but after the death of Governor Wesley Bolin, Babbit became governor. Bolin himself ascended to office from the position of Secretary of State, meaning his replacement, Rose Mofford was not eligible to the office as she was not elected. This drama of exchanging office would continue after Babbitt's term came to an end, as Mofford would become governor and succeeded Evan Mecham, Babbitt's challenger, in 1988.
Until 2022, this was the last gubernatorial election where a Democratic governor was elected during the tenure of a Democratic president.
| County | Bruce Babbitt Democratic | Evan Mecham Republican | V. Gene Lewter Libertarian | Jessica Sampson Socialist Workers | Margin | Total votes cast | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | % | % | % | % | |||||||||||||||||||
| Apache | 4,498 | 67.90% | 1,761 | 26.59% | 196 | 2.96% | 169 | 2.55% | 2,737 | 41.32% | 6,624 | ||||||||||||
| Cochise | 8,963 | 57.96% | 6,251 | 40.42% | 94 | 0.61% | 157 | 1.02% | 2,712 | 17.54% | 15,465 | ||||||||||||
| Coconino | 10,446 | 67.74% | 4,411 | 28.60% | 388 | 2.52% | 176 | 1.14% | 6,035 | 39.13% | 15,421 | ||||||||||||
| Gila | 5,715 | 59.39% | 3,668 | 38.12% | 160 | 1.66% | 80 | 0.83% | 2,047 | 21.27% | 9,623 | ||||||||||||
| Graham | 2,565 | 44.41% | 3,085 | 53.41% | 63 | 1.09% | 63 | 1.09% | -520 | -9.00% | 5,776 | ||||||||||||
| Greenlee | 2,229 | 69.25% | 917 | 28.49% | 31 | 0.96% | 42 | 1.30% | 1,312 | 40.76% | 3,219 | ||||||||||||
| Maricopa | 141,177 | 46.82% | 151,079 | 50.10% | 6,982 | 2.32% | 2,291 | 0.76% | -9,902 | -3.28% | 301,529 | ||||||||||||
| Mohave | 6,042 | 48.24% | 6,133 | 48.96% | 277 | 2.21% | 74 | 0.59% | -91 | -0.73% | 12,526 | ||||||||||||
| Navajo | 6,269 | 56.47% | 4,518 | 40.70% | 179 | 1.61% | 136 | 1.23% | 1,751 | 15.77% | 11,102 | ||||||||||||
| Pima | 67,904 | 64.03% | 36,197 | 34.13% | 1,165 | 1.10% | 785 | 0.74% | 31,707 | 29.90% | 106,051 | ||||||||||||
| Pinal | 9,064 | 54.42% | 7,151 | 42.93% | 284 | 1.70% | 158 | 0.95% | 1,913 | 11.48% | 16,657 | ||||||||||||
| Santa Cruz | 2,814 | 68.28% | 1,229 | 29.82% | 33 | 0.80% | 45 | 1.09% | 1,585 | 38.46% | 4,121 | ||||||||||||
| Yavapai | 8,386 | 46.85% | 8,978 | 50.16% | 408 | 2.28% | 126 | 0.70% | -592 | -3.31% | 17,898 | ||||||||||||
| Yuma | 6,533 | 52.08% | 5,715 | 45.56% | 161 | 1.28% | 135 | 1.08% | 818 | 6.52% | 12,544 | ||||||||||||
| Totals | 282,605 | 52.47% | 241,093 | 44.77% | 10,421 | 1.93% | 4,437 | 0.82% | 41,512 | 7.71% | 538,556 | ||||||||||||