1990 Kansas gubernatorial election

Election for the governorship of the U.S. state of Kansas

← 1986

November 6, 1990

1994 →


Nominee	Joan Finney	Mike Hayden	Christina Campbell-Cline
Party	Democratic	Republican	Independent
Popular vote	380,609	333,589	69,127
Percentage	48.6%	42.6%	8.8%

County results
Finney: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80%
Hayden: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80%

Governor before election

Mike Hayden
Republican

Elected Governor

Joan Finney
Democratic

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The 1990 Kansas gubernatorial election took place on November 6, 1990. Incumbent Republican Governor Mike Hayden lost re-election to Democratic nominee Joan Finney.^[1]

The State Treasurer at the time, Finney was elected governor over Hayden in 1990, giving Hayden the distinction of being the first incumbent governor of any state to lose to a woman. In addition to being Kansas's first female governor, she was Kansas' oldest governor at the age of 65 until Laura Kelly took office at the age of 68 in 2019, Kansas' first Roman Catholic Governor, and one of the few anti-abortion Democratic Governors at the time.^[2]

As of 2024, this was the last time in which an incumbent Kansas Governor lost a general election.

Background

Hayden was chosen as chair of the Republican Governors Association. His term saw tax cuts and programs to combat substance abuse. A split in the Kansas Republican Party between moderates and conservatives considerably reduced other accomplishments. He was perceived as a moderate; on abortion, for instance, he took a pro-choice position. Because of the legislative gridlock, he did not reinstate the death penalty.

It is speculated that Hayden lost his re-election bid primarily because of voter passage of a property reclassification amendment in Kansas which resulted in property reappraisals – the first in some cases in 20 years – and the resulting property tax increases when market values were applied to properties for tax purposes.

Candidates

Republican

Mike Hayden, incumbent Governor

Democratic

Joan Finney, State Treasurer
John W. Carlin, former Governor

Independent

Christina Campbell-Cline, CPA^[3]

General election

Results

Kansas gubernatorial election, 1990^[4]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Joan Finney	380,609	48.59%	+0.49%
	Republican	Mike Hayden (incumbent)	333,589	42.59%	-9.31%
	Independent	Christina Campbell-Cline	69,127	8.82%	N/A
Total votes			783,325	100.00%	N/A
	Democratic gain from Republican

References

^ "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".
^ "Feminists for Life Celebrates Pro-Life Women". S.a.:Feminists for Life
^ "Independent Files For Governor's Race". The Belleville Telescope. Belleville, Kansas. August 30, 1990. p. 13. Retrieved June 23, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "1990 Gubernatorial General Election Results - Kansas". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved March 22, 2020.

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