1981 United States gubernatorial elections
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3 governorships 2 states; 1 territory | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Republican pickup
Democratic pickup | ||||||||||||||||||||||
United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 3, 1981 in two states and one territory. Both seats were open due to term limits, and both also switched parties, resulting in zero net change for both parties.
Election results
| State | Incumbent | Party | Result | Opposing candidates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | Brendan Byrne | Democratic | Term-limited, Republican victory | Thomas Kean (Republican) 49.5% James Florio (Democratic) 49.4%[1] |
| Virginia | John N. Dalton | Republican | Term-limited, Democratic victory | Chuck Robb (Democratic) 53.6% Marshall Coleman (Republican) 46.4% |
- ^ The original election results were close; Florio called for a recount. The results here are from the recount.
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