1978 New Mexico gubernatorial election

1978 New Mexico gubernatorial election

← 1974 November 7, 1978 1982 →
 
Nominee Bruce King Joe Skeen
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 174,631 170,848
Percentage 50.55% 49.45%

County results
King:      50–60%      60–70%
Skeen:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%

Governor before election

Jerry Apodaca
Democratic

Elected Governor

Bruce King
Democratic

The 1978 New Mexico gubernatorial election took place on November 7, 1978, in order to elect the Governor of New Mexico. Due to term limits, incumbent Democrat Jerry Apodaca was ineligible to seek a second term as governor. Bruce King, a member of the Democratic Party who had previously served as governor from 1971 to 1975, won the open seat. With a margin of victory of just 1.09% this was the second closest contest of the 1978 Gubernatorial Cycle, behind only the election in Texas.