{{Short description|none}} {{Use American English|date=January 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}} {{Infobox election | election_name = 1998 Rhode Island gubernatorial election | country = Rhode Island | type = Presidential | previous_election = 1994 Rhode Island gubernatorial election | previous_year = 1994 | next_election = 2002 Rhode Island gubernatorial election | next_year = 2002 | ongoing = no | election_date = November 3, 1998 | image1 = File:Lincoln Almond.jpg | image_size = 150x150px | nominee1 = '''Lincoln Almond''' | party1 = Republican Party (United States) | popular_vote1 = '''156,180''' | percentage1 = '''50.97%''' | running_mate1 = | image2 = File:Myrth York 2011 (cropped).jpg | nominee2 = Myrth York | party2 = Democratic Party (United States) | popular_vote2 = 129,105 | percentage2 = 42.13% | running_mate2 = | image3 = File:Robert J. Healey.jpg | nominee3 = Robert J. Healey | party3 = Cool Moose | color3 = 000000 | popular_vote3 = 19,250 | percentage3 = 6.28% | running_mate3 = | map = {{switcher|250px |County results |250px |Municipality results}} | map_caption = '''Almond:''' {{legend0|#ffb2b2|40–50%}} {{legend0|#e27f7f|50–60%}} {{legend0|#d75d5d|60–70%}}<br />'''York:''' {{legend0|#a5b0ff|40–50%}} {{legend0|#7996e2|50–60%}} | title = Governor | before_election = Lincoln Almond | before_party = Republican Party (United States) | after_election = Lincoln Almond | after_party = Republican Party (United States) }} {{ElectionsRI}} The '''1998 Rhode Island gubernatorial election''' took place on November 3, 1998. Incumbent Republican governor Lincoln Almond defeated Democratic nominee Myrth York in a rematch of the 1994 race.

==Republican primary==

===Candidates=== * Lincoln Almond, incumbent governor of Rhode Island

===Results=== {{Election box begin no change | title = Republican primary results<ref>{{cite web |title=Republican Primary |url=https://elections.ri.gov/elections/results/1998/repprimary.php |publisher=State of Rhode Island Board of Elections |access-date=29 June 2025}}</ref> }} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change | candidate = Lincoln Almond (incumbent) | party = Republican Party (United States) | votes = 5,510 | percentage = 100.00 }} {{Election box total no change | votes = 5,510 | percentage= 100.00 }} {{Election box end}}

==Democratic primary==

===Candidates=== *Myrth York, former Rhode Island state senator, 1994 Democratic nominee for governor *Jack Dennison Potter, perennial candidate

===Results=== {{Election box begin no change | title = Democratic primary results<ref>{{cite web |title=Democrat Primary |url=https://elections.ri.gov/elections/results/1998/demprimary.php |publisher=State of Rhode Island Board of Elections |access-date=29 June 2025}}</ref> }} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change | candidate = Myrth York | party = Democratic Party (United States) | votes = 53,561 | percentage = 82.89 }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change | candidate = Jack Dennison Potter | party = Democratic Party (United States) | votes = 11,055 | percentage = 17.11 }} {{Election box total no change | votes = 64,616 | percentage = 100.00 }} {{Election box end}}

==Cool Moose primary== *Robert J. Healey, businessman and perennial candidate

==Reform primary== *Joseph Devine, 1992 Reform Party nominee for governor

==General election== ===Polling=== {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%;text-align:center;" |- valign=bottom ! Poll source ! Date(s)<br>administered ! Sample<br>size{{efn|Key:<br>A – all adults<br>RV – registered voters<br>LV – likely voters<br>V – unclear}} ! Margin<br>of error ! style="width:100px;"| Lincoln<br>Almond (R) ! style="width:100px;"| Myrth<br>York (D) ! Undecided |- |style="text-align:left;"|Fleming & Associates<ref name=polls>{{cite web |title=CNN AllPolitics Election '98 - Rhode Island 1998 Polls |url=https://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/1998/states/RI/polls/RI98G.html |publisher=CNN |access-date=29 June 2025 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250629193604/https://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/1998/states/RI/polls/RI98G.html |archive-date=29 June 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref>{{Efn-ua|name=WPRI}} |October 21–24, 1998 |400 (RV) |±&nbsp;5.0% |{{party shading/Republican}}|'''42%''' |38% |20% |- |style="text-align:left;"|Fleming & Associates<ref name=polls/>{{Efn-ua|name=WPRI|Poll sponsored by WPRI Channel 12}} |October 6–9, 1998 |400 (LV) |±&nbsp;5.0% |{{party shading/Republican}}|'''43%''' |38% |19% |- |style="text-align:left;"|KRC Communications Research<ref name=polls/>{{Efn-ua|Poll sponsored by The Providence Journal & WJAR}} |August 31 – September 2, 1998 |400 (LV) |±&nbsp;5.0% |42% |{{party shading/Democratic}}|'''44%''' |14% |}

===Results=== {{Election box begin | title=Rhode Island gubernatorial election, 1998<ref>http://www.elections.state.ri.us/elections/results/1998/fedstatetop.php {{Dead link|date=March 2022}}</ref>}} {{Election box winning candidate with party link| |party = Republican Party (United States) |candidate = Lincoln Almond (incumbent) |votes = 156,180 |percentage = 50.97% |change = +3.59% }} {{Election box candidate with party link| |party = Democratic Party (United States) |candidate = Myrth York |votes = 129,105 |percentage = 42.13% |change = -1.41% }} {{Election box candidate| |party = Cool Moose |candidate = Robert J. Healey |votes = 19,250 |percentage = 6.28% |change = -2.82% }} {{Election box candidate with party link| |party = Reform Party (United States) |candidate = Joseph F. Devine |votes = 1,848 |percentage = 0.60% |change = }} {{Election box candidate| |party = Write-ins |candidate = |votes = 62 |percentage = 0.02% |change = }} {{Election box majority| |votes = 27,075 |percentage = 8.84% |change = +5.01% }} {{Election box turnout| |votes = 306,445 |percentage = |change = }} {{Election box hold with party link| |winner = Republican Party (United States) |loser = |swing = }} {{Election box end}}

====By county==== {| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" |- ! colspan=1 | ! align=center colspan=2| Lincoln Almond<br /><small>Republican</small> ! align=center colspan=2| Myrth York<br /><small>Democratic</small> ! align=center colspan=2| All Others |- ! align=center | County ! style="text-align:center;" data-sort-type="number"| Votes ! style="text-align:center;" data-sort-type="number"| % ! style="text-align:center;" data-sort-type="number"| Votes ! style="text-align:center;" data-sort-type="number"| % ! style="text-align:center;" data-sort-type="number"| Votes ! style="text-align:center;" data-sort-type="number"| % |-{{Party shading/Republican}} | Bristol||'''8,587'''||'''52.2%'''||5,956||36.2%||1,822||11.7% |-{{Party shading/Republican}} | Kent||'''29,354'''||'''52.7%'''||22,202||39.9%||4,146||7.5% |-{{Party shading/Republican}} | Newport||'''14,130'''||'''54.3%'''||9,922||38.1%||1,977||7.6% |-{{Party shading/Republican}} | Providence||'''81,643'''||'''48.3%'''||76,932||45.5%||10,428||6.2% |-{{Party shading/Republican}} | Washington||'''22,466'''||'''57.3%'''||14,093||36.0%||2,625||6.7% |}

'''Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican''' *Newport

==Notes== {{notelist}} ;Partisan clients {{notelist-ua}}

==References== {{reflist}}

{{US Third Party Election}} {{United States elections, 1998}}

1998 Gubernatorial Rhode Island Category:November 1998 in the United States Category:1998 in Rhode Island

{{RhodeIsland-election-stub}}