Highest % anyone got running for their 1st term??

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

In 1990, Democrat Bruce Sundlin beat incumbent Republican Governor Ed DuPrete with 74% of the vote.  That has got to be a record for a challenger.

That's definitely a top competitor, but there have to be other challengers who beat incumbents with one foot in the jail cell already.

Not by those kind of margins.  Even Bob Riley barely beat Don Siegelman in Alabama in 2002. 

Oh, that's just because Alabama is retarded.

We say the same about Massachusetts!

I was just waiting for a response to that one. 

[troosvelt]

I think the record might go to William Donald Schaefer in the 1986 MD Governors race when he got 82% for his first term.

[WalterMitty]

henry carter stuart, governor of virginia (1914-1918) was unopposed in both the primary and general election for his first term.

[Nym90]

In 1990, Democrat Bruce Sundlin beat incumbent Republican Governor Ed DuPrete with 74% of the vote.  That has got to be a record for a challenger.

Why was Duprete so wildly unpopular? Anyone have any ideas?

Hard to believe someone who would lose that badly would've even run for reelection (or more amazingly, get the nomination). I suppose it being Rhode Island and all, though, the Republicans hardly had a deep bench of other contenders.

[ag]

In 1990, Democrat Bruce Sundlin beat incumbent Republican Governor Ed DuPrete with 74% of the vote.  That has got to be a record for a challenger.

Why was Duprete so wildly unpopular? Anyone have any ideas?

Hard to believe someone who would lose that badly would've even run for reelection (or more amazingly, get the nomination). I suppose it being Rhode Island and all, though, the Republicans hardly had a deep bench of other contenders.

Considering that in 1990 both congressmen and one of the senators from RI were Republican, shallow bench doesn't seem a likely explanation.

[Meeker]

I know DiPrete had some problems with bribery and some shady state contracts that he pleaded guilty to in the late 90's. I don't know for sure if it was known back when he was Governor, but that'd be my guess.

In a sort of funny turn of events, the man who beat him by 50 points (Sundlun) ended up losing his primary four years later.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

I know DiPrete had some problems with bribery and some shady state contracts that he pleaded guilty to in the late 90's. I don't know for sure if it was known back when he was Governor, but that'd be my guess.

In a sort of funny turn of events, the man who beat him by 50 points (Sundlun) ended up losing his primary four years later.

The DiPrete affair is a very lengthy, complex, and interesting one.  DiPrete's term ended, and Sundlun's term started with the near total collapse of Rhode Island's banking institutions.  DiPrete wound up being Rhode Island's equivalent of a mob boss Governor.