1986 Kansas gubernatorial election

The 1986 Kansas gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 1986. Incumbent Democratic Governor John W. Carlin did not run for re-election. Republican nominee Mike Hayden, then Speaker of the Kansas House of Representatives, beat the Democratic nominee Thomas Docking, who was then the incumbent Lieutenant Governor of Kansas.^[1] This was the last gubernatorial election in Kansas in which the winner was of the same party as the incumbent president until Laura Kelly's victory in 2022.

1986 Kansas gubernatorial election

← 1982 November 4, 1986 1990 →

Nominee Mike Hayden Thomas Docking Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 436,267 404,338 Percentage 51.9% 48.1%

County results Hayden:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90% Docking:      50–60%      60–70%

Governor before election John W. Carlin Democratic Elected Governor Mike Hayden Republican

Candidates

Democratic

• Thomas Docking, incumbent Lieutenant Governor of Kansas

Republican

• Mike Hayden, Speaker of the Kansas House of Representatives
• Jack Brier, Secretary of State of Kansas

General Election

Results

Kansas gubernatorial election, 1986^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Mike Hayden/Jack D. Walker	436,267	51.90%	+7.44%
	Democratic	Thomas Docking/Montgomery	404,338	48.10%	−5.06%
Majority			31,929	3.80%	−4.90%
Turnout			840,605
	Republican gain from Democratic		Swing	{{{swing}}}