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.

[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.

[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. 

[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.