1978 Florida gubernatorial election
The 1978 Florida gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 1978. Democratic nominee Bob Graham was elected, defeating Republican nominee Jack Eckerd with 55.59% of the vote.
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 County results Graham: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Eckerd: 50-60% 60-70% | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Florida |
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 Government |
Primary elections
Primary elections were held on September 12, 1978. The Democratic runoff was held on October 5, 1978.
Candidates
- Leroy Eden, bar owner
- Maria Kay
- Bob Graham, State Senator
- Claude R. Kirk Jr., former Republican Governor
- Mary L. Singleton, the former director of the state Division of Elections, Jacksonville City Council
- Robert L. Shevin, Florida Attorney General
- Bruce A. Smathers, former Secretary of State of Florida
- Charles W. Boyd, State Representative
- Hans Tanzler, Mayor of Jacksonville
- Manuel "Manolo" Arques, real estate and insurance executive from Miami.
- James H. Williams, Lieutenant Governor of Florida
Seven tickets ran for the Democratic nomination for governor of Florida.
Jim Williams, the lieutenant governor, ran for governor with former state Senator Betty Castor of Florida, as his running mate. Hans G. Tanzler, the mayor of Jacksonville, ran with Manuel "Manolo" Arques, a Cuban-American real estate and insurance executive from Miami. State Secretary of State Bruce Smathers (who resigned to run) ran with state Representative Charles W. Boyd.
Claude R. Kirk Jr. of Palm Beach, who was the Republican governor of Florida from 1967 to 1971, returned to the party he left 28 years prior, switching his party affiliation to Democratic on July 5, 1978 (the month prior re-registering as an independent and launching an abortive signature drive to get on the ballot as an independent. He chose as his running mate Mary L. Singleton, the former director of the state Division of Elections and the first black woman to sit on the Jacksonville City Council.[1]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Robert L. Shevin | 364,732 | 35.15 | |
| Democratic | Bob Graham | 261,972 | 25.25 | |
| Democratic | Hans Tanzler | 124,706 | 12.02 | |
| Democratic | James H. Williams | 124,427 | 11.99 | |
| Democratic | Bruce A. Smathers | 85,298 | 8.22 | |
| Democratic | Claude R. Kirk Jr. | 62,534 | 6.03 | |
| Democratic | Leroy Eden | 13,864 | 1.34 | |
| Total votes | 1,037,533 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Bob Graham | 482,535 | 53.55 | |
| Democratic | Robert L. Shevin | 418,636 | 46.45 | |
| Total votes | 901,171 | 100.00 | ||
Candidates
- Jack Eckerd, businessman and administrator of the General Services Administration
- Louis Frey Jr., U.S. Representative for the 9th district
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jack Eckerd | 244,394 | 63.84 | |
| Republican | Louis Frey Jr. | 138,437 | 36.16 | |
| Total votes | 382,831 | 100.00 | ||
General election
Candidates
- Bob Graham, Democratic
- Jack Eckerd, Republican
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Bob Graham/ Wayne Mixson | 1,406,580 | 55.59% | ||
| Republican | Jack Eckerd/ Paula Hawkins | 1,123,888 | 44.41% | ||
| Majority | 282,692 | 11.18% | |||
| Turnout | 2,530,468 | 100.00% | |||
| Democratic hold | Swing | ||||
References
- Slaughter, Thomas E. "Shevin TV Ad Kills Truce." Associated Press, October 3, 1978.
- "FL Governor, 1978 - D Primary". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
- Florida Handbook 1985-86, p. 604.
- "FL Governor, 1978 - D Runoff". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
- "FL Governor, 1978 - R Primary". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
- Florida Handbook 1985-86, p. 601.
- Cook, Rhodes, ed. (2015). America Votes 31: 2013-2014, Election Returns by State. CQ Press. p. 81. ISBN 9781483383026. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
- "FL Governor, 1978". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
- Florida Handbook 1985-86, p. 600.
Bibliography
- Morris, Allen (1985). The Florida Handbook, 1985-86. Tallahassee, FL: The Peninsular Publishing Company.
