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1978 Florida gubernatorial election

The 1978 Florida gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1978. Democratic nominee Bob Graham was elected, defeating Republican nominee Jack Eckerd with 55.59% of the vote.

Primary elections

Primary elections were held on September 12, 1978. The Democratic runoff was held on October 5, 1978.

Democratic primary

Candidates

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 18 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

  Shevin
  •   20–30%
  •   30–40%
  •   40–50%
  •   50–60%
  Graham
  •   30–40%
  •   40–50%
  •   50–60%
  •   60–70%
  Tanzler
  •   20–30%
  •   30–40%
  Williams
  •   20–30%
  •   50–60%
Democratic Primary Runoff by county
  Graham
  •   50–60%
  •   60–70%
  •   70–80%
  •   80–90%
  Shevin
  •   50–60%
  •   60–70%

Republican primary

Candidates

Results

Republican Primary by county
  Eckerd
  •   50–60%
  •   60–70%
  •   70–80%
  •   80–90%
  •   >90%
  Frey
  •   50–60%
  •   60–70%

General election

Candidates

Results

References

  1. ^ Slaughter, Thomas E. "Shevin TV Ad Kills Truce." Associated Press, October 3, 1978.
  2. ^ "FL Governor, 1978 - D Primary". Our Campaigns. Retrieved April 5, 2020.
  3. ^ a b Florida Handbook 1985-86, p. 604.
  4. ^ "FL Governor, 1978 - D Runoff". Our Campaigns. Retrieved April 5, 2020.
  5. ^ "FL Governor, 1978 - R Primary". Our Campaigns. Retrieved April 5, 2020.
  6. ^ Florida Handbook 1985-86, p. 601.
  7. ^ Cook, Rhodes, ed. (2015). America Votes 31: 2013-2014, Election Returns by State. CQ Press. p. 81. ISBN 9781483383026. Retrieved April 5, 2020.
  8. ^ "FL Governor, 1978". Our Campaigns. Retrieved April 5, 2020.
  9. ^ Florida Handbook 1985-86, p. 600.

Bibliography