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
Leroy Eden, bar owner Maria Kay Bob Graham, Florida state senator from Miami Lakes Wayne Mixson, state representative from Marianna Claude R. Kirk Jr., 36th governor of Florida Mary L. Singleton, former director of the Florida Division of Elections and Jacksonville City Council member Robert Shevin, 31st Florida attorney general Jim Glisson, state senator from Tavares Bruce A. Smathers, 18th secretary of state of Florida Charles W. Boyd, state representative from Hollywood Hans Tanzler, mayor of Jacksonville Manuel "Manolo" Arques, Miami real estate and insurance executive James H. Williams, 11th lieutenant governor of Florida Betty Castor, state senator from Tampa
Seven tickets ran for the Democratic nomination for governor of Florida.
Jim Williams, the lieutenant governor, ran for governor with former Florida state senator Betty Castor of Tampa, 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. Florida 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 Florida Division of Elections and the first black woman to serve on the Jacksonville City Council.Slaughter, Thomas E. "Shevin TV Ad Kills Truce." Associated Press, October 3, 1978.
Results
Republican primary
Candidates Jack Eckerd, businessman and administrator of the General Services Administration Lou Frey, U.S. Representative from Orlando
Results
General election
Candidates Bob Graham, Democratic Jack Eckerd, Republican
Results
References
Bibliography