2010 Florida gubernatorial election

none related races 2010 United States gubernatorial elections January 2025 April 2012 2010 Florida gubernatorial election Florida presidential no 2006 Florida gubernatorial election 2006 2014 Florida gubernatorial election 2014 November 2, 2010 150x150px File:Rick Scott official portrait (cropped).jpg Rick Scott Jennifer Carroll Republican Party of Florida 2,619,335 48.87% File:Alex Sink (cropped).png Alex Sink Rod Smith Florida Democratic Party 2,557,785 47.72% 300px County results 300px Congressional district results 300px Precinct results 1 Scott: #FFB2B2 40–50% #E27F7F 50–60% #D75D5D 60–70% #D72F30 70–80% #C21B18 80–90% #A80000 >90% Sink: #a5b0ff 40–50% #7996e2 50–60% #6674de 60–70% #584cde 70–80% #3933e5 80–90% #0d0596 >90%Tie: #d2b1d9 40–50% #ae8bb1 50% #808080 No votes Governor Charlie Crist Independent Rick Scott Republican Party (United States) 48.7%1.9https://results.elections.myflorida.com/Index.asp?ElectionDate=11/2/2010&DATAMODE= November 2, 2010 General Election Florida Department of State 2022-05-15 The 2010 Florida gubernatorial election took place on November 2, 2010. Republican-turned-independent incumbent Governor Charlie Crist chose not to run for a second term and he ran unsuccessfully for the Senate seat vacated by Mel Martínez.Martinez resigned his seat in December 2008, and Crist appointed Republican George LeMieux to serve the remainder of Martinez's term. LeMieux declined to run for election, and Crist was one of three major candidates in the election for U.S. Senate. This resulted in an open race for Governor of Florida in which Republican Rick Scott narrowly defeated Democrat Alex Sink. Despite mixed to unfavorable ratings, Rick Scott benefited greatly from the midterm GOP wave in which Republicans made significant gains across the country.https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/03/AR2010110300781.html Money, message, mad electorate make Scott Fla. gov The Washington Post November 3, 2010 October 21, 2014 Scott was one of six Republican gubernatorial pick-ups nationwide (counting Crist as an independent). The tight and highly contentious election was one of the standout races in 2010. Despite not professing direct allegiance to the movement,http://www.sunshinestatenews.com/story/tea-party-backs-rick-scott-governor-november TEA Party Backs Rick Scott for Governor in November Sunshine State News Kevin Derby September 2, 2010 October 17, 2014 Scott benefited from support and endorsement by Tea Party activists,http://www.floridatoday.com/story/opinion/columnists/syndicated/2014/06/05/paula-dockery-tea-party-stands-rick-scott/10025351/ Paula Dockery: Tea party stands by Rick Scott Florida Today Paula Dockery June 5, 2014 October 17, 2014 an influential conservative voting bloc of the 2010 midterms. Scott ran aggressively against the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), and exit polls indicated considerable support for that position.http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2010/results/polls/#val=FLG00p2 Exit Polls – Florida 2010 Governor CNN October 17, 2014 This election was the first Florida gubernatorial election since 1982 where the winner of the gubernatorial election was of the same party as the winner of the concurrent United States Senate election. Primary Elections Democratic Candidates Brian Moore, political activist, 2008 Socialist Party USA nominee for president of the United States Alex Sink, chief financial officer of Florida Before the 2010 Democratic primary, the Florida Democratic Party faced a period of uncertainty. The incumbent governor, Charlie Crist, was widely expected to seek re-election, but surprised many in early 2009 by announcing a run for the U.S. Senate instead. This created a rare open seat for governor, sparking speculation among Florida Democrats about who would enter the race.August 25, 2008 Florida Democrats revel in gained ground http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/state/article784644.ece dead https://web.archive.org/web/20121013103140/http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/state/article784644.ece October 13, 2012 2010-08-29 Tampa Bay Times mdy-all Alex Sink, then serving as the chief financial officer of Florida, was the only Democrat holding statewide elected office at the time. As a former Bank of America executive, Sink built a reputation as a competent and moderate technocrat. Her husband, Bill McBride, was the Democratic nominee in the 2002 Florida gubernatorial election, but lost to incumbent Governor Jeb Bush. Initially, there were doubts about whether she would run, as she remained noncommittal throughout the first half of 2009.Cotterell Bill January 16, 2009 Alex Sink won't run for U.S. Senate in 2010 http://www.tallahassee.com/article/20090116/CAPITOLNEWS/90116013?nclick_check=1 Tallahassee Democrat However, in May 2009, she officially announced her candidacy and instantly became the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination. Sink benefited from a largely uncontested path to the nomination. Her only opponent was Brian Moore, a long-shot candidate who previously ran for president in 2008 under the Socialist Party USA banner. Moore qualified for the ballot as a Democrat but did not raise significant funds or gain media traction.Kam Dara July 24, 2010 Low-profile Alex Sink faces even more obscure opponent in Democratic race for Florida governor http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/state-regional/low-profile-alex-sink-faces-even-more-obscure-oppo/nL8jq/ October 17, 2014 April 23, 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20130423033037/http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/state-regional/low-profile-alex-sink-faces-even-more-obscure-oppo/nL8jq/ Palm Beach Post On primary day, Sink won the Democratic nomination with nearly 77% of the vote. Because of this advantage, Sink was able to conserve resources and begin preparing for the general election months in advance. She toured the state, built a coalition of moderate Democrats and independents, and began framing her likely Republican opponent (initially expected to be Attorney General Bill McCollum) as out of touch with mainstream voters. However, political newcomer Rick Scott's upset victory surprised her team. thumb|County results Democratic primary resultshttps://www.politico.com/2010/maps/#/Governor/2010/FL Florida Gubernatorial Primary Results Politico August 24, 2010 August 24, 2010 August 23, 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100823031212/http://www.politico.com/2010/maps/#/Governor/2010/FL dead Alex Sink Democratic Party (United States) 663,802 76.9% Brian Moore Democratic Party (United States) 199,896 23.1% 863,698 100.0% Republican In May 2009, incumbent governor Charlie Crist announced he would not run for re-election, and instead would run for U.S. Senate.May 12, 2009 Florida governor announces run for Senate http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/05/12/crist.senate/index.html?iref=hpmostpop October 17, 2014 CNN The move immediately turned the race competitive, as GOP-hopefuls lined up to run for the open seat. Former congressman and Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum emerged as the early favorite and had strong backing from the state Republican establishment. In 2000, McCollum was the Republican nominee for Senate, but lost. He ran for the nomination again in 2004 but lost. His run for governor would be his third attempt at a major statewide campaign. McCollum’s early entry allowed him to consolidate endorsements and donor support, and for most of 2009 and early 2010, he campaigned without a serious challenger. However, just before the deadline, Rick Scott, a multimillionaire businessman and former CEO of the Columbia/HCA hospital chain, jumped into the race.Deslatte Aaron July 30, 2010 Ruling lets Rick Scott spend all he wants in governor's race vs. Bill McCollum https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2010/07/30/ruling-lets-rick-scott-spend-all-he-wants-in-governors-race-vs-bill-mccollum/ October 17, 2014 The Orlando Sentinel From the outset, Scott launched a media blitz and invested more than $23 million of his own money in just the primary. In total, Scott spent over $50 million in the primary alone. His messaging focused on job creation, cutting taxes, immigration enforcement, and repealing Obamacare. He branded himself as a “conservative outsider,” tapping into rising Tea Party sentiment and widespread voter frustration with government insiders. His “Let’s Get to Work” plan promised to create 700,000 jobs in seven years.By 2011-02-02 It’s official: Rick Scott is the all-time big spender https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2011/02/02/its-official-rick-scott-is-the-all-time-big-spender/ 2025-07-01 Orlando Sentinel en-US McCollum was initially caught off-guard by Scott’s entry and struggled to keep up in fundraising and advertising. McCollum tried to reframe the race as a referendum on Scott’s past, especially his role in the Columbia/HCA Medicare fraud case. McCollum’s campaign and allied groups ran ads labeling Scott as untrustworthy. One McCollum ad called Scott “the king of Medicare fraud,” a claim Scott strongly rejected, stating he was never personally charged with wrongdoing.2010-05-26 Bill McCollum Says He Respects Rick Scott Only Days After Calling Him a Fraud https://www.floridadems.org/2010/05/26/bill-mccollum-says-he-respects-rick-scott-only-days-after-calling-him-a-fraud/ 2025-07-01 Florida Democratic Party The race turned deeply negative on both sides, with mutual accusations of lying, criminal behavior, and ideological extremism. McCollum also received criticism for hiring a controversial anti-immigration consultant, which alienated some moderate Republicans and Latino voters. Scott took legal action to avoid Florida’s campaign finance “millionaire’s matching funds” provision, which would have granted McCollum more public funding.Key Florida campaign-finance provision blocked by federal court https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Justice/2010/0730/Key-Florida-campaign-finance-provision-blocked-by-federal-court 2025-07-01 Christian Science Monitor 0882-7729 Televised debates late in the campaign were bitter and personal, with Scott refusing to apologize for his business record and McCollum attacking Scott’s refusal to release full records from his tenure at Columbia/HCA. Scott led some early polls, but McCollum re-took the lead in polls just before primary day. Scott benefited in absentee voting, while McCollum expected to make up the difference based on turnout. On primary day, Scott won the nomination with just over 46% of the vote. The dejected McCollum team reluctantly conceded after midnight.Deslatte Aaron August 25, 2010 Rick Scott beats Bill McCollum to end nasty GOP governor's primary fight https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2010/08/25/rick-scott-beats-bill-mccollum-to-end-nasty-gop-governors-primary-fight/ October 17, 2014 The Orlando Sentinel Scott's victory exposed rifts within the Republican Party between establishment conservatives and the insurgent Tea Party movement. The primary left Scott with high unfavorable ratings and a reputation for aggressive, negative campaigning, but it also gave him name recognition, media dominance, and momentum heading into the general election. thumb|County results Republican primary results Rick Scott Republican Party (United States) 595,474 46.4% Bill McCollum Republican Party (United States) 557,427 43.4% Mike McCalister Republican Party (United States) 130,056 10.1% 1,282,957 100.0% General Election Candidates Republican Rick Scott, healthcare executive Democratic Alex Sink, chief financial officer of Florida Independence Party of Florida Peter L. Allen, electrical inspector No party affiliation Michael E. Arth de Michael Edward Arth es fr ja マイケル・アース zh 米高·亞瑟, policy analyst and urban designer who entered the race as a Democrat in June 2009 and later switched to no party affiliation in June 2010 Daniel Imperatohttp://election.dos.state.fl.us/candidate/CanDetail.asp?account=52671 Florida Election Candidate Tracking System entry for Imperato June 23, 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100729223629/http://election.dos.state.fl.us/candidate/CanDetail.asp?account=52671 July 29, 2010 dead Farid Khavari, economist, author, and small business owner Calvin Clarence "C.C." Reed Campaign The race was dominated by the two major party candidates and spending on their behalf. By the October 25, 2010, Tampa debate between Scott and Sink, Scott had spent $60 million of his own money on the campaign compared to Sink's $28 million."Governor's Race: Rick, Scott, Alex Sink save harshest word for last debate". Orlando Sentinel, Total campaign expenditure for the race exceeded $100 million, far exceeding any previous spending for a governor's race in Florida.Baribeau Simone Florida Republican Scott Elected Governor After Record Spending https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-11-03/florida-republican-scott-elected-governor-after-record-spending.html Bloomberg December 9, 2011 Scott spent $78 million of his personal wealth in the race.https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rick-scott-wins-tight-florida-governor-race/ Rick Scott Wins Tight Florida Governor Race CBS News Lucy Madison April 14, 2011 October 17, 2014 Sink made an issue of Scott's connections to Columbia/HCA, a Medicare billing fraud scandal. One of the turning points in the campaign came during the debate. During a commercial break, Sink's make-up artist delivered a text message on her cell phone to Sink, in direct violation of the debate rules. The rules infraction was immediately pointed out by Scott and the debate moderators.http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/10/26/florida.debate.foul/ Aide fired over Florida debate foul CNN October 26, 2010 October 17, 2014 Sink's team was accused of cheating during the debate, and the aide who delivered the message was fired from the campaign the next morning. Afterwards, media and observers were very critical of the gaffe. Predictions Source Ranking As of Cook Political Reporthttp://cookpolitical.com/charts/governors/raceratings_2010-10-14_12-35-09.php https://web.archive.org/web/20101028141343/http://cookpolitical.com/charts/governors/raceratings_2010-10-14_12-35-09.php dead October 28, 2010 2010 Governors Race Ratings Cook Political Report October 28, 2010 Tossup October 14, 2010 Rothenberghttp://www.insideelections.com/ratings/governor/2010-gubernatorial-ratings-october-28-2010 Governor Ratings Rothenberg Political Report October 28, 2010 Tossup October 28, 2010 RealClearPoliticshttp://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2010/governor/2010_elections_governor_map.html 2010 Governor Races RealClearPolitics October 28, 2010 Tossup November 1, 2010 Sabato's Crystal Ballhttp://centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/articles/ljs2010102801/ THE CRYSTAL BALL'S FINAL CALLS October 28, 2010 Sabato's Crystal Ball October 28, 2010 Lean R Flip October 28, 2010 CQ Politicshttp://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=ratings-governor Race Ratings Chart: Governor CQ Politics October 28, 2010 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20101005231611/http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=ratings-governor October 5, 2010 Tossup October 28, 2010 Polling Democratic primary background:#cff List of Democratic primary polling numbers border:solid 1px silver; padding:8px; background:var(--background-color-base); color:var(--color-base); Poll source Dates administered Alex Sink Michael E. ArthMason DixonMason Dixon June 24–26, 200949% 4% Republican primary Opinion polling for the 2010 Florida gubernatorial election Republican primary.chart Opinion polling for the 2010 Florida gubernatorial election Republican primary.tab 700px background:#cff List of Republican primary polling numbers border:solid 1px silver; padding:8px; background:var(--background-color-base); color:var(--color-base); Poll source Dates administered Bill McCollum Rick Scott Paula DockeryQuinnipiacQuinnipiac August 21–22, 2010 39% 35% –Public Policy PollingPublic Policy Polling August 21–22, 2010 40% 47% –Mason-Dixonhttps://archive.today/20130204123811/http://www2.tbo.com/content/2010/aug/21/211824/poll-mccollum-meek-hold-leads-last-minute-spending/news-breaking/ Mason-Dixon August 17–19, 2010 45% 36% –QuinnipiacQuinnipiac August 11–16, 2010 44% 35% –Sunshine State NewsSunshine State News August 12–15, 2010 42% 44% –Mason Dixonhttps://archive.today/20130130210120/http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/politics/os-mason-dixon-governors-race-20100812,0,240451.story Mason Dixon August 9–11, 2010 34% 30% –Ipsos/Florida NewspapersIpsos/Florida Newspapers September 2024 medicmedic August 6–10, 2010 32% 42% –Mason DixonMason Dixon August 2–4, 2010 31% 37% –The Florida PollThe Florida Poll https://web.archive.org/web/20100822111959/http://www.theledger.com/article/20100731/NEWS/7315026/1410?Title=Rick-Scott-Pulls-Well-Out-Front August 22, 2010 July 24–28, 2010 25% 41% –QuinnipiacQuinnipiac July 22–27, 2010 32% 43% –Public Policy PollingPublic Policy Polling July 16–18, 2010 29% 43% –Florida Chamber of CommerceFlorida Chamber of Commerce June 9–13, 2010 30% 35% –QuinnipiacQuinnipiac June 2–8, 2010 31% 44% –Mason-Dixonhttp://www.abc-7.com/Global/story.asp?S=12447381 Mason-Dixon May 8, 2010 July 7, 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20110707073319/http://www.abc-7.com/Global/story.asp?S=12447381 dead May 3–5, 2010 38% 24% 7%Research 2000Research 2000 November 16–18, 2009 45% – 9%Strategic VisionStrategic Vision May 29–31, 2009 44% – 28% General election thumb|Polling for the 2010 Florida gubernatorial election Poll source Dates administered Bud Chiles (I) Rick Scott (R) Alex Sink (D)Mason-Dixon May 3–5, 2010 — 36% 38%Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports May 16, 2010 — 41% 40%Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports June 7, 2010 — 45% 40%QuinnipiacQuinnipiac June 7, 2010 13% 35% 26%Florida Chamber of Commerce June 9–13, 2010 15% 31% 26%Ipsos/ReutersIpsos/Reuters July 9–11, 2010 12% 34% 31%Public Policy PollingPublic Policy Polling July 16–18, 2010 13% 30% 36%QuinnipiacQuinnipiac July 22–27, 2010 14% 29% 27%The Florida Poll July 24–28, 2010 11% 30% 28%Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports August 2, 2010 16% 35% 31%Ipsos/Florida Newspapersmedic August 6–10, 2010 14% 30% 29%Mason-DixonMason-Dixon August 9–11, 2010 17% 24% 40%QuinnipiacQuinnipiac August 11–16, 2010 12% 29% 33%Public Policy PollingPublic Policy Polling August 21–22, 2010 8% 34% 41%Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports August 25, 2010 4% 45% 42%Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports September 1, 2010 — 45% 44%Sunshine State NewsSunshine State News September 1–7, 2010 42% 44%CNNCNN https://web.archive.org/web/20100909145429/http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/09/08/cnntime-poll-heated-battle-for-florida-senate/ September 9, 2010 September 2–7, 2010 42% 49%FOX NewsFOX News September 11, 2010 41% 49%Reuters/IpsosReuters/Ipsos September 12, 2010 45% 47%Mason-Dixonhttps://archive.today/20100927042605/http://www2.tbo.com/content/2010/sep/23/231234/sink-leads-scott-47-40-in-new-mason-dixon-poll/news-breaking/ Mason-Dixon September 20–22, 2010 40% 47%Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports September 22, 2010 50% 44%QuinnipiacQuinnipiac September 23–28, 2010 49% 43%CNNCNN https://web.archive.org/web/20100930231846/http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/09/29/cnntime-poll-rubio-opens-senate-lead-while-governors-race-stays-a-dead-heat/ September 30, 2010 September 24–28, 2010 47% 45%Sunshine State Newshttp://www.sunshinestatenews.com/story/poll-rick-scott-takes-lead-favored-win Sunshine State News October 5, 2010 October 7, 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20101007032731/http://www.sunshinestatenews.com/story/poll-rick-scott-takes-lead-favored-win dead September 26 – October 3, 2010 44% 42%TCPalm.com /ZogbyTCPalm.com / Zogby September 27–29, 2010 39% 41%Florida Chamber of CommerceFlorida Chamber of Commerce September 27–30, 2010 46% 42%Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports September 30, 2010 46% 41%Mason-DixonMason-Dixon October 4–6, 2010 40% 44%Miami-Dade CollegeMiami-Dade College April 2019 InternetArchiveBot yes October 5, 2010 52% 46%QuinnipiacQuinnipiac October 6–8, 2010 45% 44%Rasmussen Reports October 7, 2010 50% 47%PPPPPP October 9–10, 2010 41% 46%SusquehannaSusquehanna October 12–13, 2010 45% 48%SuffolkSuffolk https://web.archive.org/web/20101022152714/http://www.suffolk.edu/44188.html October 22, 2010 October 14–17, 2010 38% 45%CNN Opinion ResearchCNN Opinion Research October 15–19, 2010 49% 46%Ipsos/St. Pete TimesIpsos/ St. Pete Times October 15–19, 2010 44% 41%Rasmussen Reports October 18, 2010 50% 44%Naples Daily News /Zogby Naples Daily News / Zogby October 18–21, 2010 39% 43%QuinnipiacQuinnipiac October 18–24, 2010 41% 45%SusquehannaSusquehanna October 20, 2010 45% 45%Susquehanna/Sunshine State NewsSusquehanna/ Sunshine State News October 24–25, 2010 47% 45%Univ. of South Fla. PolytechnicUniv. of South Fla. Polytechnic https://web.archive.org/web/20101103141730/http://www.theledger.com/article/20101030/NEWS/10305068/1410?p=1&tc=pg November 3, 2010 October 23–27, 2010 44% 39%QuinnipiacQuinnipiac October 25–31, 2010 43% 44%Mason-DixonMason-Dixon October 26–27, 2010 43% 46%Rasmussen Reports October 27, 2010 48% 45%Susquehanna/Sunshine StateSusquehanna/ Sunshine State October 29–31, 2010 46% 49%Public Policy PollingPublic Policy Polling October 30–31, 2010 47% 48% Hypothetical polls background:#cff Bill McCollum (R) vs. Alex Sink (D) vs. Bud Chiles (I) border:solid 1px silver; padding:8px; background:var(--background-color-base); color:var(--color-base); Opinion polling for hypothetical Bill McCollum (R) vs. Alex Sink (D) vs. Bud Chiles (I) in the 2010 Florida gubernatorial election.chart Opinion polling for hypothetical Bill McCollum (R) vs. Alex Sink (D) vs. Bud Chiles (I) in the 2010 Florida gubernatorial election.tab 700px Poll source Dates administered Bill McCollum Alex Sink Bud ChilesQuinnipiac August 11–16, 2010 29% 31% 12%Mason-Dixon August 9–11, 2010 35% 37% 13%Ipsos/Florida Newspapersmedic August 6–10, 2010 26% 30% 12%Rasmussen Reports August 2, 2010 27% 31% 20%The Florida Poll July 24–28, 2010 26% 27% 12%Quinnipiac July 22–27, 2010 27% 26% 14%Public Policy Polling July 16–18, 2010 23% 37% 14%Ipsos/Reuters July 9–11, 2010 30% 31% 12%Florida Chamber of Commerce June 9–13, 2010 30% 26% 15%Quinnipiac June 7, 2010 33% 25% 19%Rasmussen Reports June 7, 2010 40% 38% —Rasmussen Reports May 16, 2010 43% 35% —Mason-Dixon May 7, 2010 45% 36% —Rasmussen Reports March 18, 2010 47% 36% —Public Policy PollingPublic Policy Polling March 5–8, 2010 44% 31% —Rasmussen Reports February 18, 2010 48% 35% —Fabrizo/McLaughlin & AssociatesFabrizo/McLaughlin January 31, 2010 41% 32% —Rasmussen Reports January 27, 2010 46% 35% —QuinnipiacQuinnipiac January 27, 2010 41% 31% <1%Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports December 14, 2009 44% 39% —Research 2000 November 16–18, 2009 35% 33% —St. Pete Times/Miami Herald/Bay News 9St. Pete Times/Miami Herald/Bay News 9 October 25–28, 2009 37% 38% —Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen ReportsOctober 20, 2009 46% 35% —QuinnipiacQuinnipiacAugust 19, 2009 38% 34% 1%Public Opinion Strategieshttps://archive.today/20130630094207/http://blogs.tampabay.com/buzz/2009/08/gop-poll-bill-mccollum-47-alex-sink-38.html/ Public Opinion StrategiesAugust 4–5, 2009 48% 37% —Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports June 22, 2009 42% 34% —QuinnipiacQuinnipiac June 2–7, 2009 34% 38% 1%Mason DixonMason Dixon May 14–18, 2009 40% 34% —Mason DixonMason Dixon March 30 – April 1, 2009 36% 35% — Results 300px|thumb|State senate results The 2010 governor's race was one of Florida's closest, decided by just over 60,000 votes. Unlike the concurrent Senate race, the governor's race remained in doubt late into the night. When polls closed, Scott had a lead, but as the night progressed, the margin narrowed. The next day, with over 99% of precincts reporting, Scott maintained about a 1% lead in the raw vote. Despite a small number of still-uncounted ballots from Palm Beach County, Sink's chances of winning were negligible, as Scott was still ahead by over 50,000 – much more than the 3,000 uncounted ballots, and more importantly, still above the threshold of 0.5% to trigger a mandatory recount. Sink conceded the day after the election. Exit polls showed that Scott won among independents and the two candidates split the Hispanic vote. 2010 Florida gubernatorial electionhttps://doe.dos.state.fl.us/elections/resultsarchive/Index.asp?ElectionDate=11/2/2010&DATAMODE= Florida Department of State - Election Results doe.dos.state.fl.us https://web.archive.org/web/20111003141022/https://doe.dos.state.fl.us/elections/resultsarchive/Index.asp?ElectionDate=11%2F2%2F2010&DATAMODE= October 3, 2011 Republican Party (United States) Rick Scott 2,619,335 48.87% -3.31% Democratic Party (United States) Alex Sink 2,557,785 47.72% +2.62% Independence Party of Florida Peter Allen 123,831 2.31% Independent politician C. C. Reed 18,842 0.35% Independent politician Michael E. Arth 18,644 0.35% Independent politician Daniel Imperato 13,690 0.26% Independent politician Farid Khavari 7,487 0.14% Write-ins 121 0.00% 61,550 1.15% -5.92% 5,359,735 Republican Party (United States) Independent politician Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic Franklin (largest city: Eastpoint) Liberty (largest city: Bristol) Hillsborough (largest municipality: Tampa) Osceola (largest municipality: Kissimmee) Pinellas (largest municipality: St. Petersburg) St. Lucie (largest city: Port St. Lucie) Orange (largest city: Orlando) See also List of governors of Florida 2010 United States gubernatorial elections Notes References External links Florida Division of Elections Florida Governor Candidates https://web.archive.org/web/20081130020411/http://www.votesmart.org/election_governor_five_categories.php?state_id=FL November 30, 2008 at Project Vote Smart Campaign contributions for 2010 Florida Governor from Follow the Money https://archive.today/20121210202819/http://www.pollster.com/polls/fl/10-fl-gov-ge.php 2010 Florida Gubernatorial General Election: All Head-to-Head Matchups el graph of multiple polls from Pollster.com Election 2010: Florida Governor from Rasmussen Reports 2010 Florida Governor – McCollum vs. Sink from Real Clear Politics 2010 Florida Governor's Race from CQ Politics Race Profile in The New York Times Official campaign websites (archived) Peter Allen for Governor Michael E. Arth for Governor Farid Khavari for Governor Rick Scott for Governor Alex Sink for Governor 2010 Florida Gubernatorial