1988 United States Senate election in Florida

US Senate election in Florida on November 8, 1988 March 2026 September 2023 1988 United States Senate election in Florida Florida presidential no 1982 United States Senate election in Florida 1982 1994 United States Senate election in Florida 1994 November 8, 1988 File:Connie Mack III (3x4 crop).jpg Connie Mack III Republican Party (United States) 2,051,071 50.42% File:Buddy MacKay 1988.jpg Buddy MacKay Democratic Party (United States) 2,016,553 49.57% 1988 United States Senate election in Florida results map by county.svg 300px County results Mack: #e27f7f 50–60% #d75d5d 60–70% #d72f30 70–80% MacKay: #7996e2 50–60% #6674de 60–70% U.S. Senator Lawton Chiles Democratic Party (United States) Connie Mack III Republican Party (United States) The 1988 United States Senate election in Florida was held on November 8, 1988. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Lawton Chiles decided to retire instead of seeking a fourth term. Republican Connie Mack III won the open seat, becoming the first Republican to hold this seat since Reconstruction in 1875.Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives Clerk of the United States House of Representatives Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 8, 1988 https://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/1988election.pdf U.S. Government Printing Office 9 Chiles would later run successfully for Governor of Florida in 1990 and 1994. Democratic primary Incumbent U.S. Senator Lawton Chiles announced in December 1987, that he would not seek reelection.Moreland Steed Baker 1991 168 Former Governor Reubin Askew announced his candidacy and was regarded as a likely nominee, but withdrew stating that he was tired of campaigning and did not like fundraising.Moreland Steed Baker 1991 168-169 Candidates Bill Gunter, Florida State Treasurer Pat Frank, State Senator from Tampa Claude R. Kirk Jr., former Republican Governor Buddy MacKay, U.S. Representative from Ocala Dan Mica, U.S. Representative from Lake Worth Results Democratic primary resultshttps://doe.dos.state.fl.us/elections/resultsarchive/Index.asp?ElectionDate=9%2F6%2F1988&DATAMODE= Florida Department of State - Election Results 2019-02-20 https://web.archive.org/web/20110718144932/https://doe.dos.state.fl.us/elections/resultsarchive/Index.asp?ElectionDate=9%2F6%2F1988&DATAMODE= 2011-07-18 dead Bill Gunter Democratic Party (United States) 383,721 38.00% Buddy MacKay Democratic Party (United States) 263,946 26.14% Dan Mica Democratic Party (United States) 179,524 17.78% Pat Frank Democratic Party (United States) 119,277 11.81% Claude Kirk Democratic Party (United States) 51,387 5.09% Fred Rader Democratic Party (United States) 11,820 1.17% 1,009,675 100.00% Democratic primary runoff resultshttps://doe.dos.state.fl.us/elections/resultsarchive/Index.asp?ElectionDate=10%2F4%2F1988&DATAMODE= Florida Department of State - Election Results 2019-02-20 https://web.archive.org/web/20110718144943/https://doe.dos.state.fl.us/elections/resultsarchive/Index.asp?ElectionDate=10%2F4%2F1988&DATAMODE= 2011-07-18 dead Buddy MacKay Democratic Party (United States) 369,266 52.00 Bill Gunter Democratic Party (United States) 340,918 48.00 710,184 100 Republican primary In 1987, U.S. Representative Connie Mack III announced his campaign for the Republican nomination. Robert Merkle, a former U.S. Attorney, was Mack's only opposition in the Republican primary.Moreland Steed Baker 1991 168-169 Candidates Connie Mack III, U.S. Representative from Cape Coral Robert Merkle, former U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida Speculated Jeb Bush, Secretary of Commerce of Florida (1987–1988)Moreland Steed Baker 1991 169 Paula Hawkins, former U.S. Senator (1981–1987)Moreland Steed Baker 1991 169 Bill McCollum, member of the United States House of Representatives from Florida's 5th congressional districtMoreland Steed Baker 1991 169 Results Republican primary resultshttps://doe.dos.state.fl.us/elections/resultsarchive/Index.asp?ElectionDate=9%2F6%2F1988&DATAMODE= Florida Department of State - Election Results 2019-02-20 https://web.archive.org/web/20110718144932/https://doe.dos.state.fl.us/elections/resultsarchive/Index.asp?ElectionDate=9%2F6%2F1988&DATAMODE= 2011-07-18 dead Connie Mack Republican Party (United States) 405,296 61.78 Robert Merkle Republican Party (United States) 250,730 38.22 656,026 100 General election Candidates Connie Mack III, U.S. Representative (Republican) Buddy MacKay, U.S. Representative (Democratic) Campaign This senate election was heavily targeted by both parties. U.S. Representative Mack announced his candidacy back in October 1987.Straight Harry Mack opens Senate race, hits Chiles https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1987-10-20-0150340156-story.html Orlando Sentinel 1987-10-20 President Ronald Reagan endorsed Mack in June 1988https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/sun_sentinel/access/88805454.html?dids=88805454:88805454&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jun+30%2C+1988&author=JOHN+KENNEDY%2C+Politics+Writer&pub=South+Florida+Sun+-+Sentinel&desc=REAGAN+ENDORSES+MACK+IN+MIAMI+PRESIDENT+REBUKES+DUKAKIS+AT+FUND-+RAISER&pqatl=google Reagan Endorses Mack in Miami President Rebukes Dukakis at Fund- Raiser 2017-07-07 2012-11-05 https://web.archive.org/web/20121105093107/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/sun_sentinel/access/88805454.html?dids=88805454:88805454&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jun+30,+1988&author=JOHN+KENNEDY,+Politics+Writer&pub=South+Florida+Sun+-+Sentinel&desc=REAGAN+ENDORSES+MACK+IN+MIAMI+PRESIDENT+REBUKES+DUKAKIS+AT+FUND-+RAISER&pqatl=google dead to allow Mack to focus on the general election, as he easily won the September 6 Republican primary against U.S. Attorney Robert Merkle.https://www.nytimes.com/1988/09/07/us/mack-easily-wins-in-florida-primary.html Mack Easily Wins in Florida Primary The New York Times 7 September 1988 In May 1988, MacKay announced he would run for the open seat,https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=wgsqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=INMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2170,6877521&dq=buddy+mackay&hl=en Daytona Beach Sunday News-Journal - Google News Archive Search and defeated Insurance Commissioner Bill Gunter in a close October 4 runoff primary election.https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/access/73628471.html?dids=73628471:73628471&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Sep+08%2C+1988&author=Maralee+Schwartz%3B+Paul+Taylor&pub=The+Washington+Post+%28pre-1997+Fulltext%29&desc=Gunter%2C+MacKay+in+Runoff&pqatl=google Gunter, MacKay in Runoff 2017-07-07 2012-11-05 https://web.archive.org/web/20121105093122/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/access/73628471.html?dids=73628471:73628471&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Sep+08,+1988&author=Maralee+Schwartz%3B+Paul+Taylor&pub=The+Washington+Post+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&desc=Gunter,+MacKay+in+Runoff&pqatl=google dead The general election became very nasty. MacKay tried to portray the Republican as "extremist."https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=YxFSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=SzUNAAAAIBAJ&pg=1912,782035&dq=connie+mack&hl=en The Albany Herald - Google News Archive Search Mack attacked his opponent in television ads by connecting him to unpopular Massachusetts Governor and presidential candidate Michael Dukakis.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=heobAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MHoEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6903,6329862&dq=buddy+mackay&hl=en Sarasota Herald-Tribune - Google News Archive Search Mack had help from vice presidential candidate Dan Quayle.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=z8FPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=0AYEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2576,6586753&dq=connie+mack&hl=en Ocala Star-Banner - Google News Archive Search He also ran ten-second television advertisements that said "Hey Buddy, you're a liberal," a charge MacKay could never escape. https://www.sun-sentinel.com/opinion/commentary/fl-op-com-bousquet-ss-prem-buddy-mackay-last-democratic-governor-20210402-lsgma5jh75czlmfq4ijhe6zale-story.html Looking back with Buddy MacKay, Florida's last Democratic governor - Steve Bousquet Sun Sentinel 2 April 2021 December 18, 2022 The election was so close there was a recount until MacKay conceded eight days after election day.Holmes Charles 1988-11-17 The Palm Beach Post https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=AggjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=z80FAAAAIBAJ&pg=2166,1269360&dq=connie+mack&hl=en MacKay throws in towel 2015-06-16 2013-01-24 https://archive.today/20130124150121/http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=AggjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=z80FAAAAIBAJ&pg=2166,1269360&dq=connie+mack&hl=en dead Endorsements List of Buddy MacKay endorsements Statewide officials Bill Gunter, Treasurer, Insurance Commissioner, and Fire Marshal of Florida (1976–1989)Moreland Steed Baker 1991 169 Results General election results Republican Party (United States) Connie Mack III 2,051,071 50.42% +12.15% Democratic Party (United States) Buddy MacKay 2,016,553 49.57% -12.15% 585 0.01% 34,518 0.85% -22.61% 4,068,209 Republican Party (United States) Democratic Party (United States) See also 1988 United States Senate elections References Works cited Moreland Laurence Steed Robert Baker Tod The 1988 Presidential Election in the South: Continuity Amidst Change in Southern Party Politics Praeger Publishers 1991 https://archive.org/details/1988presidential0000unse 0275931455 Florida 1988 Category:1988 Florida elections