1970 Florida gubernatorial election

none related races 1970 United States gubernatorial elections January 2025 September 2023 1970 Florida gubernatorial election Florida 1900 presidential no 1966 Florida gubernatorial election 1966 1974 Florida gubernatorial election 1974 November 3, 1970 File:State Sen Reubin Askew.jpg 150x150px Reubin Askew Florida Democratic Party Thomas B. Adams Jr. 984,305 56.99% File:Claude Kirk.jpg Claude R. Kirk Jr. Republican Party of Florida Ray Osborne 746,243 43.12% 1970 Florida gubernatorial election results map by county.svg 300px County resultsAskew: #7996e2 50–60% #6674de 60–70% #584cde 70–80% #3933e5 80–90%Kirk: #e27f7f 50–60% #d75d5d 60–70% Governor Claude R. Kirk Jr. Republican Party (United States) Reubin Askew Democratic Party (United States) The 1970 Florida gubernatorial election took place on November 3, 1970, to elect the governor and lieutenant governor of Florida. Republican incumbent Claude R. Kirk Jr. ran for re-election to a second term but was defeated by Reubin Askew. This was the first election in which a Florida governor was eligible to run for a second consecutive term and the first election following the reestablishment of the office of lieutenant governor in 1969. Primary elections were held on September 8. Kirk, the first Republican governor since the Reconstruction era, had made a number of controversial statements and decisions during his first term and feuded with U.S. representative Bill Cramer. He was challenged by Jack Eckerd and state senator Skip Bafalis for his party's nomination. After failing to achieve a majority of the vote, he advanced to a runoff with Eckerd. In the Democratic primary, Askew and attorney general Earl Faircloth advanced to a runoff election. Both candidates won their September 29 runoffs with around 57 percent of the vote. In the general election, Kirk sought to portray Askew as an extreme liberal, as he had done to Robert King High in 1966. Kirk lost re-election to Askew in the general election by a margin of 56.88% to 43.12%. Background Incumbent governor of Florida Claude R. Kirk Jr. was the first Republican who held Florida's governorship since Reconstruction. He was elected in 1966, when Republicans has made some gains in traditionally Democratic Deep South.David Bauerlein http://jacksonville.com/news/florida/2011-09-28/story/former-florida-governor-claude-kirk-dies Former Florida governor Claude Kirk dies The Florida Times-Union September 28, 2011 September 3, 2016 During his tenure as governor, the Florida Legislature created a new Constitution in 1968, which was approved by voters on November 5, 1968. As part of the new Constitution, the office of lieutenant governor was re-established.http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?mode=constitution&submenu=3&tab=statutes#A04S05 The Florida Constitution Article IV, § 5 September 3, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20081208105533/http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?mode=constitution&submenu=3&tab=statutes#A04S05 December 8, 2008 dead Kirk appointed Ray Osborne, a state representative from Pinellas County.https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=888&dat=19700903&id=uStSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=rHUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2870,1931096&hl=en Ray Osborne September 3, 1970 Tampa Bay Times 72 September 3, 2016 The new Constitution also allowed for the governor of Florida to serve two consecutive terms.http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?mode=constitution&submenu=3&tab=statutes#A04S05 The Florida Constitution Article IV, § 2, clause b September 3, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20081208105533/http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?mode=constitution&submenu=3&tab=statutes#A04S05 December 8, 2008 dead Kirk was thus eligible for re-election in 1970.Under the superseded Florida Constitution of 1885, the Governor could serve an unlimited number of terms, but not two in a row. Fla. Const. of 1885, Art. IV, § 2. Republican primary Candidates Skip Bafalis, state senator from Palm Beach Running mate: Ward Dougherty, Lutz rancher Jack Eckerd, owner of Eckerd Corporation Running mate: Robert Elrod, former state senator from Orange County Claude R. Kirk Jr., incumbent governor since 1967 Running mate: Ray Osborne, incumbent lieutenant governor since 1969 Campaign During the Republican primary, incumbent Claude Kirk was challenged by state senator Skip Bafalis from Palm Beach and Eckerd Corporation founder Jack Eckerd of Clearwater. The Miami Herald endorsed Eckerd, stating that he is "an efficient campaigner with the ability to bring people together constructively. ... [Eckerd has] a common touch, dedication to high principle, and organizing genius." William C. Cramer, a powerful Republican in the state and the party's senate nominee for that year, publicly remained neutral during the primary, but voted for Eckerd. Later, Eckerd himself would state, "I was offended by his [Kirk's] public behavior and chagrined that he was a Republican."Billy Hathorn Cramer v. Kirk: The Florida Republican Schism of 1970," Florida Historical Quarterly April 1990 https://ucf.digital.flvc.org/islandora/object/ucf%3A25492/datastream/OBJ/view September 1, 2016 In the primary election held on September 8, Kirk reached first place with 48.16% of the vote, compared to 38.37% for Eckerd, and 13.48% for Bafalis. However, because Kirk failed to receive a majority of the votes, he and Eckerd advanced to a run-off election. 8.1% of the voting age population participated in the Republican primary.Steed Moreland Baker 1980 26 Results 1970 Republican gubernatorial primaryhttps://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.c109427849&seq=9 Tabulation of Official Votes: Florida Primary Elections 1962-72 Florida Department of State Republican September 8, 1970 Primary Election 117 Claude R. Kirk Jr. (incumbent) Republican Party (United States) 172,888 48.16% Jack Eckerd Republican Party (United States) 137,731 38.37% Louis A. Bafalis Republican Party (United States) 48,378 13.48% 358,997 100.00% Runoff results thumb|Republican Primary Runoff by county #e55651 Kirk #ed8783 50–60% #e55651 60–70% #d02923 70–80% #b00600 80–90% #850400 >90% #cc5f11 Eckerd #dc8c53 50–60% #cc5f11 60–70% In the run-off election on September 29, Kirk received 199,943 votes versus Eckerd's 152,327 votes, by 47,616 votes – a margin of approximately 13.52%. 1970 Republican gubernatorial run-offhttps://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.c109427849&seq=9 Tabulation of Official Votes: Florida Primary Elections 1962-72 Florida Department of State Republican September 29, 1970 Primary Election 129 Claude R. Kirk Jr. (incumbent) Republican Party (United States) 199,943 56.76% Jack Eckerd Republican Party (United States) 152,327 43.24% 352,270 100.00% Democratic primary Candidates Reubin Askew, president pro tempore of the Florida Senate from Pensacola Running mate: Thomas Burton Adams Jr., secretary of state of Florida Earl Faircloth, Florida attorney general Running mate: George Tapper, former state senator from Port St. Joe Chuck Hall, mayor of Dade County Running mate: Pat Thomas, chair of the Florida Democratic Party John E. Mathews Jr., state representative from JacksonvilleJohn E. Mathews, Jr. Collection: Biographical Highlights https://www.unf.edu/library/specialcollections/manuscripts/john-mathews/John_Mathews_Biography.aspx live 2021-04-16 University of North Florida https://web.archive.org/web/20150929124017/http://www.unf.edu/library/specialcollections/manuscripts/john-mathews/John_Mathews_Biography.aspx 2015-09-29 and candidate for governor in 1964 Running mate: Elton Gissendanner, former state representative from North Miami and candidate for U.S. House in 1968 Results In primaries, held on September 8, none of these candidates was able to win majority. As a result, the top two finishers, Faircloth and Askew, advanced to a runoff election. 17.1% of the voting age population participated in the Democratic primary.Steed Moreland Baker 1980 26 1970 Democratic gubernatorial primaryhttps://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.c109427849&seq=9 Tabulation of Official Votes: Florida Primary Elections 1962-72 Florida Department of State Democratic September 8, 1970 Primary Election 108 Earl Faircloth Democratic Party (United States) 227,413 29.96% Reubin Askew Democratic Party (United States) 206,333 27.18% John E. Matthews Democratic Party (United States) 186,053 24.51% Chuck Hall Democratic Party (United States) 139,384 18.36% 759,183 100.00% Run-off thumb|Democratic Primary Runoff by county #678cd7 Askew #8da9e2 50–60% #678cd7 60–70% #4170cd 70–80% #3358a2 80–90% #53bfbf Faircloth #81d0d0 50–60% #53bfbf 60–70% Although the primary election was a close race, Askew defeated Faircloth by a relatively wide margin in the run-off election on September 29. Askew earned 447,025 votes against Faircloth's 328,038 votes, by 312,158 votes – a margin of approximately 15.36%. Askew selected Florida Secretary of State Thomas Burton Adams Jr. to be his running mate. 1970 Democratic gubernatorial runoffhttps://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.c109427849&seq=9 Tabulation of Official Votes: Florida Primary Elections 1962-72 Florida Department of State Democratic September 29, 1970 Primary Election 125 Reubin Askew Democratic Party (United States) 447,025 57.68% Earl Faircloth Democratic Party (United States) 328,038 42.32% 775,063 100.00% General election Candidates Reubin Askew, president pro tempore of the Florida Senate from Pensacola (Democratic) Running mate: Thomas Burton Adams Jr., secretary of state of Florida Claude R. Kirk Jr., incumbent governor since 1967 (Republican) Running mate: Ray Osborne, incumbent lieutenant governor since 1969 Campaign In response to the schism between Cramer and Kirk, the Miami Herald endorsed Askew and noted that "Askew and Chiles form a logical team; Kirk and Cramer don’t". Kirk mocked Askew as a "momma’s boy who wouldn’t have the courage to stand up under the fire of the legislators" and as a "nice, sweet-looking fellow chosen by ‘liberals’ ... to front for them." Despite promising no new taxes and several attempts to label Askew a "liberal", Kirk had overseen what was then the largest tax increase in Florida history.Martin A. Dyckman Reubin O'D. Askew and the Golden Age of Florida Politics 416 University Press of Florida 2011 978-0813035710 Results Askew and Adams defeated incumbents Governor Kirk and Lieutenant Governor Ray Osborne with respectable margin.Our Campaigns – FL Governor Race – Nov 03, 1970 Gubernatorial Election– November 3, 1970 Reubin Askew Democratic Party (United States) 984,305 56.88% Claude Roy Kirk, Jr. (incumbent) Republican Party (United States) 746,243 43.12% 1,730,548 100.00% Democratic Party (United States) Republican Party (United States) On the very same day Florida elected to the United States Senate Democrat Lawton Chiles, who later was elected governor in 1990.https://www.nytimes.com/1998/12/14/nyregion/gov-lawton-chiles-of-florida-populist-and-former-senator-dies-at-68.html?_r=0 Gov. Lawton Chiles of Florida, Populist and Former Senator, Dies at 68 David Binder December 14, 1998 The New York Times September 26, 2016 References 30em Works cited Steed Robert Moreland Laurence Baker Tod Party Politics in the South Praeger Publishers 1980 0030565863 Florida Gubernatorial 1970 Category:November 1970 elections in the United States