1978 Florida state elections

Politics of Florida
Constitution and law
Executive
Legislature
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Governor and lieutenant governor

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 28 years prior, switching his party affiliation to Democratic on July 5, 1978 (the month prior to 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]

Democratic primary

Republican primary

Democratic primary runoff

General election

Attorney general

Democratic primary

Democratic primary runoff

  • Alan Becker - 329,455 (39.9%)
  • Jim Smith - 497,255 (60.1%)

Secretary of state

Democratic primary

  • Beverly F. Dozier - 224,990 (25.4%)
  • Jim Fair - 81,389 (9.2%)
  • George Firestone - 253,395 (28.7%)
  • Joe Little - 103,275 (11.7%)
  • Richard "Dick" Renick - 221,022 (25.0%)

Democratic primary runoff

General election

Comptroller

Democratic primary

  • Don Dansby - 159,238 (18.7%)
  • Gerald (Jerry) Lewis - 691,583 (81.3%)

Treasurer

Democratic primary

  • Bill Gunter - 735,523 (80.1%)
  • Don Hazelton - 182,907 (19.9%)

General election

  • Bill Gunter (DEM) - 1,758,435 (74.8%)
  • Jeffrey L. Latham (REP) - 591,730 (25.2%)

Commissioner of Education

United States House of Representatives

1st congressional district

Democratic primary - Runoff Indicated

  • Curtis Golden - 29,692 (31.4%)
  • Earl Hutto - 39,982 (42.3%)
  • Jerry G. Melvin - 21,186 (22.4%)
  • Lewis H. "Ike" Williams - 3,687 (3.9%)

Democratic primary runoff

  • Curtis Golden - 35,721 (38.0%)
  • Earl Hutto - 58,352 (62.0%)

General election

  • Earl Hutto (DEM) - 85,608 (63.3%)
  • Warren Briggs (REP) - 49,715 (36.7%)

2nd congressional district

Democratic primary

  • Don Fuqua - 83,308 (85.5%)
  • Anthony P. (Tony) Wesolowski - 14,081 (14.5%)

General election

  • Don Fuqua (DEM) - 112,649 (81.7%)
  • Pete Brathwaite (REP) - 25,148 (18.3%)

4th congressional district

  • Bill Chappell (DEM) - 113,302 (73.1%)
  • Tom Boney (REP) - 41,647 (26.9%)

5th congressional district

Democratic primary - Runoff Indicated

  • Adrian Bell, Jr. - 12,942 (20.8%)
  • David Best - 21,410 (34.5%)
  • Mike Olson - 18,805 (30.3%)
  • Don Poindexter - 8,981 (14.5%)

Democratic primary runoff

  • David Best - 32,573 (56.6%)
  • Mike Olson - 24,945 (43.4%)

General election

  • David Best (DEM) - 101,867 (48.9%)
  • Richard Kelly (REP) - 106,319 (51.1%)

6th congressional district

7th congressional district

Democratic primary

  • Sam M. Gibbons - 49,766 (69.1%)
  • Don Gore - 1,928 (2.7%)
  • Richard Salem - 20,338 (28.2%)

9th congressional district

Democratic primary

  • Bill Nelson - 36,565 (86.0%)
  • Curtis R. Sears - 5,955 (14.0%)

Republican primary

General election'

11th congressional district

Democratic primary

General election

  • Dan Mica (DEM) - 123,346 (55.3%)
  • Bill James (REP) - 99,757 (44.7%)

12th congressional district

Democratic primary - Runoff Indicated

  • John Adams - 17,955 (30.6%)
  • Edward "Ed" J. Stack - 27,923 (47.6%)
  • Gerald F. "Jerry" Thompson - 12,812 (21.8%)

Democratic primary runoff'

Republican primary

General election

14th congressional district

Democratic primary

  • Marcus Ambrose - 2,901 (7.4%)
  • Sam Brenner - 4,513 (11.6%)
  • Claude Pepper - 31,597 (81.0%)

Republican primary

  • Al Cardenas - 7,390 (80.0%)
  • Evelio S. Estrella - 1,847 (20.0%)

General election

15th congressional district

  • Dante B. Fascell (DEM) - 108,837 (74.2%)
  • Herbert J. Hoodwin (REP) - 37,897 (25.8%)

State senate

District 2

District 11

District 14

  • George Stuart, Jr. (DEM) - 60,407 (63.3%)
  • Johnny Bremer (REP) - 35,024 (36.7%)

District 16

  • Bill Beck (DEM) - 50,928 (43.2%)
  • Clark Maxwell, Jr. (REP) - 67,051 (56.8%)

District 18

  • Beverly Roberts (DEM) - 93,629 (42.1%)
  • John T. Ware (REP) - 128,870 (57.9%)

District 20

  • T. F. "Tom" Thompson (DEM) - 76,592 (34.0%)
  • Mary R. Grizzle (REP) - 148,389 (66.0%)

District 23

  • Pat Frank (DEM) - 91,746 (62.6%)
  • David Ray (REP) - 54,727 (37.4%)

District 24

  • Patrick K. "Pat" Neal (DEM) - 35,896 (52.7%)
  • Andrew Jackson (REP) - 32,242 (47.3%)

District 36

  • Harry A. Johnston, II (DEM) - 123,133 (56.6%)
  • William Samuel "Bill" Riker (REP) - 94,533 (43.4%)

District 28

  • Don C. Childers (DEM) - 140,857 (66.7%)
  • B. E. "Billie" Brooks (REP) - 70,243 (33.3%)

District 30

  • Marcia Beach (DEM) - 104,168 (43.1%)
  • Van B. Poole (REP) - 137,570 (56.9%)

District 32

  • Ken Jenne (DEM) - 43,798 (74.2%)
  • Ernette Haring (REP) - 15,231 (25.8%)

District 36

  • Paul B. Steinberg (DEM) - 100,626 (80.7%)
  • L. D. G. (Lou) O'Hara (REP) - 23,991 (19.3%)

District 38

  • Bob McKnight (DEM) - 88,099 (60.0%)
  • Don J. Gruber (REP) - 58,742 (40.0%)

District 40

  • Dick Anderson (DEM) - 106,143 (71.2%)
  • Larry Wicks (REP) - 42,960 (28.8%)

State House

District 2 Democratic primary

  • Fermon Minshew - 9,364 (39.5%)
  • Tom Patterson - 14,365 (60.5%)

District 3 Democratic primary

  • Clyde H. (Jack) Hagler - 16,006 (63.0%)
  • Jack Kenney - 9,410 (37.0%)

District 3

  • Clyde H. (Jack) Hagler (DEM) - 30,676 (76.2%)
  • Charles E. Frederickson (REP) - 9,573 (23.8%)

District 4 Democratic primary

  • Jim Harkins - 6,900 (21.0%)
  • Bolley "Bo" Johnson - 10,974 (33.3%)
  • David Neal - 8,560 (26.0%)
  • Lynn Toney - 6,498 (19.7%)

District 4 Democratic runoff

District 5 Democratic primary

  • Ken Boles - 7,820 (24.4%)
  • Olivia S. Elmore - 6,404 (20.0%)
  • Peter R. Gindl - 6,900 (21.5%)
  • Mike Jones - 6,657 (20.8%)
  • Mac McDaniels - 4,275 (13.3%)

District 5 Democratic runoff

  • Ken Boles - 19,972 (62.0%)
  • Peter R. Grindl - 12,250 (38.0%)

District 5

  • Ken Boles (DEM) - 29,646 (58.6%)
  • Jack Gardner (REP) - 20,910 (41.4%)

District 6

  • James G. Ward (DEM) - 35,815 (70.9%)
  • John C. Franklin Jr. (REP) - 14,673 (29.1%)

District 8

  • Ron Johnson (DEM) - 11,073 (59.1%)
  • Rick Seltzer (REP) - 7,674 (40.9%)

District 19

  • Andrew E. (Andy) Johnson (DEM) - 38,712 (69.4%)
  • Janis Betz Lampe (REP) - 17,068 (30.6%)

District 23

  • Ronnie Bloom (DEM) - 26,582 (43.9%)
  • Fred Tygart (REP) - 33,983 (56.1%)

District 24

  • Buck Cochran (DEM) - 28,107 (47.5%)
  • William "Bill" Bankhead (REP) - 31,082 (52.5%)

District 25

  • Frank Williams (DEM) - 12,737 (60.9%)
  • Howard Dunn (REP) - 8,167 (39.1%)

District 26

  • Sidney Martin (DEM) - 25,948 (79.6%)
  • David Liberman (REP) - 6,645 (20.4%)

District 28

District 33

  • Bob Hattaway (DEM) - 11,696 (59.0%)
  • Jean E. Doyle (REP) - 8,130 (41.0%)

District 34

  • Charles Joseph Knowles (DEM) - 10,654 (42.0%)
  • Bobby Brantley (REP) - 14,713 (58.0%)

District 35

  • Everett A. Kelly (DEM) - 12,273 (54.2%)
  • J. M. (Jim) Hoskinson (REP) - 10,353 (45.8%)

District 38

District 39

  • Fred Turner (DEM) - 33,427 (38.1%)
  • John L. Mica (REP) - 54,422 (61.9%)

District 40

  • Terry Hadley (DEM) - 43,275 (49.6%)
  • Richard Crotty (REP) - 43,934 (50.4%)

District 41

  • Fran Carlton (DEM) - 48,651 (53.7%)
  • Jim Huckeba (REP) - 41,988 (46.3%)

District 42

  • Suzanne Campbell (DEM) - 34,133 (38.9%)
  • Toni Jennings (REP) - 53,575 (61.1%)

District 43

  • Dick J. Batchelor (DEM) - 62,277 (69.2%)
  • Robert N. Webster (REP) - 27,672 (30.8%)

District 44

District 45

District 46

District 47

  • Hartzel "Bud" Jennings (DEM) - 25,867 (36.4%)
  • Tim Deratany (REP) - 31,576 (44.4%)
  • Glenn A. Blanchard - 13,717 (19.3%)

District 53

  • Michael "Mike" Tagarelli (DEM) - 38,743 (35.4%)
  • Peter Dunbar (REP) - 70,585 (64.6%)

District 55

  • Tom R. Moore (DEM) - 53,344 (47.8%)
  • Jim Smith (REP) - 58,148 (52.2%)

District 57

  • Rick Escarraz (DEM) - 45,807 (42.7%)
  • Dennis L. Jones (REP) - 61,351 (57.3%)

District 58

District 59

  • Eddie Mills (DEM) - 50,394 (47.7%)
  • Bob Melby (REP) - 55,193 (52.3%)

District 61

District 62

District 65

  • Jim Foster (DEM) - 38,450 (51.1%)
  • John Grant (REP) - 36,811 (48.9%)
  • District 72
  • Lawrence F. Shackelford (DEM) - 28,399 (60.6%)
  • Barbara Shepherd (REP) - 18,467 (39.4%)

District 73

District 75

  • Wayne H. Duncan (DEM) - 10,674 (33.9%)
  • Fred Burrall (REP) - 20,848 (66.1%)

District 76

District 77

  • William J. "Bill" Taylor (DEM) - 14,080 (48.3%)
  • William G. (Doc) Myers (REP) - 15,075 (51.7%)

District 78

District 79

District 80

  • Carol A. Roberts (DEM) - 76,797 (49.3%)
  • Jim Watt (REP) - 79,094 (50.7%)

District 81

  • Edward J. Healey (DEM) - 78,776 (51.0%)
  • R. S. "Bob" Nichols (REP) - 75,615 (49.0%)

District 82

  • Gene Campbell (DEM) - 79,738 (52.3%)
  • Anita K. Mitchell (REP) - 72,753 (47.7%)

District 83

  • J. Justin "J J." Findley (DEM) - 56,306 (37.0%)
  • Tom Lewis (REP) - 95,864 (63.0%)

District 84 Republican primary

  • Douglas C. "Doug" Brown - 11,342 (45.2%)
  • Tom Bush - 13,745 (54.8%)

District 84

  • Mitch Ceasar (DEM) - 63,697 (46.0%)
  • Tom Bush (REP) - 74,721 (54.0%)

District 85

  • Terry O'Malley (DEM) - 84,987 (60.6%)
  • Stuart L. Stein (REP) - 55,368 (39.4%)

District 86

  • Linda Cox (DEM) - 79,533 (57.9%)
  • Marty Sacks (REP) - 57,793 (42.1%)

District 87

  • Steve Warner (DEM) - 81,105 (59.0%)
  • Jim Todd (REP) - 56,281 (41.0%)

District 88 Republican primary

  • Richard Badame - 11,430 (47.1%)
  • Jeanne E. Faiks - 12,816 (52.9%)

District 88 general election

  • Tom Gustafson (DEM) - 93,373 (65.2%)
  • Jeanne E. Faiks (REP) - 49,746 (34.8%)

District 89 Republican primary

District 89 general election

District 90

District 91

  • Isaac "Ike" Anderson, Jr. (DEM) - 17,999 (27.4%)
  • Hugh Paul Nuckolls (REP) - 47,622 (72.6%)

District 95

District 96

District 98

  • Elaine Gordon (DEM) - 89,509 (79.7%)
  • Jim Kohlman (REP) - 22,778 (20.3%)

District 100

  • Virginia Rosen (DEM) - 84,298 (80.0%)
  • Rhonda Luihn Sabatino (REP) - 21,042 (20.0%)

District 103

  • Ronald (Ron) A. Silver (DEM) - 76,895 (75.1%)
  • Ralph Fine (REP) - 25,518 (24.9%)

District 105

  • Joe Kershaw (DEM) - 36,876 (68.8%)
  • Alberto V. Darby (REP) - 16,692 (31.2%)

District 109

  • Joe Gersten (DEM) - 36,854 (60.0%)
  • Bud McDougal (REP) - 24,562 (40.0%)

District 110

  • Roberta Fox (DEM) - 34,884 (58.0%)
  • Walter W. Sackett, Jr. (REP) - 25,282 (42.0%)

District 111

  • Alan Rosenthal (DEM) - 28,522 (48.8%)
  • Tom Gallagher (REP) - 29,866 (51.2%)

District 112 Republican primary

  • Nancy O. Harrington - 4,375 (53.9%)
  • Raul R. Oliva - 3,738 (46.1%)

District 112

  • Lawrence H. "Larry" Plummer (DEM) - 35,645 (61.3%)
  • Nancy O. Harrington (REP) - 22,540 (38.7%)

District 113

District 114

  • Robert (Bob) Hector (DEM) - 35,125 (59.4%)
  • Don Slesnick, II (REP) - 23,990 (40.6%)

District 116 Democratic runoff

  • Deborah DeBella - 14,048 (48.2%)
  • Gene Flinn - 15,099 (51.8%)

District 116

  • Gene Flinn (DEM) - 54,561 (62.0%)
  • Tom Endterb (REP) - 33,410 (38.0%)

District 117 Democratic primary

  • Emmett Benjamin - 7,511 (27.1%)
  • Bill Flynn - 14,847 (53.5%)
  • H. Clayton Hamilton - 5,388 (19.4%)

District 117 general election

  • Bill Flynn (DEM) - 53,852 (60.6%)
  • Robert "Bob" Godoy (REP) - 34,968 (39.4%)

District 118

District 119 Democratic primary

  • Eduardo (Eddy) Arango - 4,889 (17.3%)
  • Larry Hawkins - 6,057 (21.4%)
  • Thomas (Tom) Holland - 5,346 (18.9%)
  • John "Fred" Kuhn, Jr. - 2,997 (10.6%)
  • Dexter Lehtinen - 8,952 (31.7%)

District 119 Democratic runoff

District 120

  • Joe Allen - 7,370 (81.2%)
  • Cora H. Wilbur - 1,705 (18.8%)

Constitutional Amendments

Revision of Florida Constitution (basic document)

  • Yes - 623,703 (29.2%)
  • No - 1,512,106 (70.8%)

Declaration of rights (rev. of Art. I, Sec. 2)

  • Yes - 1,002,479 (43.1%)
  • No - 1,323,497 (56.9%)

Legislative [Single-Member Districts and Reapportionment Commission] (rev. Art. III, Sec. 16)

  • Yes - 982,747 (46.9%)
  • No - 1,113,394 (53.1%)

Executive [Cabinet] (rev. Art. IV, Secs. (g) 3, 4, 5, 6, 8(a); Art. XI, Sec. 2)

  • Yes - 540,979 (25.1%)
  • No - 1,614,630 (74.9%)

Executive [Public Service Commission and Public Counsel] (rev. Art. IV, Sec. 10; Art. V, Sec. 3(b)(3))

  • Yes - 772,066 (35.9%)
  • No - 1,375,548 (64.1%)

Judiciary [Selection and retention of circuit and county judges] (rev. Art. V, Secs. 10 and 11 (a) and (b))

  • Yes - 1,058,574 (49.1%)
  • No - 1,095,756 (50.9%)

Finance and Taxation (rev. Art. VII; Art. X, Sec. 12(h))

  • Yes - 779,389 (36.3%)
  • No - 1,368,346 (63.7%)

Education (rev. Art. IX)

  • Yes - 771,282 (36.3%)
  • No - 1,353,986 (63.7%)

Casino gambling (Art. X, Sec. 15)

  • Yes - 687,460 (28.6%)
  • No - 1,720,275 (71.4%)

State Attorney and Public Defender

State Attorney (Circuit 20)

  • Frank C. Alderman (DEM) - 43,515 (40.4%)
  • Joseph P. D'Alessandro (REP) - 64,128 (59.6%)

Public Defender (Circuit 20)

  • Douglas M. Midgely (DEM) - 55,356 (53.4%)
  • Xavier "X" Fernandez (REP) - 48,327 (46.6%)

District Court of Appeal

Florida First District Court of Appeal

Shall Judge Woodrow M. Melvin, Sr. be retained in office?

  • YES - 194,993 (54.9%)
  • No - 160,183 (45.1%)

Florida Second District Court of Appeal

Shall Judge Edward F. Boardman be retained in office?

  • YES - 378,388 (61.3%)
  • NO - 238,714 (38.7%)

Shall Judge Paul W. Danahy, Jr. be retained in office?

  • YES - 384,035 (63.2%)
  • NO - 223,636 (36.8%)

Shall Judge Herboth S. Ryder be retained in office?

  • YES - 383,128 (63.3%)
  • NO - 222,439 (36.7%)

Florida Third District Court of Appeal

Shall Judge Thomas H. Barkdull, Jr. be retained in office?

  • YES - 182,157 (68.5%)
  • NO - 83,837 (31.5%)

Shall Judge Robert M. Haverfield be retained in office?

  • YES - 181,789 (70.4%)
  • NO - 76,580 (29.6%)

Shall Judge James W. Kehoe be retained in office?

  • YES - 184,840 (71.8%)
  • NO - 72,458 (28.2%)

Florida Fourth District Court of Appeal

Shall Judge Spencer C. Cross be retained in office?

  • YES - 324,882 (62.0%)
  • NO - 199,315 (38.0%)

Shall Judge John H. Moore, II be retained in office?

  • YES - 334,680 (64.6%)
  • NO - 183,693 (35.4%)

Circuit Judge

Circuit 4, Group 17

  • Lawrence D. Fay - 64,145 (54.5%)
  • John E. Palmer - 53,616 (45.5%)

Circuit 5, Group 1

  • Carven D. Angel - 43,086 (57.7%)
  • C. John Coniglio - 31,588 (42.3%)

Circuit 9, Group 1

  • Ted Coleman - 43,380 (48.4%)
  • Rom W. Powell - 46,223 (51.6%)

Circuit 11, Group 30

  • Frederick N. Barad - 165,762 (53.2%)
  • Carol King Guralnick - 145,988 (46.8%)

Circuit 17, Group: 4

  • Sheldon Golding - 89,932 (42.3%)
  • Joseph E. Price - 122,465 (57.7%)

Circuit 19, Group 1

  • Ken Sharp - 25,381 (55.3%)
  • Dean Tooker - 20,536 (44.7%)

Circuit 20, Group 2

  • Ted Brousseau - 49,196 (52.5%)
  • Thomas R. Brown - 44,433 (47.

References

  1. ^ Slaughter, Thomas E. "Shevin TV Ad Kills Truce." Associated Press, October 3, 1978.