1968 United States Senate election in Florida

The 1968 Florida United States Senate election was marked by the election of the first Republican to the United States Senate from Florida since Reconstruction.

1968 United States Senate election in Florida

November 5, 1968

Nominee Edward Gurney LeRoy Collins Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 1,131,499 892,637 Percentage 55.90% 44.10%

County results Gurney:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Collins:      50–60%      60–70%

U.S. senator before election George Smathers Democratic Elected U.S. senator Edward Gurney Republican

Democratic three-term incumbent George Smathers decided to not seek re-election. Popular former two-term Governor LeRoy Collins won the Democratic nomination by defeating State Attorney General Earl Faircloth, while Representative Edward J. Gurney became the Republican candidate.

Gurney was much less well-known than Collins, but he won by a margin of over 11%. It is possible that Richard Nixon's victory in the presidential race (including winning Florida) helped Gurney defeat Collins. Gurney was the first Republican elected to the Senate from Florida since 1872.

Primaries

Democratic

20.9% of the voting age population participated in the Democratic primary.

Republican

5.1% of the voting age population participated in the Republican primary.

Results

Florida United States Senate election, 1968

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Edward J. Gurney	1,131,499	55.90%
	Democratic	LeRoy Collins	892,637	44.10%
	Republican gain from Democratic

Works cited

• Steed, Robert; Moreland, Laurence; Baker, Tod, eds. (1980). Party Politics in the South. Praeger Publishers. ISBN 0030565863.