1988 Orlando mayoral election

1988 Orlando mayoral election

←  1984 September 6, 1988 1992  →

Candidate Bill Frederick Tim Adams Dale C. Smith Party Nonpartisan Nonpartisan Nonpartisan Popular vote 13,973 2,227 1,947 Percentage 77.00% 12.27% 10.73%

Mayor before election Bill Frederick Nonpartisan Elected mayor Bill Frederick Nonpartisan

The 1988 Orlando mayoral election took place on September 6, 1988. Incumbent Mayor Bill Frederick ran for re-election to a third term. He faced the same opponents as he did in his 1984 re-election campaign: insurance salesman Tim Adams and former city planner Dale Smith.

Frederick campaigned on his plans to revitalize the city's downtown, build a new basketball arena and city hall, hire more police officers, and address growing traffic concerns, while his opponents argued that his administration focused on the needs of wealthier citizens and ignored some neighborhoods. ^[1] The Orlando Sentinel endorsed him for re-election, as it did in his previous two races, noting that he "has made it easy for voters to support him" because of his work to "turn[] Orlando into a city that reaches for excellence in everything from its commerce to its arts." ^[2]

Frederick ultimately won re-election in a landslide, receiving 77 percent of the vote to Adams's 12 percent and Smith's 11 percent. ^[3]

General election

Candidates

• Bill Frederick, incumbent Mayor ^[4]
• Tim Adams, insurance salesman, securities broker, 1984 candidate for Mayor ^[5]
• Dale C. Smith, former city planner, 1984 candidate for Mayor ^[5]

Results

1988 Orlando mayoral election results ^[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Nonpartisan	Bill Frederick (inc.)	13,973	77.00%
	Nonpartisan	Tim Adams	2,227	12.27%
	Nonpartisan	Dale C. Smith	1,947	10.73%
Total votes			18,147	100.00%

References

1. Benedick, Robin (August 11, 1988). "2 foes' poor vs. rich tactic fails to cut Frederick's lead". Orlando Sentinel . Orlando, Florida. p. D-1. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
2. "4 more years for Frederick". Orlando Sentinel . Orlando, Florida. September 2, 1988. p. A-14. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
3. Benedick, Robin (September 7, 1988). "Frederick wins — runoffs for Hellinger, Johnson". Orlando Sentinel . Orlando, Florida. p. D-4. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
4. Ritchie, Lauren (September 11, 1987). "Frederick, Marston open campaigns for 3rd terms". Orlando Sentinel . Orlando, Florida. p. D-4. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
5. Benedick, Robin (July 17, 1988). "Only Frederick tops Hollinger in Orlando campaign donations". Orlando Sentinel . Orlando, Florida. p. B-5. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
6. "Election Results 1980-1988" (PDF). Orlando City Clerk. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 25, 2015. Retrieved July 23, 2025.