1988 United States Senate election in Florida

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1988 United States Senate election in Florida
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←  1982 November 8, 1988 1994  →
  Connie Mack III (3x4 crop).jpg Buddy MacKay 1988.jpg
Nominee Connie Mack III Buddy MacKay
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote2,051,0712,016,553
Percentage50.42%49.57%
1988 United States Senate election in Florida results map by county.svg
County results

Mack:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%

MacKay:     50–60%     60–70%
U.S. senator before election

Lawton Chiles
Democratic

Elected U.S. Senator

Connie Mack III
Republican

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. [1]

Contents

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. [2]

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. [3]

Candidates

Results

Democratic primary results [4]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Bill Gunter 383,721 38.00%
Democratic Buddy MacKay 263,946 26.14%
Democratic Dan Mica179,52417.78%
Democratic Pat Frank119,27711.81%
Democratic Claude Kirk51,3875.09%
Democratic Fred Rader11,8201.17%
Total votes1,009,675 100.00%
Democratic primary runoff results [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Buddy MacKay 369,266 52.00
Democratic Bill Gunter340,91848.00
Total votes710,184 100

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. [3]

Candidates

Speculated

Results

Republican primary results [4]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Connie Mack 405,296 61.78
Republican Robert Merkle250,73038.22
Total votes656,026 100

General election

Candidates

Campaign

This senate election was heavily targeted by both parties. U.S. Representative Mack announced his candidacy back in October 1987. [7] President Ronald Reagan endorsed Mack in June 1988 [8] to allow Mack to focus on the general election, as he easily won the September 6 Republican primary against U.S. Attorney Robert Merkle. [9] In May 1988, MacKay announced he would run for the open seat, [10] and defeated Insurance Commissioner Bill Gunter in a close October 4 runoff primary election. [11]

The general election became very nasty. MacKay tried to portray the Republican as "extremist." [12] Mack attacked his opponent in television ads by connecting him to unpopular Massachusetts Governor and presidential candidate Michael Dukakis. [13] Mack had help from vice presidential candidate Dan Quayle. [14] He also ran ten-second television advertisements that said "Hey Buddy, you're a liberal," a charge MacKay could never escape. [15] The election was so close there was a recount until MacKay conceded eight days after election day. [16]

Endorsements

List of Buddy MacKay endorsements

Statewide officials

Results

General election results [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican Connie Mack III 2,051,071 50.42% +12.15%
Democratic Buddy MacKay 2,016,55349.57%−12.15%
Write-in 5850.01%
Majority34,5180.85%−22.61%
Turnout 4,068,209
Republican gain from Democratic

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives. "Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 8, 1988" (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 9.
  2. ↑ Moreland, Steed & Baker 1991, p. 168.
  3. 1 2 Moreland, Steed & Baker 1991, p. 168-169.
  4. 1 2 "Florida Department of State - Election Results". Archived from the original on July 18, 2011. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  5. ↑ "Florida Department of State - Election Results". Archived from the original on July 18, 2011. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Moreland, Steed & Baker 1991, p. 169.
  7. ↑ Straight, Harry (October 20, 1987). "Mack opens Senate race, hits Chiles". Orlando Sentinel.
  8. ↑ "Reagan Endorses Mack in Miami President Rebukes Dukakis at Fund- Raiser". Archived from the original on November 5, 2012. Retrieved July 7, 2017.
  9. ↑ "Mack Easily Wins in Florida Primary". The New York Times. September 7, 1988.
  10. ↑ "Daytona Beach Sunday News-Journal - Google News Archive Search".
  11. ↑ "Gunter, MacKay in Runoff". Archived from the original on November 5, 2012. Retrieved July 7, 2017.
  12. ↑ "The Albany Herald - Google News Archive Search".
  13. ↑ "Sarasota Herald-Tribune - Google News Archive Search".
  14. ↑ "Ocala Star-Banner - Google News Archive Search".
  15. ↑ "Looking back with Buddy MacKay, Florida's last Democratic governor - Steve Bousquet", Sun Sentinel, April 2, 2021, retrieved December 18, 2022
  16. ↑ Holmes, Charles (November 17, 1988). "MacKay throws in towel". The Palm Beach Post. Archived from the original on January 24, 2013. Retrieved June 16, 2015.

Works cited

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