2002 Florida gubernatorial election

For related races, see 2002 United States gubernatorial elections.

2002 Florida gubernatorial election

←  1998 November 5, 2002 2006  →
Turnout	55.3%5.8 [1]
Nominee Jeb Bush Bill McBride Party Republican Democratic Running mate Frank Brogan Tom Rossin Popular vote 2,856,845 2,201,427 Percentage 56.0% 43.2%
County results Congressional district results Bush:      50–60%     60–70%     70–80% McBride:      50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%
Governor before election Jeb Bush Republican Elected Governor Jeb Bush Republican

The 2002 Florida gubernatorial election took place on November 5, 2002 for the post of Governor of Florida. Incumbent Republican governor Jeb Bush defeated Democratic candidate Bill McBride. Bush became the first Republican governor of Florida to win re-election to a second term. ^{[2] [3]} This election was the last time until 2022 a Florida gubernatorial candidate won the general election by double digits or that a Republican won Miami-Dade County.

Republican nomination

Jeb Bush announced that he would run for re-election in June 2001 after first being elected in 1998. ^[4] Bush was unopposed for the GOP nomination, and spent the summer amassing a war chest of over $5.6 million towards his re-election campaign. ^[5]

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Daryl Jones, State Senator from Miami
• Bill McBride, Tampa attorney
• Janet Reno, former United States Attorney General

Withdrew

• Lois Frankel, State Representative from West Palm Beach ^[6]

Campaign

Reno led throughout much of the campaign for the Democratic nomination, boasting name recognition and employing a grassroots strategy. In early June, she led McBride in the polls by a margin of 53%-25%, ^[7] but trailed in a hypothetical head-to-head against Bush. Reno's primary campaign was dubbed the "Little red pickup truck tour", so-named because she toured the state in her 1999 Ford Ranger. ^{[7] [8]}

Over the summer, Reno's lead dwindled. McBride, backed by big money donors, was able to exploit Reno's paltry war chest, and sometime aloof campaign. ^[5] Reno's connections to the Clinton Administration, and her handling of both the Waco siege and the Elián González affair were frequent topics in the primary. ^[5]

In the final few weeks, McBride narrowed the gap to a dead heat going into the September 10 primary. ^[9]

Results

County results

McBride won the nomination by less than 4,800 votes. ^[9]

Democratic primary results ^[10]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Bill McBride	602,352	44.4
	Democratic	Janet Reno	597,558	44.0
	Democratic	Daryl Jones	157,107	11.6
Total votes			1,357,017	100

Aftermath

Reno disputed the results after the primary was marred by problems. Several areas had technical glitches and delayed openings of the poll especially in Miami-Dade and Broward counties, both of which Reno performed strongly in. ^[4] As a result of the problems, Governor Bush kept the polls open for two additional hours. ^[11]

McBride selected Tom Rossin, minority leader of the Florida Senate, as his running mate. ^[12]

General election

Candidates

• Jeb Bush, incumbent Governor (Republican)
• Bob Kunst, gay rights activist (Independent)
• Bill McBride, Tampa attorney (Democratic)

Campaign

McBride's campaign focused on the importance of public education, supporting policies such as teacher pay rises and less emphasis on standardized tests. McBride was helped towards the end of the campaign by visits from national Democratic figures such as former President Bill Clinton, former Vice President Al Gore and Jesse Jackson. ^[2] Though McBride himself did not make the topic an issue of his campaign, nationwide Democrats saw the race as an opportunity to avenge Al Gore's controversial loss in Florida during the 2000 presidential election and the subsequent recount. ^[13] Likewise Republicans saw this race a preview of 2004.

President George W. Bush made numerous visits to Florida to support his brother for re-election. ^[3] Bush had a strong fundraising advantage over McBride in what was seen as one of the pivotal races in the 2002 midterm elections. ^[2] Republican adverts targeted McBride as a failed lawyer and as a tax and spender. ^[14]

The two main candidates faced each other in two debates on 27 September and 22 October in the most expensive Florida gubernatorial election yet. ^{[15] [16] [17]} Polls towards the end of the campaign showed Bush with a lead over McBride. ^{[14] [16]} Department of Justice observers were stationed at some of the polls, ^[2] but unlike the problems during the 2000 presidential election and the Democratic primary, voting went smoothly. ^[18]

At the same time as the election, an initiative was passed to limit class sizes. This had been opposed by Bush due to the cost of implementing it but had been supported by McBride. ^[18]

Predictions

Source	Ranking	As of
The Cook Political Report [19]	Tossup	October 31, 2002
Sabato's Crystal Ball [20]	Lean R	November 4, 2002

Polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size [lower-alpha 1]	Margin of error	Jeb Bush (R)	Bill McBride (D)	Other / Undecided
SurveyUSA	November 2–4, 2002	792 (LV)	± 3.6%	45%	39%	5%

Election results

2002 gubernatorial election, Florida ^[21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Jeb Bush (incumbent)	2,856,845	56.0	+0.7
	Democratic	Bill McBride	2,201,427	43.2	-1.5
	No Party Affiliation	Bob Kunst	42,039	0.8	+0.8
	Write-ins		270	0.01	+0.0
Majority			655,418	12.8	+2.3
Turnout			5,100,581	54.8	+6.6
	Republican hold		Swing

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

• Franklin (largest city: Eastpoint)
• Liberty (largest city: Bristol)
• Calhoun (Largest city: Blountstown)
• Hamilton (Largest city: Jasper)
• Wakulla (Largest city: Sopchoppy)
• Jackson (Largest city: Marianna)
• Madison (Largest city: Madison)

Notes

1. Key:
   A – all adults
   RV – registered voters
   LV – likely voters
   V – unclear

References

1. "November 5, 2002 General Election". Florida Department of State. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
2. "Jeb Bush Makes History In Florida". CBS News . November 6, 2002. Retrieved May 22, 2008.
3. Canedy, Dana (November 7, 2002). "THE 2002 ELECTIONS: FLORIDA; Bush Looks to 2nd Term As Analysts Point to 2004". The New York Times . Retrieved May 25, 2008.
4. "Gov. Jeb Bush says he's eager for a second term". polkonline.com. June 9, 2001. Archived from the original on February 10, 2005. Retrieved May 22, 2008.
5. "Reno rocks". The Guardian. August 11, 2002. Retrieved October 14, 2014.
6. "Frankel beats Daves for West Palm Mayor". Boca Raton News. Associated Press. March 12, 2003. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
7. "Reno kicks off tour in red pickup once again". The Gainesville Sun. September 1, 2002. Retrieved October 14, 2014.
8. "Reno Starts Little Red Pickup Tour". Fox News. February 26, 2002. Retrieved October 14, 2014.
9. "McBride declares victory; Reno asks review". CNN. September 12, 2002. Archived from the original on March 21, 2008. Retrieved May 22, 2008.
10. "Florida Department of State - Election Results". Archived from the original on July 18, 2011. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
11. "Gov. Bush extends voting in Florida primary". CNN. September 10, 2002. Archived from the original on January 20, 2008. Retrieved May 22, 2008.
12. "McBride introduces his running mate". Gainesville Sun. Associated Press. Retrieved April 7, 2021.^{[ permanent dead link ]}
13. Seelye, Katharine (November 2, 2002). "The 2002 Campaign: The Governors; Cast Reassembled, Florida Revives a Drama From 2000". The New York Times. Retrieved October 14, 2014.
14. "Poll shows Bush with open road to victory". South Florida Sun-Sentinel . October 31, 2002. Archived from the original on May 31, 2008. Retrieved May 25, 2008.
15. "Bush, McBride debate tonight". St. Petersburg Times . September 27, 2002. Retrieved May 25, 2008.
16. "Bush, McBride Face Off In Final Debate". Associated Press. October 22, 2002. Retrieved May 25, 2008.
17. "Bush Bets His Popularity And Scores a Big Victory". The Washington Post . November 6, 2002. Retrieved May 25, 2008.^{[ permanent dead link ]}
18. Canedy, Dana (November 6, 2002). "THE 2002 ELECTIONS: THE FLORIDA VOTE; Bush Wins 2nd Term With Surge". The New York Times . Retrieved May 25, 2008.
19. "Governor Updated October 31, 2002 | The Cook Political Report". The Cook Political Report. October 31, 2002. Archived from the original on December 8, 2002. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
20. "Governors Races". www.centerforpolitics.org. November 4, 2002. Archived from the original on December 12, 2002. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
21. "2002 Gubernatorial General Election Results - Florida". Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved May 22, 2008.