1978 Florida gubernatorial election

The 1978 Florida gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 1978. Democratic nominee Bob Graham was elected, defeating Republican nominee Jack Eckerd with 55.59% of the vote.

Primary elections
Primary elections were held on September 12, 1978. The Democratic runoff was held on October 5, 1978.

Candidates

 * Leroy Eden, bar owner
 * Maria Kay
 * Bob Graham, State Senator from Miami Lakes
 * Wayne Mixson, State Representative from Marianna
 * Claude R. Kirk Jr., former Republican Governor
 * Mary L. Singleton, former director of the state Division of Elections and Jacksonville City Council member
 * Robert L. Shevin, Florida Attorney General
 * Jim Glisson, State Senator from Tavares
 * Bruce A. Smathers, former Secretary of State of Florida
 * Charles W. Boyd, State Representative from Hollywood
 * Hans Tanzler, mayor of Jacksonville
 * Manuel "Manolo" Arques, Miami real estate and insurance executive
 * James H. Williams, Lieutenant Governor of Florida
 * Betty Castor, State Senator from Tampa

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

Results
[[File:1978 Florida gubernatorial Democratic primary results map by county.svg|thumb|center| {{legend|#81d0d0|Shevin}}

{{legend|#ecfafa|20–30%}}

{{legend|#daf5f5|30–40%}}

{{legend|#ace1e1|40–50%}}

{{legend|#81d0d0|50–60%}} {{legend|#678cd7|Graham}}

{{legend|#dee8fb|30–40%}}

{{legend|#b4c7ec|40–50%}}

{{legend|#8da9e2|50–60%}}

{{legend|#678cd7|60–70%}} {{legend|#d79346|Tanzler}}

{{legend|#fcf0e2|20–30%}}

{{legend|#f9e1c6|30–40%}} {{legend|#e66f9e|Williams}}

{{legend|#fcebf2|20–30%}}

{{legend|#e66f9e|50–60%}} ]]

[[File:1978_Florida_Gubernatorial_Democratic_Primary_Runoff_by_county.svg|thumb|center|Democratic Primary Runoff by county{{legend|#678cd7|Graham}}

{{legend|#8da9e2|50–60%}}

{{legend|#678cd7|60–70%}}

{{legend|#4170cd|70–80%}}

{{legend|#3358a2|80–90%}}{{legend|#53bfbf|Shevin}}

{{legend|#81d0d0|50–60%}}

{{legend|#53bfbf|60–70%}}]]

Candidates

 * Jack Eckerd, businessman and administrator of the General Services Administration
 * Louis Frey Jr., U.S. Representative from Orlando

Results
[[File:1978_Florida_Gubernatorial_Republican_Primary_by_county.svg|thumb|center|Republican Primary by county{{legend|#e55651|Eckerd}}

{{legend|#ed8783|50–60%}}

{{legend|#e55651|60–70%}}

{{legend|#d02923|70–80%}}

{{legend|#b00600|80–90%}}

{{legend|#850400|>90%}}{{legend|#cc5f11|Frey}}

{{legend|#dc8c53|50–60%}}

{{legend|#cc5f11|60–70%}}]]

Candidates

 * Bob Graham, Democratic
 * Jack Eckerd, Republican