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| Elections in Florida |
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 Government |
The 1954 Florida gubernatorial special election was held on November 2, 1954 to elect a successor to Daniel T. McCarty, who died in office on September 28, 1953.
State Senator LeRoy Collins won the Democratic nomination in a three-way race against acting Governor Charley E. Johns and J. Brailey Odham. He defeated Johns in a run-off election with 54.8% of the vote. In the general election, Collins faced J. Thomas Watson, the former Attorney General who had switched his party affiliation to run as a Republican in the special election. However, Watson died two weeks before the election, and Collins won a landslide with 80.43% of the vote.
Background[edit]
On September 28, 1953, Governor Daniel T. McCarty, who was elected in the 1952 gubernatorial election, died in office of pneumonia. McCarty's death elevated Florida Senate President Charley E. Johns to acting governor and a special election for November 1954 was called to fill the position for the final two years of McCarty's term. The state constitution was revised in 1968 to establish a position of Lieutenant Governor who is first in line to succeed the governor.[1]
Primary elections[edit]
Primary elections were held on May 4, 1954, with the Democratic runoff held on May 25, 1954.
Democratic primary[edit]
Candidates[edit]
- LeRoy Collins, State Senator
- Charley E. Johns, incumbent acting Governor
- J. Brailey Odham, former State Representative
Results[edit]
- 50–60%
- 60–70%
- 50–60%
- 60–70%
- 70–80%
- >90%
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Charley E. Johns (incumbent) | 255,787 | 38.39 | |
| Democratic | LeRoy Collins | 222,791 | 33.43 | |
| Democratic | J. Brailey Odham | 187,782 | 28.18 | |
| Total votes | 666,360 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | LeRoy Collins | 380,323 | 54.76 | |
| Democratic | Charley E. Johns (incumbent) | 314,198 | 45.24 | |
| Total votes | 694,521 | 100.00 | ||
Republican primary[edit]
Candidates[edit]
- J. Thomas Watson, former Florida Attorney General
- Charles E. Compton
Results[edit]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | J. Thomas Watson | 24,429 | 67.89 | |
| Republican | Charles E. Compton | 11,552 | 32.11 | |
| Total votes | 35,981 | 100.00 | ||
General election[edit]
Candidates[edit]
- LeRoy Collins, Democratic
- J. Thomas Watson, Republican
Campaign[edit]
Watson, the Republican nominee, died on 24 October. His name remained on the ballot.[10][11]
Results[edit]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | LeRoy Collins | 287,769 | 80.43% | ||
| Republican | J. Thomas Watson | 69,852 | 19.52% | ||
| Write-ins | 162 | 0.05% | |||
| Majority | 217,917 | 60.91% | |||
| Turnout | 357,783 | 100.00% | |||
| Democratic hold | Swing | ||||
References[edit]
- ^ "Constitution of the State of Florida". Online Sunshine: Official Internet Site of the Florida Legislature. Florida Legislature. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
- ^ "FL Governor, 1954 - Special D Primary". Our Campaigns. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
- ^ a b Florida Handbook 1965-66, p. 364.
- ^ Florida Secretary of State 1953-54, p. 304-305.
- ^ "FL Governor, 1954 - Special D Runoff". Our Campaigns. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
- ^ Florida Secretary of State 1953-54, p. 320-321.
- ^ "FL Governor, 1954 - Special R Primary". Our Campaigns. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
- ^ Florida Handbook 1965-66, p. 366.
- ^ Florida Secretary of State 1953-54, p. 317-318.
- ^ "Watson, J. Tom". Our Campaigns. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
- ^ Glashan, p. 59.
- ^ Cook, Rhodes, ed. (2015). America Votes 31: 2013-2014, Election Returns by State. CQ Press. p. 81. ISBN 9781483383026. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
- ^ "FL Governor, 1954 - Special Election". Our Campaigns. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
- ^ Florida Handbook 1965-66, p. 372.
- ^ Florida Secretary of State 1953-54, p. 324-325.
Bibliography[edit]
- Morris, Allen (1965). The Florida Handbook, 1965-66. Tallahassee, FL: The Peninsular Publishing Company.
- Gray, R. A. (1955). Report of the Secretary of State of Florida, 1953-54. Florida. Office of Secretary of State.
- Glashan, Roy R. (1979). American Governors and Gubernatorial Elections, 1775-1978. Meckler Books. ISBN 0-930466-17-9.
