1978 Florida state elections
In the 1978 Florida state elections, voters faced a crowded race for governor and a wide slate of statewide ballot questions.
Gubernatorial race
- Seven candidates sought the Democratic nomination for governor. Notable tickets included:
- Jim Williams, the lieutenant governor, with Betty Castor of Florida as his running mate.
- Hans G. Tanzler, the mayor of Jacksonville, with Manuel "Manolo" Arques, a Cuban-American real estate and insurance executive from Miami, as his running mate.
- Bruce Smathers, then Secretary of State, who resigned to run, with Charles W. Boyd as his running mate.
- Claude R. Kirk, Jr., a former Florida governor who switched back to the Democratic Party in July 1978 and selected Mary L. Singleton as his running mate. Singleton was the former director of the state Division of Elections and the first black woman to sit on the Jacksonville City Council.
Other statewide items
- The ballot included a revision of the Florida Constitution, covering a wide range of issues such as rights, legislative structure, executive agencies, the judiciary, finance and taxation, education, and casino gambling.
- Voters also faced a series of judicial retention questions across the Florida First through Fourth District Courts of Appeal, as well as various circuit court seats, and questions related to the Public Service Commission and Public Counsel.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 18:44 (CET).