The 1974 United States Senate election in Florida was held on November 5, 1974. Incumbent

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

Edward Gurney Edward John Gurney Jr. (January 12, 1914 – May 14, 1996) was an attorney and an American politician based in Florida, where he served as a Representative and a United States Senator. Born and reared in Portland, Maine, Gurney moved to Flo ...

, a Republican, declined to seek a second term after being indicted for taking bribes in return for his influence with the Federal Housing Administration. The primary for the Republican nomination pitted Eckerd drug store owner Jack Eckerd against

Florida Public Service Commission The Florida Public Service Commission (FPSC) regulates investor-owned electric, natural gas, and water and wastewater utilities. The FPSC facilitates competitive markets in the telecommunications industry, has authority over intercarrier disputes ...

er Paula Hawkins. Eckerd won handily, receiving approximately 67.5% of the vote. The Democratic primary, however, was a crowded field with eleven candidates vying for the nomination. Because no candidate received a majority of the votes,

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

Bill Gunter William Dawson Gunter Jr. (born July 16, 1934) is an American politician from the state of Florida. Early life and education Gunter was born in Jacksonville in 1934. He attended public schools in Live Oak and received his Bachelor of Science in ...

and

Secretary of State of Florida The Secretary of State of Florida is an executive officer of the state government of the U.S. state of Florida, established since the original 1838 state constitution. Like the corresponding officials in other states, the original charge of the ...

Richard Stone advanced to a run-off election. Stone won by a small margin of 1.68%. Thus, Eckerd and Stone faced off in the general election. John Grady, a family physician and member of

George Wallace George Corley Wallace Jr. (August 25, 1919 – September 13, 1998) was an American politician who served as the 45th governor of Alabama for four terms. A member of the Democratic Party, he is best remembered for his staunch segregationist and ...

's American Independent Party, performed exceptionally well for a third-party candidate. Grady may have split the conservative vote, allowing Stone to win. On election day, Stone received 43.38% of the vote, Eckerd garnered 40.91% of the vote, and Grady acquired 15.7% of the vote. Stone served only one term in the Senate and would be defeated by Gunter in the Democratic primary in 1980.

Democratic primary

Candidates

*Bob Brewster *George Balmer, Republican U.S. Senate candidate in 1970 *

from Orlando *David B. Higginbottom, lawyer and candidate for the

Florida House of Representatives The Florida House of Representatives is the lower house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida, the Florida Senate being the upper house. Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution of Florida, adopted ...

in 1954 and 1956 *

Mallory Horne Mallory E. Horne (April 17, 1925 – April 30, 2009) was the speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, and president of the Florida Senate, becoming the third person in state history to hold both positions, after Ion Farris and Philip Del ...

, President of the Florida Senate and former Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives *Neal Justin,

Florida Atlantic University Florida Atlantic University (Florida Atlantic or FAU) is a Public university, public research university with its main campus in Boca Raton, Florida, and satellite campuses in Dania Beach, Florida, Dania Beach, Davie, Florida, Davie, Fort Lauderd ...

professor *Duaine E. Macon, real estate salesman * Richard A. Pettigrew, Florida State Senator and former Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives * Richard Stone,

* Glenn W. Turner, super salesman *Burton Young, President of the Florida Bar

Republican primary

Candidates

* Jack Eckerd, founder of Eckerd Corporation and 1966 gubernatorial candidate * Paula Hawkins,

Results

Third parties and Independents

*Timothy L. "Tim" Adams *Hortense L. Arvan *Jim Fair, Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections *John Grady, American Independent Party, family physician *Henry J. Matthews

General election

External links

*https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1755&dat=19740901&id=B_wjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=62YEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5866,535829&hl=en {{US Third Party Election

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

1974 Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; f ...

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

Democratic primary

Candidates

Republican primary

Candidates

Results

Third parties and Independents

General election

See also

External links