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County results
Askew: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Thomas: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Florida |
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 Government |
The 1974 Florida gubernatorial election took place on November 5, 1974. Incumbent Democratic Governor Reubin Askew won re-election to a second term.
This was just the second time after 1956, and the first that the Governor of Florida was re-elected for the second four-year term. This was also the first time a candidate got over one million votes in a Florida governor election.
Primary elections were held on September 10, 1974.
Incumbent Reubin O'Donovan Askew faced little opposition in the Democratic Party primary. Despite a challenge from his own Lieutenant Governor Thomas Burton Adams, Jr., Askew, a popular member of the New Southerner political generation, was renominated easily.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Reubin Askew (incumbent) | 579,137 | 68.83 | |
| Democratic | Ben Hill Griffin Jr. | 137,008 | 16.28 | |
| Democratic | Thomas Burton Adams Jr. | 85,557 | 10.17 | |
| Democratic | Norman Bie | 39,758 | 4.72 | |
| Total votes | 841,460 | |||
J. H. Williams became Askew's running mate for second term.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jerry Thomas | unopposed | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Reubin Askew (incumbent) | 1,118,954 | 61.20 | |
| Republican | Jerry Thomas | 709,438 | 38.80 | |
| Majority | 409,516 | 22.40 | ||
| Turnout | 1,828,392 | |||
| Democratic hold | ||||
Williams, as he ran on the joint ticket, replaced Adams as Lieutenant Governor.
