Florida gubernatorial election, 2006

Florida gubernatorial election, 2006
Florida
November 7, 2006
 
Candidate Charlie Crist Jim Davis
Party Republican Democratic
Running mate Jeff Kottkamp Daryl Jones
Popular vote 2,519,845 2,178,289
Percentage 52.2% 45.1%

Election results by county
Governor before election

Jeb Bush
Republican

 Elected Governor

Charlie Crist
Republican

The 2006 Florida gubernatorial election took place on November 7, 2006. Governor Jeb Bush was term-limited, and could not run for re-election. Republican Charlie Crist, the state's Attorney General, won the election. The election was notable in that for the first time, the state elected a Republican governor in three consecutive elections.

Turnout for the 2006 election was down 8.5% from 2002 and down 2.7% from 1998.[1] With Republicans holding the seat, the state avoided the wave in which Democrats netted a gain of six governorships across the nation.[2]

Democrats

Jim Davis won the Democratic primary on September 5. Davis was the Congressman from Florida's 11th congressional district and served in the Florida House of Representatives, where he also served as the Majority Leader. On September 13, Davis selected former State Senator and 2002 gubernatorial candidate Daryl Jones of Miami as his running mate.

The Democratic primary turned heated as it approached primary day. Rod Smith attacked Jim Davis for a 1990 legislative vote denying restitution for two black men wrongfully imprisoned for murder.[3] David countered that Smith was a "pawn" of the sugar industry, and that "big business" and special interests were funding many of Smith's attack ads.[3]

Candidates

Democratic primary, Florida gubernatorial election, 2006[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jim Davis 405,879 47.3
Democratic Rod Smith 353,161 41.2
Democratic Carol Castagnero 45,161 5.3
Democratic Glenn Burkett 32,984 3.8
Democratic John M. Crotty 20,629 2.4
Total votes 857,814 100

Republicans

Charlie Crist, the Republican candidate, won the primary on September 5 with 64% of the vote.[5] Crist was Florida's Attorney General at the time. Previously he was elected State Education Commissioner, and has served in the Florida Senate. He faced Bob Graham for his seat in the United States Senate in 1998. On September 13, 2006, Crist announced that State Representative Jeff Kottkamp of Cape Coral would be his running mate.[6]

The GOP primary did not end up being very competitive. Crist touted experience in statewide offices, and a strong fundraising capability.[7] He portrayed himself as relatively moderate on social issues, which created some misgivings among conservative Republicans in the state, but not nearly enough to sway the vote to Tom Gallagher.[3]

Candidates

Republican primary, Florida gubernatorial election, 2006[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Charlie Crist 630,816 64.0
Republican Tom Gallagher 330,165 33.5
Republican Vernon Palmer 13,547 1.4
Republican Michael W. St. Jean 11,458 1.2
Total votes 985,986 100

Reform Party

No Party Affiliation-(NPA)

What is No Party Affiliation? (NPA) also see Independent

Write-in candidates

Election results

Republican Charlie Crist led in the polls over Jim Davis, oftentimes by double digits, in the weeks leading up to election day. This was attributed to Crist's name recognition, the relative ease he had winning the primary, as well as his huge fundraising advantage.[7] Davis emerged from a harsh Democratic primary beaten and bruised, and entered the general election down on campaign funds.[7] Crist was able to tie himself and his polices to the popular outgoing Jeb Bush,[7] and despite a mid-term election wave that favored Democrats, Crist won by over 7%.

2006 gubernatorial election, Florida
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Charlie Crist 2,519,845 52.2 -3.8
Democratic Jim Davis 2,178,289 45.1 +1.9
Reform Max Linn 92,595 1.9 n/a
Independent John Wayne Smith – NPA 15,987 0.3 n/a
Independent Richard Paul Dembinsky – NPA 11,921 0.2 n/a
Independent Karl Behm – NPA 10,487 0.2 n/a
Write-ins 147 0.0 0
Majority 341,556 7.1 -5.7
Turnout 4,829,271
Republican hold Swing

Opinion polling

Gubernatorial race

Source Date Crist (R) Davis (D)
Survey USA November 6, 2006 49% 47%
Strategic Vision November 6, 2006 51% 44%
Orlando Sentinel November 3, 2006 50% 43%
Mason-Dixon November 3, 2006 50% 43%
Strategic Vision November 2, 2006 50% 44%
Zogby/WSJ October 31, 2006 49.9% 45.1%
St. Petersburg Times October 28, 2006 48% 42%
Rasmussen October 26, 2006 52% 41%
Strategic Vision October 25, 2006 51% 42%
Quinnipiac October 23, 2006 46% 44%
Zogby/WSJ October 19, 2006 50.2% 41%
Rasmussen October 18, 2006 46% 41%
Rasmussen October 2, 2006 54% 38%
Strategic Vision September 28, 2006 50% 40%
Zogby/WSJ September 25, 2006 50.1% 36.6%
Rasmussen September 19, 2006 45% 40%
Zogby/WSJ September 11, 2006 50.6% 36.4%
Rasmussen September 5, 2006 45% 41%
Strategic Vision August 30, 2006 49% 41%
Zogby/WSJ August 28, 2006 52.4% 38.5%
Rasmussen August 1, 2006 47% 42%
Quinnipiac July 26, 2006 44% 38%
Strategic Vision July 26, 2006 49% 39%
Mason-Dixon July 24, 2006 48% 32%
Zogby/WSJ July 24, 2006 42.8% 39.0%
Quinnipiac June 29, 2006 41% 39%
Rasmussen June 29, 2006 49% 35%
Strategic Vision June 28, 2006 49% 41%
Zogby/WSJ June 21, 2006 42.5% 39.8%
Strategic Vision May 25, 2006 48% 40%
Quinnipiac May 24, 2006 37% 40%
Rasmussen May 22, 2006 44% 39%
Rasmussen April 21, 2006 44% 33%
Quinnipiac April 19, 2006 37% 39%
Quinnipiac February 22, 2006 40% 36%
Rasmussen January 6, 2006 36% 35%
Rasmussen November 16, 2005 38% 41%
Quinnipiac November 15, 2005 39% 40%

See also

References

  1. ↑ Florida Department of State – Division of Elections (Election Results)
  2. ↑ Clark, Amy (November 8, 2006). "Democrats Retake Majority Of Governorships". CBS News. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 Goodnough, Abby (September 6, 2006). "In Days Before Primary, Hackles Start Rising in Race for Florida Governor". The New York Times. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
  4. 1 2 https://doe.dos.state.fl.us/elections/resultsarchive/Index.asp?ElectionDate=9/5/2006&DATAMODE=
  5. ↑ http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/files/elections/2006/by_state/FL_Page_0905.html?SITE=WFTSELN&SECTION=POLITICS
  6. ↑ http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/15508247.htm
  7. 1 2 3 4 Phillips, Lauren (October 9, 2006). "Easy GOP Primary Win Puts Crist Ahead in Fla. Governor Race". The New York Times. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
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