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 County results Collins: 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% | |||||||||||||||||
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The1954 Florida gubernatorial special election was held on November 2, 1954, to elect a successor toDaniel T. McCarty, who died in office on September 28, 1953.
State SenatorLeRoy Collins won the Democratic nomination in a three-way race against acting GovernorCharley 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 facedJ. 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.
On September 28, 1953, GovernorDaniel T. McCarty, who was elected in the1952 gubernatorial election, died in office ofpneumonia. McCarty's death elevatedFlorida Senate PresidentCharley 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. Thestate constitution was revised in 1968 to establish a position ofLieutenant Governor who is first in line to succeed the governor.[1]
Primary elections were held on May 4, 1954, with the Democratic runoff held on May 25, 1954.
30.1% of the voting age population participated in the Democratic primary.[2]
| 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 | ||
1.6% of the voting age population participated in the Republican primary.[2]
| 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 | ||
Watson, the Republican nominee, died on 24 October. His name remained on the ballot.[11][12]
| 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% | |||
| Democratichold | Swing | ||||
