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 County results Chiles: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Grady: 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
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The1976 United States Senate election in Florida was held on November 2, 1976. IncumbentDemocratic U.S. SenatorLawton Chiles won re-election to a second term.
3.7% of the voting age population participated in the Republican primary.[1]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | John Grady | 164,644 | 54.51% | |
| Republican | Walter Sims | 74,684 | 24.73% | |
| Republican | Helen S. Hansel | 62,718 | 20.76% | |
| Total votes | 414,207 | 100 | ||
Chiles won in a landslide, dominating most geographic areas of the state. Grady won onlyCollier County.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Lawton Chiles (incumbent) | 1,799,518 | 62.98% | |
| Republican | John Grady | 1,057,886 | 37.02% | |
| Write-in | 130 | 0.00% | ||
| Majority | 741,632 | 25.96% | ||
| Turnout | 2,857,534 | 77% | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
But it was Dr. John Grady, a 50-year-old physician and three-time mayor of the sugar belt town of Belle Glade, who played the role of political spoiler in Florida.
