2002 Florida gubernatorial election
{{Short description|none}}
{{for|related races|2002 United States gubernatorial elections}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox election
| election_name = 2002 Florida gubernatorial election
| country = Florida
| type = presidential
| ongoing = no
| previous_election = 1998 Florida gubernatorial election
| previous_year = 1998
| next_election = 2006 Florida gubernatorial election
| next_year = 2006
| election_date = November 5, 2002
| image1 = File:Jeb Bush 1999 (cropped).jpg
| image_size = 150x150px
| nominee1 = Jeb Bush
| party1 = Republican Party of Florida
| running_mate1 = Frank Brogan
| popular_vote1 = 2,856,845
| percentage1 = 56.01%
| image2 = 3x4.svg
| nominee2 = Bill McBride
| party2 = Florida Democratic Party
| running_mate2 = Tom Rossin
| popular_vote2 = 2,201,427
| percentage2 = 43.16%
| map_image = {{switcher |300px|County results |300px|Congressional district results}}
| map_size =
| map_caption = Bush: {{legend0|#e27f7f|50–60%}} {{legend0|#d75d5d|60–70%}} {{legend0|#d72f30|70–80%}}
McBride: {{legend0|#7996e2|50–60%}} {{legend0|#6674de|60–70%}} {{legend0|#584cde|70–80%}} {{legend0|#3933e5|80–90%}}
| title = Governor
| before_election = Jeb Bush
| before_party = Republican Party (United States)
| after_election = Jeb Bush
| after_party = Republican Party (United States)
| turnout = 55.3%{{increase}}5.8{{cite web |url=https://results.elections.myflorida.com/Index.asp?ElectionDate=11/5/2002&DATAMODE=|title=November 5, 2002 General Election|website=Florida Department of State|access-date=2022-05-15}}
}}
{{ElectionsFL}}
The 2002 Florida gubernatorial election took place on November 5, 2002, for the post of Governor of Florida. Incumbent Republican governor Jeb Bush defeated Democratic candidate Bill McBride. Bush became the first Republican governor of Florida to win re-election to a second term.{{cite web| url = https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jeb-bush-makes-history-in-florida/ | title = Jeb Bush Makes History In Florida | access-date = 2008-05-22 | date = 2002-11-06| work=CBS News}}{{cite news| url = https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E07E5DF1F3EF934A35752C1A9649C8B63 | title = THE 2002 ELECTIONS: FLORIDA; Bush Looks to 2nd Term As Analysts Point to 2004 | access-date = 2008-05-25 | date = 2002-11-07| work=The New York Times | first=Dana | last=Canedy}} This election was the last time until 2022 that a Florida gubernatorial candidate won the general election by double digits or that a Republican won Miami-Dade County.
Republican nomination
Jeb Bush announced that he would run for re-election in June 2001 after first being elected in 1998.{{cite web|url=http://www.polkonline.com/stories/060901/sta_bush.shtml |title=Gov. Jeb Bush says he's eager for a second term |access-date=2008-05-22 |date=2001-06-09 |website=polkonline.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050210223801/http://www.polkonline.com/stories/060901/sta_bush.shtml |archive-date=February 10, 2005 }} Bush was unopposed for the GOP nomination, and spent the summer amassing a war chest of over $5.6 million towards his re-election campaign.
Democratic primary
=Candidates=
- Daryl Jones, State Senator from Miami
- Bill McBride, Tampa attorney
- Janet Reno, former United States Attorney General
==Withdrew==
- Lois Frankel, State Representative from West Palm Beach{{cite news|title=Frankel beats Daves for West Palm Mayor|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=pSNUAAAAIBAJ&pg=3032,6460473&dq=lois+frankel+mayor&hl=en|agency=Associated Press|publisher=Boca Raton News|date=12 Mar 2003|access-date=28 Feb 2022}}
=Campaign=
Reno led throughout much of the campaign for the Democratic nomination, boasting name recognition and employing a grassroots strategy. In early June, she led McBride in the polls by a margin of 53%-25%,{{cite news|url=http://www.gainesville.com/article/20020901/NEWS01/209010344|title=Reno kicks off tour in red pickup once again|publisher=The Gainesville Sun|date=September 1, 2002|access-date=October 14, 2014}} but trailed in a hypothetical head-to-head against Bush. Reno's primary campaign was dubbed the "Little red pickup truck tour", so-named because she toured the state in her 1999 Ford Ranger.{{cite news|url=https://www.foxnews.com/story/reno-starts-little-red-pickup-tour/ |title=Reno Starts Little Red Pickup Tour|publisher=Fox News|date=February 26, 2002|access-date=October 14, 2014}}
Over the summer, Reno's lead dwindled. McBride, backed by big money donors, was able to exploit Reno's paltry war chest, and sometime aloof campaign.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/aug/12/gender.uk1|title=Reno rocks|newspaper=The Guardian |date=August 11, 2002|access-date=October 14, 2014}} Reno's connections to the Clinton Administration, and her handling of both the Waco siege and the Elián González affair were frequent topics in the primary.
In the final few weeks, McBride narrowed the gap to a dead heat going into the September 10 primary.{{cite news|url=http://archives.cnn.com/2002/ALLPOLITICS/09/12/elec02.florida.elections/index.html|title=McBride declares victory; Reno asks review|access-date=2008-05-22|date=2002-09-12|publisher=CNN|archive-date=2008-03-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080321023018/http://archives.cnn.com/2002/ALLPOLITICS/09/12/elec02.florida.elections/index.html|url-status=dead}}
=Results=
File:Florida Governor D Primary 2002.svg
McBride won the nomination by less than 4,800 votes.
{{Election box begin no change
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Bill McBride
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| votes = 602,352
| percentage = 44.4
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Janet Reno
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| votes = 597,558
| percentage = 44.0
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Daryl Jones
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| votes = 157,107
| percentage = 11.6
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 1,357,017
| percentage = 100
}}
{{Election box end}}
= Aftermath =
Reno disputed the results after the primary was marred by problems. Several areas had technical glitches and delayed openings of the poll especially in Miami-Dade and Broward counties, both of which Reno performed strongly in. As a result of the problems, Governor Bush kept the polls open for two additional hours.{{cite news | url = http://archives.cnn.com/2002/ALLPOLITICS/09/10/florida.election.woes/index.html | title = Gov. Bush extends voting in Florida primary | access-date = 2008-05-22 | date = 2002-09-10 | publisher = CNN | archive-date = 2008-01-20 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080120095024/http://archives.cnn.com/2002/ALLPOLITICS/09/10/florida.election.woes/index.html | url-status = dead }}
McBride selected Tom Rossin, minority leader of the Florida Senate, as his running mate.{{Cite web |title=McBride introduces his running mate |url=https://www.gainesville.com/article/20020919/News/604177607 |access-date=2021-04-07 |website=Gainesville Sun |language=en |agency=Associated Press }}{{Dead link|date=July 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
General election
=Candidates=
=Campaign=
McBride's campaign focused on the importance of public education, supporting policies such as teacher pay rises and less emphasis on standardized tests. McBride was helped towards the end of the campaign by visits from national Democratic figures such as former President Bill Clinton, former Vice President Al Gore and Jesse Jackson. Though McBride himself did not make the topic an issue of his campaign, nationwide Democrats saw the race as an opportunity to avenge Al Gore's controversial loss in Florida during the 2000 presidential election and the subsequent recount.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/02/us/2002-campaign-governors-cast-reassembled-florida-revives-drama-2000.html|title=The 2002 Campaign: The Governors; Cast Reassembled, Florida Revives a Drama From 2000|work=The New York Times|first=Katharine|last=Seelye|date=November 2, 2002|access-date=October 14, 2014}} Likewise Republicans saw this race a preview of 2004.
President George W. Bush made numerous visits to Florida to support his brother for re-election. Bush had a strong fundraising advantage over McBride in what was seen as one of the pivotal races in the 2002 midterm elections. Republican adverts targeted McBride as a failed lawyer and as a tax and spender.{{cite web | url = http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-1031govpoll,0,4779918.story?coll=sfla-home-headlines | title = Poll shows Bush with open road to victory | access-date = 2008-05-25 | date = 2002-10-31 | work = South Florida Sun-Sentinel | archive-date = 2008-05-31 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080531151406/http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-1031govpoll,0,4779918.story?coll=sfla-home-headlines | url-status = dead }}
The two main candidates faced each other in two debates on 27 September and 22 October in the most expensive Florida gubernatorial election yet.{{cite web| url = http://www.sptimes.com/2002/09/27/State/Bush__McBride_debate_.shtml| title = Bush, McBride debate tonight | access-date = 2008-05-25 | date = 2002-09-27| work=St. Petersburg Times}}{{cite web| url = http://www.nbc6.net/news/1733655/detail.html | title = Bush, McBride Face Off In Final Debate | access-date = 2008-05-25 | date = 2002-10-22| agency=Associated Press}}{{cite news | url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A11040-2002Nov5?language=printer | title = Bush Bets His Popularity And Scores a Big Victory | access-date = 2008-05-25 | date = 2002-11-06 | newspaper = The Washington Post }}{{Dead link|date=August 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Polls towards the end of the campaign showed Bush with a lead over McBride. Department of Justice observers were stationed at some of the polls, but unlike the problems during the 2000 presidential election and the Democratic primary, voting went smoothly.{{cite news| url = https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE6DF113EF935A35752C1A9649C8B63 | title = THE 2002 ELECTIONS: THE FLORIDA VOTE; Bush Wins 2nd Term With Surge | access-date = 2008-05-25 | date = 2002-11-06| work=The New York Times | first=Dana | last=Canedy}}
At the same time as the election, an initiative was passed to limit class sizes. This had been opposed by Bush due to the cost of implementing it but had been supported by McBride.
=Predictions=
=Polling=
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%" |
| valign=bottom
! Poll source ! Date(s) ! Sample ! Margin ! style="width:100px;"| Jeb ! style="width:100px;"| Bill ! Other / |
| SurveyUSA[https://www.surveyusa.com/2002Elec.html SurveyUSA]
| align=center| November 2–4, 2002 | align=center| 792 (LV) | align=center| ± 3.6% | {{party shading/Republican}} align=center| 45% | align=center| 39% | align=center| 5% |
=Election results=
{{Election box begin | title=2002 gubernatorial election, Florida{{cite web| url = http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?year=2002&fips=12&f=0&off=5&elect=0 | title = 2002 Gubernatorial General Election Results - Florida | access-date = 2008-05-22 | website = Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections}}}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = Jeb Bush (incumbent)
|votes = 2,856,845
|percentage = 56.0
|change = +0.7
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|candidate = Bill McBride
|votes = 2,201,427
|percentage = 43.2
|change = -1.5
}}
{{Election box candidate|
|party = No Party Affiliation
|candidate = Bob Kunst
|votes = 42,039
|percentage = 0.8
|change = +0.8
}}
{{Election box candidate|
|party = Write-ins
|candidate =
|votes = 270
|percentage = 0.01
|change = +0.0
}}
{{Election box majority|
|votes = 655,418
|percentage = 12.8
|change = +2.3
}}
{{Election box turnout|
|votes = 5,100,581
|percentage = 54.8
|change = +6.6
}}
{{Election box hold with party link|
|winner = Republican Party (United States)
|swing =
}}
{{Election box end}}
==Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic==
Notes
{{notelist}}
References
{{reflist|30em}}