The 1990 Florida gubernatorial election took place on November 6, 1990. Incumbent
Republican governor
Bob Martinez
Robert Martinez (born December 25, 1934) is an American retired politician who served as the 40th governor of Florida from 1987 to 1991. A member of the Republican Party, Martinez was the first Hispanic American governor since colonial Flori ...
ran for a second term in office, but was defeated by
Democratic challenger
Lawton Chiles
Lawton Mainor Chiles Jr. (April 3, 1930 – December 12, 1998) was an American politician and military officer. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as a United States Senate, United States senator fr ...
, a former U.S. senator.
Incumbent
Republican governor
Bob Martinez
Robert Martinez (born December 25, 1934) is an American retired politician who served as the 40th governor of Florida from 1987 to 1991. A member of the Republican Party, Martinez was the first Hispanic American governor since colonial Flori ...
, who was just the second member of his party elected
Governor of Florida
The governor of Florida is the head of government of the U.S. state of Florida. The Governor (United States), governor is the head of the Government of Florida#Executive branch, executive branch of the government of Florida and is the comman ...
after
Reconstruction
Reconstruction may refer to:
Politics, history, and sociology
*Reconstruction (law), the transfer of a company's (or several companies') business to a new company
*''Perestroika'' (Russian for "reconstruction"), a late 20th century Soviet Union ...
, was deeply unpopular. His job approval rating had sunk to around 24% after, in 1989, he called the
Florida Legislature into special session in an effort to pass
anti-abortion
Anti-abortion movements, also self-styled as pro-life movements, are involved in the abortion debate advocating against the practice of abortion and its Abortion by country, legality. Many anti-abortion movements began as countermovements in r ...
laws. None of the governor's proposals made it out of committee.
This was the last time that
Seminole County voted Democratic until 2018. As of , this remains the last time in which an incumbent Florida Governor lost reelection.
Republican primary
Candidates

*John Davis, owner of a
Largo burial vault company
:*Running mate: Walter D. Murray, retired Army nurse and Davis's longtime family friend
[
*Warren H. Folks, candidate for State Senate from Jacksonville in 1988][
:*Running mate: Charles McDonald, owner of an electronic security company in Miami][
*]Andy Martin
Anthony Robert Martin-Trigona, usually known as Andy Martin (born 1945) is an American perennial candidate who has never been elected to office, running as both a Democrat and a Republican.
He is a vexatious litigant who has filed over 250 po ...
, perennial candidate and vexatious litigant
Vexatious litigation is legal action which is brought solely to harass or subdue an adversary. It may take the form of a primary frivolous lawsuit or may be the repetitive, burdensome, and unwarranted filing of meritless motions in a matter which ...
:*Running mate: Barbara Lindsey, candidate for Agriculture Commissioner in 1982[
*]Bob Martinez
Robert Martinez (born December 25, 1934) is an American retired politician who served as the 40th governor of Florida from 1987 to 1991. A member of the Republican Party, Martinez was the first Hispanic American governor since colonial Flori ...
, incumbent governor
:*Running mate: J. Allison DeFoor, Sheriff of Monroe County
*Marlene Woodson-Howard, state senator from Bradenton
Bradenton ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Manatee County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city's population is 55,698, up from 49,546 at the 2010 census. It is a principal city in the Sarasota metropolitan area. Dow ...
and marketing consultant
:*Running mate:Eric "Rip" Weiler, retired Tampa businessman
Campaign
State Senator Marlene Woodson-Howard announced a primary challenge to Governor Martinez during the special legislative session, which she referred to as "hell on wheels."[ She had been at odds with Martinez since 1987, their first year in office, when Martinez backed a sales tax on services; he eventually withdrew his support after public polling showed a backlash. Though she was critical of Martinez's proposed restrictions on abortion, she did sponsor a proposal to notify parents if their teenage daughters sought an abortion.][
Woodson-Howard focused her campaign on education and proposed a constitutional amendment to prioritize it in state spending. She had little hope of victory against Martinez, relying on public financing and a personal loan of $30,000, while Martinez promised to raise $12 to 15 million in private contributions.][ Nevertheless, Woodson-Howard cited her upset victory over Senate Appropriations chair Pat Neal in 1986 as evidence for upset potential.][
Martinez originally intended to delay his campaign until after the primary, but his popularity declined so precipitously that he launched a series of television ads in February and again in August.][ As his running mate, he chose Sheriff Allison DeFoor of Key West, who was seen as a drug warrior and environmentalist, emphasizing two key themes of the Martinez campaign.][
]
Results
Democratic primary
Candidates
*Lawton Chiles
Lawton Mainor Chiles Jr. (April 3, 1930 – December 12, 1998) was an American politician and military officer. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as a United States Senate, United States senator fr ...
, former United States senator (1971–1989)
:*Running mate: Buddy MacKay
Kenneth Hood "Buddy" MacKay Jr. (March 22, 1933 – December 31, 2024) was an American politician and diplomat who served as the 42nd governor of Florida from December 12, 1998, to January 5, 1999, upon the death of Lawton Chiles. A member of the ...
, former U.S. representative from Ocala
Ocala ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Marion County, Florida, United States. Located in North Central Florida, the city's population was 63,591 as of the 2020 census, up from 56,315 at the 2010 census and making it the 43rd-most popul ...
and nominee for U.S. Senate in 1988
*Bill Nelson
Clarence William Nelson II (born September 29, 1942) is an American politician, attorney, and former astronaut who served from 2001 to 2019 as a United States Senate, United States senator from Florida and from 2021 to 2025 as the Administrator ...
, U.S. representative from Melbourne
Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
:*Running mate: Tom Gustafson
Tom F. Gustafson Jr. (born October 9, 1949) is an American attorney and politician who served as Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives from 1988 to 1990. A member of the Democratic Party, Gustafson served in the Florida House of Represe ...
, Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives[
]
Campaign
The Democratic primary was a contest between former U.S. senator
The United States Senate is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and House have the authority under Article One of the ...
Lawton Chiles
Lawton Mainor Chiles Jr. (April 3, 1930 – December 12, 1998) was an American politician and military officer. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as a United States Senate, United States senator fr ...
and U.S. Representative
The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...
Bill Nelson
Clarence William Nelson II (born September 29, 1942) is an American politician, attorney, and former astronaut who served from 2001 to 2019 as a United States Senate, United States senator from Florida and from 2021 to 2025 as the Administrator ...
.
Nelson began assembling a campaign shortly after Martinez won the 1986 election. He appeared to be well on his way to the nomination, having raised millions of dollars and without a clear opponent, when former U.S. senator Lawton Chiles
Lawton Mainor Chiles Jr. (April 3, 1930 – December 12, 1998) was an American politician and military officer. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as a United States Senate, United States senator fr ...
announced his campaign on April 12.[ The popular 60-year-old Chiles, who retired in 1989 after serious health problems, had previously said he would not run. He named as his running mate former U.S. representative ]Buddy MacKay
Kenneth Hood "Buddy" MacKay Jr. (March 22, 1933 – December 31, 2024) was an American politician and diplomat who served as the 42nd governor of Florida from December 12, 1998, to January 5, 1999, upon the death of Lawton Chiles. A member of the ...
, who had narrowly lost the race to succeed Chiles in 1988.[
Despite advice to bow out, Nelson remained in the race and began a negative campaign against Chiles's record, attacking his business dealings and failure to report certain transactions on Senate disclosure forms. In turn, Nelson was criticized for stretching the truth.][ Chiles used the slogan "People vs. Money" and focused his counter-attacks on special-interest donations, limiting his own campaign contributions to $100 per donor and skewering Nelson for accepting money from bankers, developers, and lawyers.][
Nelson's campaign was buried under criticism when his running mate, retiring Speaker of the House ]Tom Gustafson
Tom F. Gustafson Jr. (born October 9, 1949) is an American attorney and politician who served as Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives from 1988 to 1990. A member of the Democratic Party, Gustafson served in the Florida House of Represe ...
, referenced Chiles's clinical depression
Major depressive disorder (MDD), also known as clinical depression, is a mental disorder characterized by at least two weeks of pervasive low mood, low self-esteem, and loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities. Intro ...
and use of Prozac
Fluoxetine, sold under the brand name Prozac, among others, is an antidepressant medication of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) class used for the treatment of major depressive disorder, anxiety, obsessive–compulsive disor ...
, saying, "I don't want to have a suicide during his term of office or during the election."[ Nelson distanced himself from the statement, and Gustafson later apologized.][
]
Results
Aftermath
Nelson went on to win election as Florida State Treasurer
The chief financial officer of Florida is an elected statewide constitutional officer of Florida. The office was created in 2002 following the 1998 reforms of the Florida Cabinet. The CFO is a combination of the former offices of comptroller and ...
in 1994 and United States senator, serving in Chiles's former seat, in 2000.
General election
Candidates
*Lawton Chiles
Lawton Mainor Chiles Jr. (April 3, 1930 – December 12, 1998) was an American politician and military officer. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as a United States Senate, United States senator fr ...
, former U.S. senator (Democratic)
:*Buddy MacKay
Kenneth Hood "Buddy" MacKay Jr. (March 22, 1933 – December 31, 2024) was an American politician and diplomat who served as the 42nd governor of Florida from December 12, 1998, to January 5, 1999, upon the death of Lawton Chiles. A member of the ...
, former U.S. representative from Ocala
Ocala ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Marion County, Florida, United States. Located in North Central Florida, the city's population was 63,591 as of the 2020 census, up from 56,315 at the 2010 census and making it the 43rd-most popul ...
and nominee for U.S. Senate in 1988
*Bob Martinez
Robert Martinez (born December 25, 1934) is an American retired politician who served as the 40th governor of Florida from 1987 to 1991. A member of the Republican Party, Martinez was the first Hispanic American governor since colonial Flori ...
, incumbent governor (Republican)
:*J. Allison DeFoor, Sheriff of Monroe County
Campaign finances
* Chiles/MacKay - $5,244,170.00.
* Martinez/DeFoor - $10,625,793.00.Our Campaigns - FL Governor Race - Nov 06, 1990
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Results
Fallout
Chiles won African Americans (87% to 13%).
References
{{FlGovElections
1990
Important events of 1990 include the Reunification of Germany and the unification of Yemen, the formal beginning of the Human Genome Project (finished in 2003), the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the separation of Namibia from South ...
Gubernatorial
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the type of political region or polity, a ''governor'' ma ...
Florida
Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...