| Elections in Florida |
|---|
 |
 Government |
The 1968 Florida United States Senate election was marked by the election of the first Republican to the United States Senate from Florida since Reconstruction.
Democratic three-term incumbent George Smathers decided to not seek re-election. Popular former two-term Governor LeRoy Collins won the Democratic nomination by defeating State Attorney General Earl Faircloth, while Representative Edward J. Gurney became the Republican candidate.
Gurney was much less well-known than Collins, but he won by a margin of over 11%. It is possible that Richard Nixon's victory in the presidential race (including winning Florida) helped Gurney defeat Collins. Gurney was the first Republican elected to the Senate from Florida since 1872.
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Edward J. Gurney | 1,131,499 | 55.90% | |
| Democratic | LeRoy Collins | 892,637 | 44.10% | |
| Republican gain from Democratic | ||||