# 1986 Florida gubernatorial election

Elections in Florida :
Federal government
Presidential elections
1848
1852
1856
1860
1868
1872
1876
1880
1884
1888
1892
1896
1900
1904
1908
1912
1916
1920
1924
1928
1932
1936
1940
1944
1948
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Presidential primaries
Democratic
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Republican
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
U.S. Senate elections
1845
1848
1851
1855
1857
1868
1875
1879
1881
1885
1887
1890
1891
1893 sp
1897
1899
1899 sp
1903
1905 sp
1908
1909 sp
1911
1914
1916
1920
1922
1926
1928
1932
1934
1936 sp
1938
1940
1944
1946
1950
1952
1956
1958
1962
1964
1968
1970
1974
1976
1980
1982
1986
1988
1992
1994
1998
2000
2004
2006
2010
2012
2016
2018
2022
2024
2026 sp
2028
U.S. House of Representatives elections
1845
AL sp
1846
1848
1850
1852
1854
1856
1858
1860
1865
1868
1870
1872
1874
1876
1878
1880
1882
1884
1886
1888
1890
1892
1894
1896
1898
1900
1902
1904
1906
1908
1910
1912
1914
1916
1918
1920
1922
1924
1926
1928
1930
1932
1934
1936
1938
1940
1942
1944
1946
1948
1950
1952
1954
1955
6th sp
1956
1958
1960
1962
1964
1966
1968
1970
1972
1974
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1989
18th sp
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2001
1st sp
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
19th sp
2012
2014
13th sp
19th sp
2016
2018
2020
2022
20th sp
2024
2025
1st sp
6th sp
2026
C.S. House of Representatives elections
1861
1863
1st sp :
State government
General elections
2006
2010
2014
2018
2020
2022
2026
Gubernatorial elections
1845
1848
1852
1856
1860
1865
1868
1872
1876
1880
1884
1888
1892
1896
1900
1904
1908
1912
1916
1920
1924
1928
1932
1936
1940
1944
1948
1952
1954 sp
1956
1960
1964
1966
1970
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022
2026
Attorney General elections
1966
1970
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022
2026
Chief Financial Officer elections
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022
2026
Agriculture Commissioner elections
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022
2026
Senate elections
2018
2020
2022
2024
2026
House of Representatives elections
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
Ballot measures
1998 Florida Amendment 8
2008 Florida Amendment 2
2014 Florida Amendment 2
2016 Florida Amendment 1
2016 Florida Amendment 2
2018 Florida Amendment 4
2020 Florida Amendment 1
2020 Florida Amendment 2
2020 Florida Amendment 3
2020 Florida Amendment 4
2020 Florida Amendment 5
2022 Florida Amendment 1
2022 Florida Amendment 2
2022 Florida Amendment 3
2024 Florida Amendment 3
2024 Florida Amendment 4 :
Jacksonville
Mayoral elections
2003
2007
2011
2015
2019
2023
Sheriff elections
2022 sp :
Miami
Mayoral elections
1997
2001
2005
2009
2013
2017
2021
2025 :
Miami-Dade County
Mayoral elections
1996
2008
2011 (recall)
2011 sp
2012
2016
2020
2024 :
Orlando
Mayoral elections
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
2003 sp
2004
2008
2012
2015
2019
2023 :
St. Petersburg
Mayoral elections
2001
2005
2009
2013
2017
2021 :
Tallahassee
Mayoral elections
1997
2003 sp
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022 :
Tampa
Mayoral elections
2003
2007
2011
2015
2019
2023 :
Other localities
Fort Lauderdale
1994
1997
2000
2003
2006
2009
2012
2015
2018
2020
Gainesville
2016
2019
2022
Hialeah
2011
Miami Beach
2011
2013
2015
North Miami
2013
2014 sp
2017
2021
Orange County
2010
2022
Pensacola
2022 :
Government :
vte :
The 1986 Florida gubernatorial election took place alongside the midterm congressional elections. The Democratic Party won many victories across the country (including retaking the Senate). However, in Florida, where Democrats gained the Senate seat from Republicans, they lost the Governorship for just the second time since Reconstruction.
The primaries took place on September 2, the runoffs on September 30, and the general election on November 4, 1986. This was the last time Republicans won Palm Beach County until 2022, and the last time that Democrats won Duval County until 2018.

## Democratic nomination
### Candidates

* Mark Kane Goldstein, former Mayor of Gainesville
* Harry Johnston, State Senator from West Palm Beach
* Steve Pajcic, State Representative from Jacksonville
* James C. Smith, Attorney General of Florida
* Joan Wollin, attorney
Democratic primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Steve Pajcic | 360,900 | 35.89% |
| | Democratic | James C. Smith | 309,908 | 30.82% |
| | Democratic | Harry Johnston | 257,906 | 25.65% |
| | Democratic | Mark Kane Goldstein | 54,060 | 5.38% |
| | Democratic | Joan L. Wollin | 22,691 | 2.26% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 1,005,465 | 100.00% |
Democratic primary runoff results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Steve Pajcic | 429,527 | 50.64% |
| | Democratic | James C. Smith | 418,614 | 49.36% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 848,041 | 100.00% |

## Republican nomination
### Candidates

* Chester Clem, State Representative from Vero Beach
* Louis Frey Jr., U.S. Representative from Orlando and candidate for Governor in 1978
* Tom Gallagher, State Representative from Coconut Grove, Miami
* Bob Martinez, Mayor of Tampa
Republican primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Bob Martinez | 244,417 | 43.80% |
| | Republican | Louis Frey Jr. | 137,967 | 24.72% |
| | Republican | Tom Gallagher | 131,265 | 23.52% |
| | Republican | Chester Clem | 44,409 | 7.96% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 558,058 | 100.00% |
Republican primary runoff results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Bob Martinez | 259,333 | 66.33% |
| | Republican | Louis Frey Jr. | 131,652 | 33.67% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 390,985 | 100.00% |

## General election

Florida gubernatorial election, 1986 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Bob Martinez | 1,847,525 | 54.56% | +19.26 |
| | Democratic | Steve Pajcic | 1,538,620 | 45.44% | −19.26 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 27 | 0.00 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 308,905 | 9.12 | −20.28 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,386,172 | 100.00% | N/A |
| | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Swing | | |