# 1944 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 1944 Florida gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1944. Democratic nominee Millard Caldwell defeated Republican nominee Bert L. Acker with 78.94% of the vote.

## Primary elections

Primary elections were held on May 2, 1944, with the Democratic runoff held on May 23, 1944.

### Democratic primary
#### Candidates

* J. Edwin Baker, former Florida state senator
* Millard Caldwell, former U.S. representative for the 3rd district
* Ernest R. Graham, Florida state senator
* Robert A. (Lex) Green, U.S. representative for the at-large district
* Raymond Sheldon, state senator
* Frank D. Upchurch, Florida state senator

#### Results

Democratic primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Millard F. Caldwell | 116,111 | 28.39 |
| | Democratic | Robert A. Green | 113,300 | 27.90 |
| | Democratic | Ernest R. Graham | 91,174 | 22.45 |
| | Democratic | Frank D. Upchurch | 30,524 | 7.52 |
| | Democratic | Raymond Sheldon | 27,940 | 6.88 |
| | Democratic | J. Edwin Baker | 27,028 | 6.66 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 406,077 | 100.00 |
Democratic primary runoff results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Millard F. Caldwell | 215,485 | 55.31 |
| | Democratic | Robert A. Green | 174,100 | 44.69 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 389,585 | 100.00 |

### Republican primary
#### Candidates

* Bert L. Acker, public relations consultant, unsuccessful candidate for Florida's 4th US Congressional district in 1940 and 1942.
* Edward T. Keenan

#### Results

Republican primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Bert L. Acker | 5,954 | 61.26 |
| | Republican | Edward T. Keenan | 3,766 | 38.75 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 9,720 | 100.00 |

## General election

Bert Acker who ran as a Republican, would be against the New Deal in his campaign. He also wanted to eliminate laws he thought were useless and conflicting. Acker was in favor of leasing lands owned by the state government to be used by farmers and cattle ranchers. Acker wanted to allow mining and oil production to be done on state owned lands as well. Acker wanted to see the sugar industry in the state expanded as well. Acker was against taxes that were created as a result of World War II in the state and wanted to exempt homes that were valued at $15,000 from state taxes. In terms of infrastructure, he supported expanding the state highway system and widening roads physically themselves along with improving safety on bridges.

### Candidates

* Millard Caldwell, Democratic
* Bert Acker, Republican

### Results

1944 Florida gubernatorial election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Millard F. Caldwell | 361,007 | 78.94% |
| | Republican | Bert L. Acker | 96,321 | 21.06% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 264,686 | 57.88% |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 457,328 | 100.00% |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Swing | |