The 1954 Florida gubernatorial special election was held on November 2, 1954 to elect a successor to Daniel T. McCarty, who died in office on September 28, 1953.

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1954 Florida gubernatorial special election

← 1952 November 2, 1954 1956 →

Nominee LeRoy Collins J. Thomas Watson † Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 287,769 69,852 Percentage 80.43% 19.52%

County results Collins:      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90%

Governor before election Charley E. Johns (acting) Democratic Elected Governor LeRoy Collins Democratic

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State Senator LeRoy Collins won the Democratic nomination in a three-way race against acting Governor Charley E. Johns and J. Brailey Odham. He defeated Johns in a run-off election with 54.8% of the vote. In the general election, Collins faced J. Thomas Watson, the former Attorney General who had switched his party affiliation to run as a Republican in the special election. However, Watson died two weeks before the election, and Collins won a landslide with 80.43% of the vote.

On September 28, 1953, Governor Daniel T. McCarty, who was elected in the 1952 gubernatorial election, died in office of pneumonia. McCarty's death elevated Florida Senate President Charley E. Johns to acting governor and a special election for November 1954 was called to fill the position for the final two years of McCarty's term. The state constitution was revised in 1968 to establish a position of Lieutenant Governor who is first in line to succeed the governor.^[1]

Primary elections were held on May 4, 1954, with the Democratic runoff held on May 25, 1954.