Florida 2010 Election Results

Florida held its general election on November 2, 2010, deciding 143 legislative seats and 5 statewide offices led by the governorship. No chamber changed party control.

Highlights

• Republicans came out of the election with veto-proof, two-thirds majorities in the House (81-39) and Senate (28-12), plus the governorship and every Cabinet seat. Two weeks later, the new Legislature overrode eight of Gov. Charlie Crist's vetoes, the first overrides in a dozen years.
• Rick Scott (R) beat Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink (D) by about 1 point, roughly 61,500 votes, for the governorship Crist gave up to run for the U.S. Senate as an independent after leaving the Republican Party in April. Scott, the former Columbia/HCA chief, had spent about $73 million of his family's money on the primary and general. Sink conceded the next morning. Scott's running mate, Jennifer Carroll (R), became lieutenant governor over Rod Smith (D).
• All 7 legislative seats that changed hands went Republican. In the Senate, Republicans picked up two open Democratic seats: Jack Latvala (R) won Senate District 16 and Lizbeth Benacquisto (R) won Senate District 27. In the House, 5 Democratic incumbents lost:
  • Jeff Brandes (R) beat Rep. Bill Heller (D) by fewer than 1,000 votes in House District 52, the closest flip.
  • Ray Pilon (R) unseated Rep. Keith Fitzgerald (D) in House District 69.
  • Larry Ahern (R) unseated Rep. Janet Long (D) in House District 51.
  • Elizabeth Porter (R) ousted Rep. Debbie Boyd (D) in House District 11.
  • Gayle Harrell (R) ousted Rep. Adam Fetterman (D) in House District 81.
  On the Democratic side, Rep. Luis Garcia (D) held House District 107 by about 500 votes.
• Republicans swept the three Cabinet races, all for open seats. Outgoing Senate President Jeff Atwater (R) won the chief financial officer post Sink vacated, beating Loranne Ausley (D) by about 18 points. Pam Bondi (R) beat Dan Gelber (D) for attorney general by about 13 points, and Adam Putnam (R) beat Scott Maddox (D) for agriculture commissioner by about 18 points.
• Voters passed 4 of 7 statewide measures, led by the Fair Districts pair: Amendment 5 (legislative maps) and Amendment 6 (congressional maps), which bar districts drawn to favor a party or incumbent. Amendment 2 (a tax credit for deployed military) and a nonbinding balanced-budget question also passed easily. Amendment 1, repealing public financing for statewide campaigns, and Amendment 8, loosening class-size limits, won majorities but fell short of the 60% needed to pass. Amendment 4, requiring local votes on land-use plans, lost by about two to one.

Legislature

• House (120 seats): 43 D, 76 R, 1 other or vacant before the election, 39 D, 81 R after; control stayed with Republicans.
• Senate (40 seats): 14 D, 26 R before the election, 12 D, 28 R after; control stayed with Republicans.

Statewide races

Legislative races

Ballot measures