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===Senatorial election of 1970===

===Senatorial election of 1970===

In 1970, at the urging of [[U.S. President]] [[Richard M. Nixon]], Cramer relinquished his House seat after seven terms to run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by the Democrat [[Spessard Holland]]. Cramer won the Republican [[primary]] over George Harrold Carswell (1919-1992), a circuit court judge whom Nixon had earlier in the years nominated to fill a vacancy on the [[United States Supreme Court]]. The nomination was rejected by a majority of the Senate in part because Carswell had been a [[segregation]]ist in his native [[Georgia]]. Carswell had the support of then [[Governor]] Claude Kirk and U.S. Senator [[Edward Gurney]], who served a single term from 1969 to 1974. Cramer defeated Carswell in the primary, 220,553 votes (64.6 percent) to 121,281 (35.4 percent). However, Cramer lost the [[general election]] to the Democrat [[Lawton Chiles]], known as "Walking Lawton" because he walked a large swath of the state as a campaign tool. After three terms in the Senate, Chiles was elected governor in 1990, but Cramer never again sought public office after the Senate bid.<ref> "Cramer v. Kirk," p. 425.</ref> Cramer received 772,817 votes (46.1 percent) and gained crossover votes of 61,716 more ballots than the number of registered Republicans in Florida at that time. . Chiles' 902,438 tabulation (53.9 percent) was less than half of registered Democrats, but he gained majorities in fifty-five counties, compared to thirteen counties for Cramer.<ref>State of Florida, General election returns, November 3, 1970.</ref>

In 1970, at the urging of [[U.S. President]] [[Richard M. Nixon]], Cramer relinquished his House seat after seven terms to run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by the Democrat [[Spessard Holland]]. Cramer won the Republican [[primary]] over George Harrold Carswell (1919-1992), a circuit court judge whom Nixon had earlier in the years nominated to fill a vacancy on the [[United States Supreme Court]]. The nomination was rejected by a majority of the Senate in part because Carswell had been a [[segregation]]ist in his native [[Georgia]]. Carswell had the support of then [[Governor]] Claude Kirk and U.S. Senator [[Edward Gurney]], who served a single term from 1969 to 1974. Cramer defeated Carswell in the primary, 220,553 votes (64.6 percent) to 121,281 (35.4 percent). However, Cramer lost the [[general election]] to the Democrat [[Lawton Chiles]], known as "Walking Lawton" because he walked a large swath of the state as a campaign tool. After three terms in the Senate, Chiles was elected governor in 1990, but Cramer never again sought public office after the Senate bid.<ref> "Cramer v. Kirk," p. 425.</ref> Cramer received 772,817 votes (46.1 percent) and gained crossover votes of 61,716 more ballots than the number of registered Republicans in Florida at that time. Chiles' 902,438 tabulation (53.9 percent) was less than half of registered Democrats, but he gained majorities in fifty-five counties, compared to thirteen counties for Cramer.<ref>State of Florida, General election returns, November 3, 1970.</ref>

Governor Kirk also lost his bid for a second term to the Democrat [[Reuben Askew]]. Kirk and Cramer were the candidates at the top of the Florida ballot, but they had never been close politically. The feuding between the two played some part in the defeat of both men.  

Governor Kirk also lost his bid for a second term to the Democrat [[Reuben Askew]]. Kirk and Cramer were the candidates at the top of the Florida ballot, but they had never been close politically. The feuding between the two played some part in the defeat of both men.