Changes

==Career==

==Career==

After completing his studies at Duke, Gurney relocated to Winter Park in Orange County in central Florida, where he established a law practice with [[Louis Frey, Jr.]], who succeeded Gurney in the U.S. House in 1969. In 1952, Gurney was elected city commissioner of Winter Park, where he had located after his studies at Duke. Later he was the city attorney for Maitland and the [[mayor]] of Winter Park from 1961 to 1962, when he won the first of three terms as the U.S. Representative for congressional district 5. <ref name=obit/>

After completing his studies at Duke, Gurney relocated to Winter Park in Orange County in central Florida, where he established a law practice with [[Louis Frey, Jr.]], who succeeded Gurney in the U.S. House in 1969. In 1952, Gurney was elected city commissioner of Winter Park, where he had located after his studies at Duke. Later he was the city attorney for Maitland and the [[mayor]] of Winter Park from 1961 to 1962, when he won the first of three terms as the U.S. Representative for congressional district 5. <ref name=obit/>

After his [[indictment]] in an influence-peddling scandal involving the Federal Housing Administration, Gurney did not seek reelection to the Senate in 1974. His party nominated drug store magnate Jack Eckerd (1913-2004), who was in turn defeated in a three-candidate [[general election]] by the [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] Richard Stone (1913-1991).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=g000531|title=GURNEY, Edward John – Biographical Information|website=bioguide.congress.gov|access-date=March 12, 2021}}</ref> Acquitted of all charges after two trials, Gurney resumed his law practice. In 1978, he lost a bid to return to the United States House of Representatives to the Democrat Bill Nelson, a former [[astronaut]] and later a long-term U. S. Senator, who was unseated in 2018 by the Republican former Governor [[Rick Scott]].

After his [[indictment]] in an influence-peddling scandal involving the Federal Housing Administration, Gurney did not seek reelection to the Senate in 1974. His party nominated drug store magnate Jack Eckerd (1913-2004), who was in turn defeated in a three-candidate [[general election]] by the [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] Richard Stone (1913-1991).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=g000531|title=GURNEY, Edward John – Biographical Information|website=bioguide.congress.gov|access-date=March 12, 2021}}</ref> Acquitted of all charges after two trials, Gurney resumed his law practice. In 1978, he lost a bid to return to the United States House of Representatives to the Democrat [[Bill Nelson]], a former [[astronaut]] and later a long-term U. S. Senator, who was unseated in 2018 by the Republican former Governor [[Rick Scott]].

[[William C. Cramer]], Florida's first Republican U.S. Representative elected in 1954 from a district in St. Petersburg, was defeated by [[Lawton Chiles]] in the 1970 U.S. Senate election. He was not politically close to Gurney though the two shared [[conservative]] philosophies. In that campaign, Gurney endorsed for his party's nomination, George Harrold Carswell (1919-1992), a former [[segregation]]ist who was not confirmed for a seat on the [[United States Supreme Court]], for which he was nominated by [[U.S. President]] [[Richard M. Nixon]].  Cramer defeated the challenge from Carswell but was then defeated in a heavily Democratic year by [[Lawton Chiles]].<ref>Billy Hathorn, "Cramer v. Kirk: The Florida Republican Schism of 1970," ''The Florida Historical Quarterly,' LXVII, No. 4 (April 1990).</ref>

[[William C. Cramer]], Florida's first Republican U.S. Representative elected in 1954 from a district in St. Petersburg, was defeated by [[Lawton Chiles]] in the 1970 U.S. Senate election. He was not politically close to Gurney though the two shared [[conservative]] philosophies. In that campaign, Gurney, like Governor [[Claude Kirk]] endorsed for his party's nomination, retired Judge George Harrold Carswell (1919-1992), a former [[segregation]]ist who was not confirmed for a seat on the [[United States Supreme Court]], for which he was nominated by [[U.S. President]] [[Richard M. Nixon]].  Cramer defeated the challenge from Carswell but was then defeated in a heavily Democratic year by [[Lawton Chiles]].<ref>Billy Hathorn, "Cramer v. Kirk: The Florida Republican Schism of 1970," ''The Florida Historical Quarterly,'' LXVII, No. 4 (April 1990).</ref>

Gurney has been credited with modernizing Florida politics, using "sophisticated advertising and other media tools for his statewide campaigns."<ref name=obit/> In 1968, he benefited from Nixon's political "coattails," as the national GOP conducted what became known as a "Southern Strategy" to recruit to the Republican Party conservative white voters formerly allied with the Democrats. In the senatorial general election, Gurney defeated the Democratic former [[Governor]] Thomas Leroy Collins (1909-1991), 1,131,499 votes (55.9 percent) to 892,637 (44.1 percent). Apparently, many supporters of third-party presidential candidate [[George Wallace|George C. Wallace]] of [[Alabama]] also voted for Gurney, rather than Collins who was a defender of [[civil rights]]. They hence became  part of a coalition of an increasing number of Republicans in Florida allied with a declining number of white Democrats.

Gurney has been credited with modernizing Florida politics, using "sophisticated advertising and other media tools for his statewide campaigns."<ref name=obit/> In 1968, he benefited from Nixon's political "coattails," as the national GOP conducted what became known as a "Southern Strategy" to recruit to the Republican Party conservative white voters formerly allied with the Democrats. In the senatorial general election, Gurney defeated the Democratic former [[Governor]] Thomas LeRoy Collins (1909-1991), 1,131,499 votes (55.9 percent) to 892,637 (44.1 percent). Apparently, many supporters of third-party presidential candidate [[George Wallace|George C. Wallace]] of [[Alabama]] also voted for Gurney, rather than Collins who was a defender of [[civil rights]]. They hence became  part of a coalition of an increasing number of Republicans in Florida allied with a declining number of white Democrats.

After losing the 1978 election to Bill Nelson, Gurney retired completely from politics, distraught over how the unproven charges had impacted him politically. His supporters believe that Gurney was targeted by the [[U.S. Department of Justice]] because of his steadfast defense on Nixon in the [[Watergate]] hearings, particularly the tough grilling on whistleblower [[John Dean]]. His death was not immediately released by his family, who had the body [[Cremation|cremated]].<ref name=obit/>

After losing the 1978 election to Bill Nelson, Gurney retired completely from politics, distraught over how the unproven charges had impacted him politically. His supporters believe that Gurney was targeted by the [[U.S. Department of Justice]] because of his steadfast defense on Nixon in the [[Watergate]] hearings, particularly the tough grilling on whistleblower [[John Dean]]. His death was not immediately released by his family, who had the body [[Cremation|cremated]].<ref name=obit/>