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'''Edward John Gurney, Jr.''' (January 12, 1914 – May 14, 1996), was an [[attorney]] who was elected in 1968 as the first [[Republican Party|Republican]] [[United States Senator]] since [[Reconstruction]] for his adopted state of [[Florida]]. Earlier from 1963 to 1969, he was the second member of his party to win a seat in the [[United States House of Representatives]] from Florida.

'''Edward John Gurney, Jr.''' (January 12, 1914 – May 14, 1996), was an [[attorney]] who was elected in 1968 as the first [[Republican Party|Republican]] [[United States Senator]] since [[Reconstruction]] for his adopted state of [[Florida]]. Earlier from 1963 to 1969, he was the second member of his party to win a seat in the [[United States House of Representatives]] from Florida.

Born and reared in [[Portland, Maine|Portland]] Maine]], he graduated in 1935 from Colby College in Waterville, Maine. In 1938, he earned his legal credentials from [[Harvard Law School]] in [[Cambridge, Massachusetts|Cambridge]], [[Massachusetts]]. He launched his original law practice in [[New York City]] but left during [[World War II]], in which after enlisting as a private, he was commissioned an officer in the European Theater of Operations. He was discharged in 1946 as a [[lieutenant colonel]].  In 1948, he earned a second law degree from [[Duke University]] in Durham, [[North Carolina]].<ref name=obit>{{cite web|url=EX-SENATOR ED GURNEY DIES - Orlando Sentinel|title=Ex-Senator Ed Gurney Dies

Born and reared in [[Portland, Maine|Portland]] Maine]], he graduated in 1935 from Colby College in Waterville, Maine. In 1938, he earned his legal credentials from [[Harvard Law School]] in [[Cambridge, Massachusetts|Cambridge]], [[Massachusetts]]. He launched his original law practice in [[New York City]] but left during [[World War II]], in which after enlisting as a private, he was commissioned an officer in the European Theater of Operations. He was discharged in 1946 as a [[lieutenant colonel]].  In 1948, he earned a second law degree from [[Duke University]] in Durham, [[North Carolina]].<ref name=obit>{{cite web|url=EX-SENATOR ED GURNEY DIES - Orlando Sentinel|title=Ex-Senator Ed Gurney Dies|publisher=''The Orlando Sentinel''|author=Tom Leithauser|date=May 22, 1995|accessdate=March 12, 2021}}</ref>

publisher=''The Orlando Sentinel''|author=Tom Leithauser|date=May 22, 1995|accessdate=March 12, 2021}}</ref>

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 "Lou" Frey, Jr. (1934-2019), 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 "Lou" Frey, Jr. (1934-2019), 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.

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.

[[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 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>

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.