The 1932 Florida gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1932. Democratic nominee David Sholtz defeated Republican nominee William J. Howey with 66.62% of the vote.
During the Democratic primary, the campaign platforms for several candidates are known. David Sholtz would run on a campaign involving: increasing government services, giving back pay for teachers, making school terms 9 months log, free textbook for school students, creating a workers' compensation law, increasing bank regulation and providing more funding for public welfare. Carl Maples would pitch himself as being someone who supported a localized self-government.[2] Former governor Cary A. Hardee would emphasize his record when he was governor while running in the primaries. Another former governor, John W. Martin would emphasize that he led to many roads being paved in Florida and would promise that if elected for a second nonconsecutive term as governor he would give: "a dollar in his pocket and a smile on his face."[3]
Many political observers believed that former governors John W. Martin and Cary A. Hardee would face off against each other in a runoff race.[3]
Candidates[]
David Sholtz, former State Representative
John W. Martin, former Governor
Cary A. Hardee, former Governor
Stafford Caldwell, attorney for Florida East Coast Railway[4]
Charles W. Durrance
T. S. Hart
Arthur Gomez, State Senator for the 24th District[5]
William J. Howey would run on a similar campaign platform as he did in 1928. During his 1932 platform he would promise to reducing the amount of circuit courts, replace county school boards with appointed superintendents and give parole to prisoners after serving 1/3 of their sentence. He would support refinancing the state's bonds at lower interest rates. As a way to pay off the state's debts, he would propose stopping all road construction and diverting the funds instead to paying off states debts. Howey was in favor of giving more legal rights to women and was fond of the benefits of having a two party system in the state. The Republicans were in favor of abolishing the poll tax in the state while the Democrats were against this as they saw this as a major blow to white supremacy in the state.[6]
Candidates[]
David Sholtz, Democratic
William J. Howey, Republican, businessman, real estate developer and mayor of Howey-in-the-Hills.
^Hughes, Jr., Melvin (January 1988). "WILLIAM J. HOWEY AND HIS FLORIDA DREAMS". The Florida Historical Quarterly. LXVI (3) – via University of Central Florida Digital Library.
Government