The 2000 United States Senate election in Florida was held on November 7, 2000, the same date as the U.S. House of Representatives and presidential election. Incumbent Republican Senator Connie Mack III decided to retire instead of seeking a third term. Democrat Bill Nelson won the open seat, even as Republican presidential nominee George W. Bush narrowly triumphed over Al Gore in the state by a mere 537 votes.
Bill McCollum's 46.19% popular vote percentage is the highest for a losing Republican United States Senate candidate in Florida.
Republican primary
Candidates
- Hamilton A. S. Bartlett
- Bill McCollum, U.S. representative from Longwood
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Newall Jerome Daughtrey, 1998 nominee for comptroller
- David B. Higginbottom, candidate for U.S. House in 1986 and 1988
- Bill Nelson, Florida treasurer, former U.S. representative, and 1990 candidate for governor
General election
Candidates
- Joel Deckard, former U.S. representative from Evansville, Indiana (Reform)
- Willie Logan, state representative from Opa-Locka (Independent)
- Andy Martin, perennial candidate (Independent)
- Bill McCollum, U.S. representative from Longwood (Republican)
- Darrell McCormick (Independent)
- Bill Nelson, Florida treasurer, former U.S. representative (Democratic)
- Joe Simonetta (Natural Law)
Campaign
This election was concurrent with the presidential election, where Bush narrowly defeated Gore after an intense recount. The Senate election was evenly matched, with two U.S. congressmen named Bill in their mid-50s. Both parties heavily targeted this senate seat.
The election became very nasty, as Nelson called his opponent "an extremist who would sacrifice the elderly, the poor, and the working class to coddle the rich." McCollum called the Democrat "a liberal who would tax everything that moves, and some things that don't." The election advertisements were very negative, as both candidates talked more about each other than themselves.
Nelson raised only soft money, but had help from Gore and President Bill Clinton. Two days before the election, McCollum predicted he would win by a 6-point margin. On election day, he lost by a five-point margin.
Debates
- Complete video of debate, October 12, 2000
Results
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
- Calhoun (largest city: Blountstown)
- Citrus (largest city: Homosassa Springs)
- Dixie (largest city: Cross City)
- Glades (largest city: Moore Haven)
- Gulf (largest city: Port St. Joe)
- Levy (largest city: Williston)
- Putnam (largest city: Palatka)
- Taylor (largest city: Perry)
- Wakulla (largest city: Sopchoppy)
- Jackson (largest city: Marianna)
- Lafayette (largest city: Mayo)
- Union (largest city: Lake Butler)
- Washington (largest city: Chipley)
- Brevard (largest municipality: Palm Bay)
- Flagler (largest municipality: Palm Coast)
- Franklin (largest municipality: Eastpoint)
- Hamilton (largest municipality: Jasper)
- Hernando (largest municipality: Spring Hill)
- Jefferson (largest municipality: Monticello)
- Liberty (largest municipality: Bristol)
- Madison (largest municipality: Madison)
- Okeechobee (largest municipality: Okeechobee)
- Pasco (largest municipality: Wesley Chapel)
- Polk (largest municipality: Lakeland)
- Volusia (largest municipality: Deltona)
- Hillsborough (largest municipality: Tampa)
- Miami-Dade (largest city: Miami)
- Osceola (largest municipality: Kissimmee)
- Palm Beach (largest city: West Palm Beach)
- Pinellas (largest municipality: St. Petersburg)
- St. Lucie (largest city: Port St. Lucie)
- Orange (largest city: Orlando)
- Monroe (largest city: Key West)
- Alachua (largest city: Gainesville)
- Broward (largest city: Fort Lauderdale)
- Gadsden (largest city: Quincy)
- Leon (largest city: Tallahassee)