There will likely never be another Florida governor like Lawton Chiles.<\/p>\n
Sure, there hasn\u2019t been Democrat elected governor since Chiles won his second term in 1994 over a young businessman named Jeb Bush, but that\u2019s only part of the reason for Chiles\u2019 distinction.<\/p>\n
Born in Lakeland in 1930, Chiles served in the Korean War, later attended law school at UF and in 1958 was elected to the Florida House. In a 40-year political career, Chiles never lost an election.<\/p>\n
He served as State Rep and State Senator before running for the U.S. Senate 1970, when he made headlines with a a 1,003-mile walk from Pensacola to Key West for his campaign.<\/p>\n
After 18 years, Chiles left the Senate to retire from politics but was coaxed back into it to run for governor in 1990 against Republican Bob Martinez, whom he defeated.<\/p>\n
Bush challenged him for re-election in 1994 and appeared to be a lock to defeat Chiles.<\/p>\n
But in a televised debate, Chiles referred to himself as Florida\u2019s \u201cHe-Coon,\u201d\u00a0 an old Southern term for the oldest, largest and craftiest male raccoon in the woods. Donning a coon-skin cap, he went on to narrowly defeat Bush (who would successfully run again in four years).<\/p>\n
Chiles would have a heart attack and die in office, just three weeks before newly-elected Bush was scheduled to take office after defeating Lt. Gov. Buddy McKay.<\/p>\n
Chiles was 68 when he died.<\/p>\n
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