House and Senate Service
Gurney was elected to the United States Congress in 1962, 1964, and 1966. In 1968, he was elected to the United States Senate for the seat of retiring Democrat George Smathers. The election coincided with Richard Nixon's victory in the presidential race that year. Gurney's victory can be attributed to the Republican campaign's Southern Strategy. Gurney defeated his opponent, former Governor Leroy Collins, with 55.9 percent of the vote to Collins' 44.1 percent. Many supporters of third-party presidential candidate George C. Wallace, voted for Gurney and hence provided him a coalition of growing Republicans in Florida allied with a declining number of conservative Democrats.
Gurney ran on a record that included votes against civil rights legislation, foreign aid, and that "expensive boondoggle," the War on Poverty.
Future U.S. President George W. Bush worked as a traveling aide for Gurney during that campaign. Bush was placed on inactive duty status from the National Guard so that he could volunteer.
In 1973, Gurney was named to the Senate select committee under Sam J. Ervin of North Carolina, which investigated the Watergate scandal. He was the Nixon administration's strongest supporter on the panel in contrast to the ranking Republican member, Howard Baker of Tennessee.
Read more about this topic: Edward Gurney
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