 Instead he launched an unsuccessful bid for the Republican nomination for governor, having lost to Jack Eckerd, whom Kirk had beaten for the nomination in 1970.In 1980, Frey was an unsuccessful candidate for the Republican nomination to the United States Senate, being defeated by the eventual winner, Senator Paula Hawkins of Maitland.He ran in 1986 for governor again, but he was defeated in the Republican primary by Bob Martinez, the former Democratic mayor of Tampa.