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10 Famous Politicians From Florida

Sunshine State or better still the East Coast home of Mickey Mouse is at the center of tourist destinations. Beach resorts on Miami Beach, amusement parks such as Walt Disney World and Universal Studios, and the warm and sunny climate are undeniable attractions.

Additionally, historical landmarks like the Kennedy Space Center and a thriving nautical recreation industry make Florida tick for tourism. What’s more, a stable political environment is needed for the booming of tourism. Thus we will highlight the acclaimed politicians from Florida who have contributed to a conducive political environment over time in this state and the country.

They have served in Congress, some as governors, and others in Florida’s legislative houses. The likes of Marco Rubio, Jeb Bush, Connie Mack IV and find out who else is on the list.

Here are the 10 Famous Politicians From Florida.

1. Marco Rubio

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He is the US Senator for Florida since 2011. In 2006 he became the Speaker of the Florida lower house of Legislature. He led in such a capacity until 2008. He sought the Republican presidential nomination in 2016 and won primaries in D.C., Minnesota, and Puerto Rico.

Moreover, during Rubio’s tenure in Senate, he has chaired the Senate Intelligence Committee and the Small Business Committee. He assumed the role of vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee in February 2021. He was born on May 28, 1971, in Miami to Cuban parents who immigrated to the US in 1956.

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2. John Ellis alias Jeb Bush

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He is a prominent politician celebrated for his service as the former governor of Florida. He served in this role from 1999 to 2007. He belongs to the Bush family and is the son of President George H. W. Bush. Thus he was born on February 11, 1953, and grew up in Houston. He moved to Florida in 1980 to pursue a real estate development career. Hence he became the Secretary of Commerce for the state in 1987 and served until 1988.

Additionally, his first attempt for election as governor was in 1994 but lost to Lawton Chiles. His second run was in 1998 when he won and was re-elected in 2002 serving until 2007. In June 2015, he declared his interest to vie for the US presidency in the 2016 presidential election but later dropped his ambition.

3. Connie Mack IV

He is the son of retired Republican politician Connie Mack III. Connie Mack IV served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2001 to 2003. What’s more, he was Florida’s 14th district representative in the US House of Representatives from 2005 to 2013. He was born in Florida’s Fort Myers on August 12, 1967.

4. Rick Scott

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He assumed office as the governor of Florida in 2011 and was reelected in 2014 serving in this office until 2019. Barred by term limits, he opted to run for the US Senate election in 2018. He defeated incumbent Democrat Bill Nelson. Thus he assumed office as the US Senator for Florida in January 2019 and serves alongside Marco Rubio.

On top of that, he had the chance to chair the National Republican Senatorial Committee from 2021 to January 2023. He was born on December 1, 1952.

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5. Bob Graham

He was born in Florida’s Coral Gables on November 9, 1936. Thus after he graduated from Harvard Law School in 1962, he won election to the Florida legislature in 1966. He served in the Florida House of Representatives until 1970.

Furthermore, from 1970 to 1978 Graham secured a place in the Florida Senate. In 1979 he took over office as the governor of Florida and held the office until 1987. From 1987 to 2005, he was the US Senator for Florida. During his time in Senate, he chaired the Senate Intelligence Committee from 2001 to 2003.

In 2004, he tried his chance in the 2004 Democratic presidential nominations. Yet he abandoned this initiative before any primaries took place. From then he announced his retirement from active politics.

6. Bill Nelson

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The former Congressman began his political journey in the Florida House of Representatives where he served from 1972 to 1978. He joined Congress in 1979 and was there until 1991. In the 1990 elections, he run for Florida’s gubernatorial seat and lost. So in 1995 he assumed office as the Treasurer of Florida and held the office until 2001.

Over and above that, Nelson joined the US Senate in 2001 where he remained until 2019. During his time in the upper house of the legislature, he chaired the Senate Aging Committee from 2013 to 2015. He was also a ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee from 2015 to 2019.

This Democratic Party politician in May 2021 was sworn in as the administrator of NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration). He was nominated to the position by President Joe Biden and approved by the Senate and sworn in office by vice president Kamala Harris. He hails from Miami and was born on September 29, 1942.

7. Charlie Crist

He was first a Republican, moved to an independent camp in 2010, and shifted to the Democratic Party in 2012. Crist was the Governor of Florida from 2007 to 2011. His early years in politics from 1992 up to 1998 were spent in the Florida Senate. In 2001, he took over office as the Education Commissioner of Florida and served until 2003.

To add on, he was elected to the office of Attorney General of Florida in January 2003 and served until 2007. After his time as governor (2007 to 2011), he won a seat in the lower house of the legislature in 2017. Thus he represented Florida’s 13th district in Congress until 2022. He was born on July 24, 1956, in Pennsylvania but moved to Florida during his childhood.

8. Ileana Ros

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She was born in Cuba on July 15, 1952, but her parents immigrated to the US and settled in Florida when she was a child. Her first elected position was in the Florida House of Representatives in 1982. Ileana represented the 110th district until 1986. She progressed to the Florida Senate in November 1986 and served up to 1989.

Moreover, in August 1989 she secured a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. She was the representative of Florida’s 18th district until 2013 and the 27th district from 2013 to 2019. Her time in the lower house of legislature saw her chair the House Foreign Affairs Committee starting 2011 to 2013.

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9. Kendrick Meek

He prides himself as the son of retired Congresswoman Carrie Meek who represented Florida’s 17th district from 1993 to 2003. Thus Kendrick succeeded his mother in 2003 following his win in the 2002 elections. He served in Congress until 2011.

Before his Congress tenure, he had the chance to serve in the Florida Houses of the Legislature from 1994 to 2002. He was born in Miami on September 6, 1966.

10. Ron DeSantis

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DeSantis began his political roles in Congress as Florida’s 6th district representative. He held the position until 2018. In January 2019, this Republican politician assumed office as the governor of Florida. He was born in Jacksonville, FL on September 14, 1978, and spent his childhood years in Florida’s Dunedin.

These dedicated public servants have brought positive changes to the state as well as the country. In different political roles, they have shaped the affairs of Florida and its political landscape in various ways. Hence they are noted for their influence in Florida’s and the country’s political environment.