Gary Farmer (Florida politician)

Gary Michael Farmer Jr. (born April 29, 1964) is a Democratic politician and attorney from Florida. He has served as a member of the Florida Senate since 2016, representing parts of eastern Broward County.[1] He is the Senate's minority leader for the 2020–22 Legislature.

For the actor and musician, see Gary Farmer.
Gary Farmer
Minority Leader of the Florida Senate
Assumed office
November 16, 2020
Preceded byAudrey Gibson
Member of the Florida Senate
from the 34th district
Assumed office
November 8, 2016
Preceded byRedistricted
Personal details
Born (1964-04-29) April 29, 1964
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)Stacey Rogers
ChildrenHannah Lynn, Abigail Rose
EducationFlorida State University (BS)
University of Toledo (JD)
ProfessionAttorney

Life and career

Farmer was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He attended Florida State University, where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in history in 1986. Afterwards, he attended the University of Toledo College of Law in Ohio, graduating in 1991.[1] He returned to Florida to practice law, and founded the law firm Farmer, Jaffe, Weissing, Edwards, Fistos and Lehrman, specializing in consumer protection litigation.

He was the president of the Florida Justice Association, a trade group of trial lawyers, from 2012 to 2013.

Florida Senate

Electoral history

When court-ordered redistricting resulted in an open Florida Senate seat based in eastern Broward County in 2016, Farmer decided to run for the seat. He faced former state Representative Jim Waldman and state Representative Gwyndolen Clarke-Reed in the Democratic primary. Farmer won with 43% of the vote to Waldman's 28% and Clarke-Reed's 29%.[2] It was the most expensive Florida Senate primary that year, with Farmer raising hundreds of thousands of dollars primarily from law firms and trial attorneys, and Waldman getting financial support from insurance companies, gambling interests, and other industry groups.[3][4]

Farmer won the 2016 general election with 63% of the vote against Republican Antoanet Iotova.[5]

Farmer won reelection in the 2018 elections, defeating Waldman again in the Democratic primary.[6]

Committees

In the Senate, Farmer serves on the Banking and Insurance Committee, the Education Committee, the Environmental Preservation and Conservation Committee, and the Appropriations Subcommittees on PreK-12 Education and Higher Education.[7]

Minority leader

On November 16, 2020, the Democratic Senate caucus elected Farmer minority leader for the 2020–22 Legislature.[8]

References
  1. "Senator Farmer". Florida Senate. Retrieved November 22, 2016.
  2. Florida Division of Elections. "August 30, 2016 Primary Election".
  3. Ducassi, Daniel (2016-08-26). "Broward state senate Democratic primary sets up a showdown of special interests". Politico Florida. Retrieved 2018-07-05.
  4. Sweeney, Dan (2016-10-19). "In Broward state Senate race, Democrat Farmer faces Republican Iotova". South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved 2018-07-05.
  5. Florida Division of Elections. "November 8, 2016 General Election".
  6. Wilson, Drew (2018-06-22). "Rematch: Jim Waldman challenges Gary Farmer in SD 34". Florida Politics. Retrieved 2018-07-05.
  7. https://www.flsenate.gov/Senators/s34
  8. Swisher, Skyler (2020-11-16). "Broward County's Gary Farmer elected to lead Florida Senate Democrats". South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Florida Senate
Preceded by
Maria Sachs		 Member of the Florida Senate
from the 34th district
2016–present		 Incumbent
Preceded by
Audrey Gibson		 Minority Leader of the Florida Senate
2020–present


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