Shevrin Jones

Shevrin D. Jones (born October 12, 1983) is an American politician from the state of Florida. He was elected to the Florida State Senate in 2020 to represent the 35th District. He previously was a Democratic member of the Florida House of Representatives, representing the 101st District, which includes southeastern Broward County since 2012.

Shevrin D. Jones
Member of the Florida Senate
from the 35th district
Assumed office
November 3, 2020
Preceded byOscar Braynon
Member of the Florida House of Representatives
from the 101st district
In office
November 6, 2012 – November 3, 2020
Preceded byRedistricted
Succeeded byMarie Woodson
Personal details
Born (1983-10-12) October 12, 1983
Hollywood, Florida
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)Matthew Beatty
Alma materFlorida A&M University (B.S.)
Florida Atlantic University (M.S.)
ProfessionTeacher

Jones is the first openly gay black person and first openly LGBT black person elected to the Florida Legislature. Term-limited from his position, he ran for the Florida Senate in a crowded primary for District 35 facing no Republican opposition in the general election.

History

Jones was born in Hollywood to Eric Jones, the current Mayor of West Park. He attended Florida A&M University, where he graduated with a degree in biochemistry and molecular biology in 2006. After graduation, he returned to South Florida, where he taught Advanced Placement Chemistry in Broward County Public Schools, and then worked as a Biology instructor at Florida Atlantic University High School.

In 2010, he ran for a seat on the Broward County Commission in District 8, running against Barbara Sharief and Angelo Castillo. Jones attacked Sharief and Castillo in a mailer over the fact that they would have to resign their positions in local government if they were elected, declaring, "Both of my opponents are incumbent politicians who have abandoned their oath to serve us for the full term for which they campaigned. Now the taxpayers of Pembroke Pines and Miramar will have to pay thousand[s] more for [s]pecial Election[s] needed to replace them. That's just wrong."[1] Jones came in third place, receiving 17% of the vote to Sharief's 62% and Castillo's 21%.[2]

In 2018, Jones came out as gay, thus becoming the first openly gay black person and first openly LGBT black person to serve in the Florida Legislature.[3]

Florida House of Representatives

In 2012, after the Florida House of Representatives districts were redrawn, Jones opted to run in the newly created 101st District. He initially was set to face Pembroke Park Mayor Ashira Mohammed and Hollywood City Commissioner Beam Furr in the Democratic primary,[4] but both Mohammed and Furr dropped out, and Jones won election to the House unopposed in both the primary and general elections. Jones was re-elected to his second term in the legislature in 2014 without opposition.

References
  1. Wallman, Brittany (May 2, 2012). "VIDEO: Shevrin Jones running for state House". Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved May 14, 2014.
  2. "2010 Primary Election". Broward County Supervisor of Elections. Archived from the original on July 3, 2013. Retrieved May 14, 2014.
  3. Ring, Trudy (2018). "Florida Lawmaker Comes Out, Says He's Now 'Living My Truth'". Advocate.com. Retrieved 2018-08-26.
  4. Wallman, Brittany (May 7, 2012). "Shevrin Jones and Pembroke Park Mayor Mohammed square off for state House". Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved May 14, 2014.
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