Suzanne Gunzburger

Suzanne N. ″Sue″ Gunzburger (born 1939) is long-term elected official in Broward County, Florida, USA, known for her work in support of environmental preservation,[1] social services,[2] public funding of the arts,[3] LGBT equality,[4] and adoption of the Broward County Ethics Code.[5][6]

Suzanne N. ″Sue″ Gunzburger
Personal details
Born1939
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)Gerard Gunzburger (1931-2009)
Children3
ResidenceHollywood, Florida
OccupationBroward County Commissioner, Social Worker, Teacher
Websitehttp://www.broward.org/sue

Education and early community activism

Gunzburger received her Bachelor's degree in education from Wayne State University and her Master's of Social Work degree from Barry University.

Originally a public school teacher, Gunzburger became a social worker and family therapist in the 1970s. She was also a long-time community and political activist[5] who was appointed by President Jimmy Carter as a delegate to the White House Conference on Families in 1980.[2]

Political career

In 1982, Gunzburger was elected to the Hollywood (Florida) City Commission. She was re-elected in 1986 and 1990[5] and served on the Commission for ten years.

In 1992, Gunzburger resigned from the Commission in order to run in a special election for Broward County Commissioner. While initially viewed as an underdog, she finished first by a comfortable margin over her three opponents in the Democratic primary, and won the Democratic primary run-off by defeating Broward County School Board member Don Samuels. Gunzburger went on the defeat municipal official Kurt Volcker (Republican) by a wide margin in the 1992 general election.[7]

Gunzburger was re-elected in a landslide margin in 1994 over veteran J.D. Fredericks (Republican) and was subsequently re-elected without opposition in 1998, 2002 and 2006.[7] In 2010, she faced a tough primary challenge from the former Florida Senate Democratic Leader Steve Geller. After a hotly contested, costly, and largely negative race,[1] Gunzburger defeated Geller by a 56.5% to 43.5% vote.[8] She went on to win the 2010 general election by an 84-16 margin. Gunzburger was term-limited in 2014 and announced retirement from elected office.[5]

When Gunzburger retired in November 2014,[9] she tied the late Gerald F. Thompson's record for being the longest serving county commissioner in Broward County history. Both Thompson (served 1974-1996) and Gunzburger (served 1992-2014) served 22 years apiece on the County Commission. With Broward County's adoption of 12-year term limits, no future Broward County Commissioner will be able to tie or break this record. During her years on the County Commission, Gunzburger was also at various times Commission Vice Chair (1993–94 and 1998–99), Commission Chair (1994–95 and 1999-2000), Broward County Vice Mayor (2009–10) and Broward County Mayor (2010–11).[10][11]

Gunzburger was also a founding member of the governing body of the Broward County Children's Services Council, a local taxing authority, from its creation in 2000 until her retirement in 2014.[12]

2000 presidential recount

Gunzburger is perhaps best known from her role in the 2000 Florida election recount. She was one of the three members on the Broward County Canvass Board.[13] She received several death threats and thousands of emails (both supportive and hostile) during the recount.[14] Gunzburger was also named as a defendant in one of the lawsuits filed by the George W. Bush campaign in its attempt to halt the recount.[15] For her efforts in the 2000 recount, the Broward County Democratic Party gave Gunzburger its "Democrat of the Year" award in 2001.[10]

Family

Gunzburger was married for 49 years to Gerard J. "Gerry" Gunzburger until his death in 2009. Gerry Gunzburger was a Holocaust survivor, chemist, inventor, and plastics manufacturing executive. Gunzburger has three children:

Ronald M. "Ron" Gunzburger - Senior Advisor to Maryland Governor Larry Hogan,[16] and founder/publisher of the Politics1.com website.[17]
Cynthia "Cindy" Katz, a travel consultant, who is a mother of three in New York.
Judith "Judy" Gunzburger, who works in South Florida as an educator in the correctional system.

References
  1. Buddy Nevins (23 August 2010). "Geller and Gunzburger Fight To The End". BrowardBeat.com. Retrieved 27 December 2013.
  2. "Children's Service Council of Broward County". Retrieved 27 December 2013.
  3. "Commissioner Suzanne Gunzburger". Broward County Cultural Affairs Division. Retrieved 27 December 2013.
  4. "Thank Broward tor Equal Benefits Ordinance". Equality Florida. 9 September 2011. Retrieved 27 December 2013.
    - "Broward Commissioner Sue Gunzburger honored Nov. 11, 2012, by Equality Florida". Miami Herald. 11 November 2012. Retrieved 27 December 2013.
  5. "About Sue Gunzburger". South Florida Sun-Sentinel. 29 September 2013. Retrieved 27 December 2013.
  6. Francis, Thomas (11 August 2010). "Sue Gunzburger Broward Ethics Reform". Broward-Palm Beach New Times. Retrieved 27 December 2013.
    - "", South Florida Sun-Sentinel, 19 November 2014
  7. "Broward County Supervisor of Elections". Broward County. Archived from the original on 6 July 2013. Retrieved 27 December 2013.
  8. Brittany Wallman (24 August 2010). "Gunzburger, Sharief, Holness and Keechl winning county races". South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved 27 August 2010.
    - "Broward County Supervisor of Elections". Results.enr.clarityelections.com. Archived from the original on 3 March 2012. Retrieved 27 December 2013.
  9. "Sue Gunzburger Retires", South Florida Sun-Sentinel, 11 November 2014
  10. "Commission District 6". Broward County. Archived from the original on 5 December 2013. Retrieved 27 December 2013.
  11. "Congresswoman Lois Frankel Campaign Site". Loisfrankelforcongress.com. 9 February 2012. Archived from the original on 10 January 2014. Retrieved 27 December 2013.
  12. "Council Minutes", November 2014, Children's Services Council of Broward County
  13. Filkins, Dexter; Holloway, Lynette (27 November 2000). "Counting the vote: Broward County". New York Times. Retrieved 27 December 2013.
  14. "Interview with Sue Gunzburger". University of Florida Oral History Project, 2000 Recount. Retrieved 27 December 2013.
  15. "COMPLAINT FOR DECLARATORY AND INJUNCTIVE RELIEF". Washington Post. UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA. 21 September 2000. Retrieved 27 December 2013.
  16. , Maryland Manual On-Line, Maryland
  17. http://politics1.com/about.htm
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