Karen Thurman
Karen Thurman | |
---|---|
Chair of theFlorida Democratic Party | |
In office 2005–2010 | |
Preceded by | Scott Maddox |
Succeeded by | Rod Smith |
Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromFlorida's5thdistrict | |
In office January 3, 1993 – January 3, 2003 | |
Preceded by | New Constituency(Redistricting) |
Succeeded by | Ginny Brown-Waite |
Member of theFlorida Senate from the 4th district | |
In office January 1983 – January 1993 | |
Preceded by | Pat Thomas[1] |
Succeeded by | Charles Williams[2] |
Personal details | |
Born | Karen Lee Loveland January 12, 1951 Rapid City, South Dakota,U.S. |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse |
John Patrick Thurman
(m.1973) |
Children | 2 |
Alma mater | University of Florida |
Karen Lee Loveland Thurman[3][4](born January 12, 1951) is a formerU.S. RepresentativefromFlorida,serving five consecutive terms from 1993 to 2003. She is aDemocratand served as chair of theFlorida Democratic Partyfrom 2005 to 2010.[5][6]
Early life and education
[edit]She was born on January 12, 1951, inRapid City, South Dakota,but has spent most of her life in Florida. She received her associate degree fromSanta Fe CollegeinGainesvillein 1970 and later her bachelor's degree in education from theUniversity of FloridainGainesville,Floridain 1973. She married John Patrick Thurman in Gainesville on June 9, 1973.[3]They have two children, McLin (Macky) and Liberty Lee, and make their home in Dunnellon, Florida.
Early political career
[edit]Thurman was first elected to public office in 1974, when she won a seat on the city council ofDunnellon, Florida,on which she served until 1983. She served as Mayor of Dunnellon from 1979 to 1981. She served in theFlorida State Senatefrom 1983 to 1993.
Tenure in Congress
[edit]Florida gained three congressional districts after the 1990census.One of them was the 5th District, which stretched fromGainesvilleto the far northern portion of theTampa Bay Area.It was an open secret that this district was drawn for Thurman.[citation needed]She was elected to the House from that district in 1992 and was reelected four more times with no serious opposition.
Thurman was recognized as an expert on health, veterans, and tax issues. She was only the sixth woman to serve on theHouse Ways and Means Committee.On Ways and Means she fought for lower prescription drugs, increased access to health insurance, and tax relief. Prior to her appointment to Ways and Means in 1996, Congresswoman Thurman served on both theHouse Agriculture Committeeand theCommittee on Government Reform and Oversight.
After the2000 census,the Republican-controlled Florida legislature reconfigured the 5th to make it friendlier to Republicans. She lost heavily Democratic Gainesville and surroundingAlachua Countywhile picking up some heavily Republican territory betweenTampaandOrlando.The new 5th contained much of the territory located in the State Senate district of that body's President Pro Tem,Ginny Brown-Waite.[7]Nonetheless, Thurman ran for reelection. Even though the redrawn district had gone narrowly forGeorge W. Bushin 2000 (Al Gorehad won her old district handily), Thurman just barely lost to Brown-Waite. Since Thurman left office, the Democrats have cleared the 40 percent barrier in the district, now numbered as the 11th, only once.
Post-congressional career
[edit]In 2005 Thurman was elected Chairman of theFlorida Democratic Party(FDP), succeeding ChairmanScott Maddox,who resigned in order to seek the Democratic nomination for governor.[8]Thurman resigned on November 12, 2010, following the midterm elections.[6]
Thurman is a member of the ReFormers Caucus ofIssue One.[9]
Personal
[edit]Her husband John Thurman was a Judge. She has two children; Macky and Liberty Thurman. She also has three grandchildren; Karlee, Madison and Lawson. {Liberty Thurman June 2023}
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^"Our Campaigns - FL State Senate 04 Race - Nov 02, 1982".
- ^"Our Campaigns - FL State Senate 4 Race - Nov 06, 1990".
- ^ab"Thurman-Loveland".The Orlando Sentinel.June 10, 1973.
- ^"Thurman makes transition from teacher to senator".Tampa Bay Times.June 13, 1983.
- ^Congressional background
- ^abResigned as chair of FDPArchived2012-10-13 at theWayback Machine
- ^Solochek, Jeffrey S. (2002-11-07)."How Brown-Waite ousted Thurman".St. Petersburg Times.Retrieved2007-07-01.
- ^Elected chair of FDP
- ^"ReFormers Caucus".Issue One.Retrieved2017-06-02.
External links
[edit]- 1951 births
- Living people
- University of Florida College of Education alumni
- Democratic Party Florida state senators
- Politicians from Rapid City, South Dakota
- Female members of the United States House of Representatives
- Mayors of places in Florida
- Florida city council members
- Women city councillors in Florida
- Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Florida
- Women state legislators in Florida
- Women mayors of places in Florida
- State political party chairs of Florida
- 2008 United States presidential electors
- 21st-century American legislators
- 21st-century American women politicians
- People from Dunnellon, Florida
- Members of Congress who became lobbyists
- Santa Fe College alumni