Cary Pigman (born November 1, 1958) is a
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or again ...
politician from
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, a ...
. he was a
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or again ...
member of the
Florida House of Representatives
The Florida House of Representatives is the lower house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida, the Florida Senate being the upper house. Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution of Florida, adopte ...
from 2012 to 2020, representing the 55th District, includes
Glades,
Highlands
Highland is a broad term for areas of higher elevation, such as a mountain range or mountainous plateau.
Highland, Highlands, or The Highlands, may also refer to:
Places Albania
* Dukagjin Highlands
Armenia
* Armenian Highlands
Australia
* So ...
,
Okeechobee, and western
St. Lucie County
St. Lucie County ( es, Condado de Santa Lucía, link=) is a county in the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 329,226. The county's seat is Fort Pierce. St. Lucie County is included in the Port St. Lucie, FL Metro ...
.
Personal life
Military service
Cary Pigman is a doctor in the U.S. Army Reserve. On May 10, 2013, Pigman reported for active duty as an emergency medicine physician, part of
Operation New Dawn Operation New Dawn may refer to:
* Operation New Dawn (Iraq, 2010–2011), the United States Armed Forces' involvement in the Iraq War after August 2010
* Operation New Dawn (Afghanistan), an operation in Trekh Nawa in the summer of 2010
*Second B ...
in
Kuwait
Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the no ...
. As a doctor in the Reserves, Pigman was deployed three months, followed by 24 months of inactive service.
Professional career
Cary Pigman is an emergency-medicine physician at Florida Hospital Heartland.
Criminal History
Cary Pigman was arrested in March 2017, just hours after a House Session, when a
Florida Highway Patrol
The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) is a division of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. It is Florida's highway patrol and is the primary law enforcement agency charged with investigating traffic crashes and criminal law ...
trooper spotted Pigman's
Jeep
Jeep is an American automobile marque, now owned by multi-national corporation Stellantis. Jeep has been part of Chrysler since 1987, when Chrysler acquired the Jeep brand, along with remaining assets, from its previous owner American Motors ...
drifting on Florida's Turnpike. The arresting trooper reported that a BOLO, or "be-on-the-lookout," had been issued for a reckless southbound motorist shortly before the traffic stop. Troopers reported following Pigman's Jeep as it drifted across lanes and once into the right paved shoulder.
According to the report Pigman denied he had been drinking, but the arresting trooper detected an "odor of alcohol" coming from the vehicle. The trooper saw an open wine bottle in the front passenger seat of a vehicle in which Pigman was the only occupant. Nearly three hours after being pulled over, breath tests measured Pigman's blood-alcohol content at 0.14 and 0.15%, which are nearly double the legal limit of 0.08%.
During one field sobriety exercise, Pigman was described as “so off balance he almost fell while attempting to conduct all three tasks," reports show. He stumbled and lost his balance in another test, and didn't follow instructions in another.
Pigman was found guilty of Driving Under the Influence in April 2017 and is currently serving probation. His license was suspended for six months and he was ordered to pay a $500 fine, perform 50 hours of community service and attend DUI school.
Political career
2012 elections
In 2012, following redistricting, Cary Pigman ran against former
State Representative
A state legislature is a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system.
Two federations literally use the term "state legislature":
* The legislative branches of each of the fifty state governments of the United Sta ...
Randy Johnson
Randall David Johnson (born September 10, 1963), nicknamed "The Big Unit", is an American photographer and former professional baseball pitcher who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (1988–2009) for six teams, primarily the Seattle M ...
in the Florida House District 55
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or again ...
Primary Election. Pigman defeated Johnson by 26 votes.
In the general election, Cary Pigman faced off against
Democratic
Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to:
Politics
*A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people.
*A member of a Democratic Party:
**Democratic Party (United States) (D)
**Democratic ...
nominee Crystal Drake. Ultimately, Pigman defeated Drake, winning 56% of the vote.
Subsequent elections and legislative career
Pigman was reelected in 2014 without opposition and in 2018 was re-elected even though he faced opposition from democratic candidate Audrey Asciutto
After Pigman's DUI arrest in March 2017, he resigned as Chairman of the House Health Quality Subcommittee.
Pigman was term-limited from the House in 2020, after serving four terms.
State Commission On Ethics Investigation
In September 2016, the state Commission on Ethics found probable cause that Cary Pigman "misused his position by linking his efforts to obtain legislative funding for the Okeechobee School District to retaliate" against Tracy Downing, principal of South Elementary School in Okeechobee County. The Commission reported that Pigman was having an "extramartial affair" with his district secretary, Elizabeth "Libby" Maxwell, that started on January 15, 2016. Maxwell is married to Devin Maxwell, the brother of Tracy Downing.
References
External links
Florida House of Representatives - Cary PigmanPigman for State House
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pigman, Cary
1958 births
Living people
Republican Party members of the Florida House of Representatives
21st-century American politicians
Ohio State University College of Medicine alumni
People from Mount Vernon, Ohio
Xavier University alumni