Geraldine Thompson
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Geraldine Fortenberry Thompson (November 18, 1948 – February 13, 2025) was an American politician and member of the Democratic Party serving in various capacities in the Florida Legislature from 2006 until her death in 2025. She served as a member of the
Florida State Senate The Florida Senate is the upper house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida, the Florida House of Representatives being the lower house. Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution of Florida, adopted ...
from 2012 to 2016, representing parts of
Orlando Orlando commonly refers to: * Orlando, Florida, a city in the United States Orlando may also refer to: People * Orlando (given name), a masculine name, includes a list of people with the name * Orlando (surname), includes a list of people wit ...
and western Orange County. She also served three terms in the
Florida House of Representatives The Florida House of Representatives is the lower house of the Florida Legislature, the State legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida, the Florida Senate being the upper house. Article III, Section 1 of the C ...
, from 2006 to 2012. Thompson returned as a member of the
Florida House of Representatives The Florida House of Representatives is the lower house of the Florida Legislature, the State legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida, the Florida Senate being the upper house. Article III, Section 1 of the C ...
, representing the 44th District from 2018 to 2022. Her district included
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,
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,
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,
Lake Buena Vista Buena Vista, meaning "good view" in Spanish, may refer to: Places Canada * Bonavista, Newfoundland and Labrador, with the name being originally derived from “Buena Vista” * Buena Vista, Saskatchewan * Buena Vista, Saskatoon, a neighborhood ...
,
Oakland Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major West Coast port, Oakland is ...
, parts of Ocoee, and the Dr. Phillips, Horizon West, Hunters Creek, and
Williamsburg Williamsburg may refer to: Places *Colonial Williamsburg, a living-history museum and private foundation in Virginia *Williamsburg, Brooklyn, neighborhood in New York City *Williamsburg, former name of Kernville (former town), California *Williams ...
communities in Southwest Orange County, FL. The district contains
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,
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,
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,
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, and the
Orange County Convention Center The Orange County Convention Center is a convention center located in Orlando, Florida. Opened in 1983 as the Orange County Convention and Civic Center, it is the primary public convention center for the Central Florida region and the second-lar ...
.


Life and career

Thompson was born on November 18, 1948 in
New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
, and moved to Florida in 1955. She grew up in the town of Perrine where her family worked in agriculture and construction. She attended
Miami-Dade Community College Miami Dade College (MDC) is a public college located in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1959, MDC operates eight campuses and numerous outreach centers throughout Miami-Dade County. It is the largest institution in the Florida Colleg ...
and received a scholarship to attend the
University of Miami The University of Miami (UM, UMiami, Miami, U of M, and The U) is a private university, private research university in Coral Gables, Florida, United States. , the university enrolled 19,852 students in two colleges and ten schools across over ...
. She enrolled shortly after that school ended racial segregation. In 1970, she received a bachelor's degree with honors in journalism and business education. She moved with her husband, Emerson, to
Tallahassee Tallahassee ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of and the only incorporated municipality in Leon County. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2024, the est ...
, where he attended law school and she worked in state government and higher education. Her first position in Tallahassee was as Executive Secretary to Representative Gwendolyn Sawyer Cherry, the first African American woman to serve in the
Florida House of Representatives The Florida House of Representatives is the lower house of the Florida Legislature, the State legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida, the Florida Senate being the upper house. Article III, Section 1 of the C ...
. Thompson received a Master of Science degree in Communication from
Florida State University Florida State University (FSU or Florida State) is a Public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preeminent university in the s ...
in 1973. She then joined her husband in
Orlando Orlando commonly refers to: * Orlando, Florida, a city in the United States Orlando may also refer to: People * Orlando (given name), a masculine name, includes a list of people with the name * Orlando (surname), includes a list of people wit ...
and began work as a teacher in
Orange County Public Schools Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) is the public school district for Orange County, Florida. It is based in the Ronald Blocker Educational Leadership Center in downtown Orlando. OCPS is the eighth-largest school district in the United States ...
. After six years, she left the classroom to accept a position as Director of the Equal Opportunity Office at Valencia Community College where she served for 24 years as Assistant to the President. In 2002, Thompson ran for the
Florida House of Representatives The Florida House of Representatives is the lower house of the Florida Legislature, the State legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida, the Florida Senate being the upper house. Article III, Section 1 of the C ...
from the 39th District, which included parts of downtown
Orlando Orlando commonly refers to: * Orlando, Florida, a city in the United States Orlando may also refer to: People * Orlando (given name), a masculine name, includes a list of people with the name * Orlando (surname), includes a list of people wit ...
in Orange County, against
Bruce Antone Bruce Hadley Antone (born November 1, 1960) is an American politician from Florida. A Democratic Party (United States), Democrat, he served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2002 to 2006, from 2012 to 2020, and again from 2022, represe ...
, Tiffany Moore Russell, and Jon Eason. Thompson's campaign focused on education and economic development. The ''
Orlando Sentinel The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is the primary newspaper of Orlando, Florida, and the Central Florida region, in the United States. It was founded in 1876 and is currently owned by Tribune Publishing Company. The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is owned by pare ...
'', while praising Thompson as "well-intentioned" and citing her experience in saving the Well'sbuilt Hotel and converting it to a history museum, endorsed Antone, noting that Thompson lacked Antone's "ability to get things done for the entire district." She came in third place, receiving 26% of the vote to Antone's 34% and Moore Russell's 31%, and Eason's 9%. Thompson again ran for office in 2004 when she challenged incumbent
State Senator A state senator is a member of a State legislature (United States), state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature. History There are typically fewer state senators than there ...
Gary Siplin in the Democratic primary in the 19th District, which included parts of central Orange County and northern Osceola County. During the campaign, she attacked Siplin for his tenure in office, asserting that he was "ineffective" and focused more on talking about solutions than solving problems, alienating local leaders in the process. The ''Sentinel'' agreed with Thompson, asking, "What has Mr. Siplin actually done for his constituents?" and noting, "Even Mr. Siplin is hard-pressed to find an answer." The ''Sentinel'' ended up endorsing Thompson, commending her "political savvy and dogged determination to actually get things done." Ultimately, however, she ended up falling short to Siplin, receiving 40% of the vote to his 60%.


Florida House of Representatives

When Antone, whom Thompson had previously run against, opted against seeking a fourth term in the House to instead unsuccessfully run for the Orange County Commission, Thompson ran to succeed him. In the Democratic primary, she faced Prince Brown, a retired
Navy A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the military branch, branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral z ...
lieutenant and a public health consultant, and Fritz Jackson Seide, an accountant and real estate broker. Thompson campaigned on her support for affordable housing for low-income residents of the district, improved public transportation systems, and on addressing crime by expanding economic opportunity. Thompson was endorsed by the ''
Orlando Sentinel The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is the primary newspaper of Orlando, Florida, and the Central Florida region, in the United States. It was founded in 1876 and is currently owned by Tribune Publishing Company. The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is owned by pare ...
'', which cited her deep commitment to the region and her "scope of experience." Ultimately, she defeated both of her opponents in a landslide, winning 60% of the vote to Brown's 25% and Jackson's 15%. She was then elected without an opponent in the general election, and was re-elected without opposition in 2008 and 2010.


Florida Senate

Senator Siplin was unable to seek another term in 2012 due to term limits, so Thompson once again ran for the
Florida Senate The Florida Senate is the upper house of the Florida Legislature, the State legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida, the Florida House of Representatives being the lower house. Article III, Section 1 of the C ...
. This time, she faced Siplin's wife, Victoria Siplin, in the Democratic primary. Thompson campaigned on a platform of enhancing access to public education and job creation, and attacked Siplin for relying on taxpayer-funded mailers, sent out by her husband's Senate office, to promote herself. In the end, she defeated Victoria Siplin with 56% of the vote. Thompson then ran against Fritz Seide Jackson, the Republican nominee who had previously opposed her in the Democratic primary in 2006. The ''
Orlando Sentinel The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is the primary newspaper of Orlando, Florida, and the Central Florida region, in the United States. It was founded in 1876 and is currently owned by Tribune Publishing Company. The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is owned by pare ...
'' endorsed Thompson, praising her as a "serious person, and a champion for public education and job creation," while criticizing Seide for only running as a "Republican for this race so he could make it to the general election." When Thompson ran for re-election in 2014, she was challenged in the Democratic primary by Gary Siplin. She attacked Siplin for skipping public debates, saying, "I think voters deserve an opportunity to compare his ideas and my ideas so they can make an informed decision." The ''Sentinel'' once endorsed Thompson, praising her as a "compassionate and capable legislator" and a "strong advocate for public education and public health," while criticizing Siplin for his "ineffectual leadership" and lack of "record or respect in Tallahassee." In a contrast to the relatively close primary two years earlier, Thompson defeated Siplin in a landslide, winning 64% of the vote to his 36%. Advancing to the general election, she faced Edward DeAguilera, a development director for the Down Syndrome Association of Central Florida and the Republican nominee. Once again, the ''Sentinel'' endorsed Thompson, though praising DeAguilera for having a "bright future" should he stay in politics, due to Thompson's "effectiveness" and "broad support." Owing to the liberal nature of the district, the contest was not close, and Thompson defeated DeAguilera handily with 63% of the vote.


2016 Congressional campaign

In 2015, following court-mandated
redistricting Redistricting in the United States is the process of drawing electoral district boundaries. For the United States House of Representatives, and state legislatures, redistricting occurs after each ten-year census. The U.S. Constitution in Art ...
that created a new Democratic-leaning Congressional district based in Orlando, Thompson announced that she would run for
Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...
in the 10th district, challenging former Orlando Police Chief
Val Demings Valdez Venita Demings (née Butler; born March 12, 1957) is an American politician and former police officer who served as U.S. representative for from 2017 to 2023. The district covered most of the western half of Orlando and includes much of ...
and former
Florida Democratic Party The Florida Democratic Party is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in the U.S. state of Florida, headquartered in Tallahassee. Former commissioner of agriculture Nikki Fried is the current chair. Andrew Jackson, the first territorial go ...
Chairman Bob Poe in the Democratic primary. Thompson came in second place, receiving 20% of the vote to Demings' 57%.


2018 Florida House campaign

In 2018, Thompson announced her intention to challenge incumbent Republican state representative
Bobby Olszewski Robert "Bobby O" Olszewski (born September 6, 1977) is a former American politician who previously served as a member of the Florida House of Representatives, representing the 44th District which included Windermere, Florida, Windermere, Winter ...
in House District 44, covering suburban southwestern Orange County. She went on to defeat Olszewski in the general election.


Challenge to Florida Supreme Court Justice

In 2020, Thompson filed a Petition for
Quo Warranto In the English-American common law, ''quo warranto'' (Medieval Latin for "by what warrant?") is a prerogative writ issued by a court which orders someone to show what authority they have for exercising some right, power, or franchise they clai ...
in the Supreme Court of Florida, challenging Governor
Ron DeSantis Ronald Dion DeSantis (; born September 14, 1978) is an American politician, attorney, and former United States Navy, naval officer serving as the 46th List of governors of Florida, governor of Florida since 2019. A member of the Republican Pa ...
’s appointment of Renatha Francis to the Court. Although Thompson correctly identified the constitutional violations committed by the governor and the Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission, she unreasonably delayed bringing the petition and sought an incorrect remedy, resulting in the denial of the petition. She subsequently amended her petition seeking the correct remedy, and the Court granted it, ordering DeSantis to appoint someone else from the Judicial Nominating Commission's list. DeSantis subsequently appointed Jamie Grosshans.


2022 Election to the Florida Senate

In 2022, Thompson defeated fellow State Representative Kamia Brown to win election to the
Florida Senate The Florida Senate is the upper house of the Florida Legislature, the State legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida, the Florida House of Representatives being the lower house. Article III, Section 1 of the C ...
District 15 seat.


Death

Thompson died from complications of knee surgery at a hospital in
Orlando, Florida Orlando ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Orange County, Florida, United States. The city proper had a population of 307,573 at the 2020 census, making it the fourth-most populous city in Florida behind Jacksonville, Florida, Jacksonville ...
, on February 13, 2025, at the age of 76.Florida Sen. Geraldine Thompson dies at 76
'' Fox 35 Orlando'', February 13, 2025. Retrieved February 13, 2025.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Thompson, Geraldine 1948 births 2025 deaths 20th-century African-American politicians 20th-century African-American women politicians 20th-century American women politicians 21st-century African-American politicians 21st-century African-American women politicians 21st-century American women politicians 21st-century members of the Florida Legislature African-American state legislators in Florida Candidates in the 2016 United States elections Democratic Party Florida state senators Democratic Party members of the Florida House of Representatives Florida State University alumni Politicians from New Orleans University of Miami alumni Women state legislators in Florida