Perry Thurston
Perry Thurston (Democratic Party) was a member of the Florida State Senate, representing District 33. He assumed office on November 8, 2016. He left office on January 10, 2022.
Thurston (Democratic Party) ran in a special election to the U.S. House to represent Florida's 20th Congressional District. He lost in the special Democratic primary on November 2, 2021.
Florida law required Thurston to resign his state Senate seat in order to appear on the ballot when he ran to represent Florida's 20th Congressional District. Thurston was one of five elected officials who resigned to run for the seat.[1]
Thurston is a former Democratic member of the Florida House of Representatives, representing District 94 from 2006 to 2014. He served as minority leader in 2014.
Thurston ran for attorney general of Florida in the 2014 elections. He was defeated in the August 26 Democratic primary election by George Sheldon.
Biography
Thurston received a B.A. in finance from Morehouse College and his J.D. from the University of Miami. He worked as a public defender and attorney. He served as minority leader in the state House and as Democratic leader-designate in the state Senate.[2]
Elections
2022
Special election
See also: Florida's 20th Congressional District special election, 2022
Florida's 20th Congressional District special election, 2022 (November 2, 2021, Democratic primary)
Florida's 20th Congressional District special election, 2022 (November 2, 2021, Republican primary)
General election
Special general election for U.S. House Florida District 20
The following candidates ran in the special general election for U.S. House Florida District 20 on January 11, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D) | 79.0 | 44,707 | |
| Jason Mariner (R) | 19.4 | 10,966 | ||
| Mike ter Maat (L) | 0.7 | 395 | ||
| Jim Flynn (No Party Affiliation) | 0.5 | 265 | ||
| Leonard Serratore (No Party Affiliation) | 0.5 | 262 | ||
| Shelley Fain (No Party Affiliation) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 22 | ||
| Total votes: 56,617 | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Robert Ornelas (No Party Affiliation)
Democratic primary election
Special Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 20
The following candidates ran in the special Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 20 on November 2, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick | 23.8 | 11,662 | |
| Dale Holness | 23.8 | 11,657 | ||
| Barbara Sharief | 17.7 | 8,684 | ||
| Perry Thurston | 14.8 | 7,283 | ||
| Bobby DuBose | 7.0 | 3,458 | ||
| Omari Hardy | 5.9 | 2,902 | ||
| Priscilla Taylor | 3.4 | 1,677 | ||
| Elvin Dowling | 1.3 | 646 | ||
| Emmanuel Morel | 0.9 | 454 | ||
| Phil Jackson | 0.7 | 343 | ||
| Imran Siddiqui | 0.6 | 316 | ||
| Total votes: 49,082 | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Dwight Anderson (D)
- Krystal Jordan (D)
- Matt Boswell (D)
- Pradel Vilme (D)
- Natalia Allen (D)
Republican primary election
Special Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 20
Jason Mariner defeated Greg Musselwhite in the special Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 20 on November 2, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Jason Mariner | 57.8 | 3,500 | |
| Greg Musselwhite | 42.2 | 2,553 | ||
| Total votes: 6,053 | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Lateresa Jones (R)
- Roland Florez Jr. (R)
- Bernard Sansaricq (R)
- Vic DeGrammont (R)
2020
See also: Florida State Senate elections, 2020
General election
The general election was canceled. Incumbent Perry Thurston won election in the general election for Florida State Senate District 33.
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Chadwick Mullings (Independent)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Florida State Senate District 33
Incumbent Perry Thurston defeated Terry Edden, Steven Meza, and Shelton Pooler in the Democratic primary for Florida State Senate District 33 on August 18, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Perry Thurston | 57.0 | 44,999 | |
| Terry Edden | 23.9 | 18,855 | ||
| Steven Meza | 12.7 | 10,007 | ||
| Shelton Pooler | 6.4 | 5,091 | ||
| Total votes: 78,952 | ||||
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2016
- See also: Florida State Senate elections, 2016
Elections for the Florida State Senate took place in 2016. The primary election took place on August 30, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was June 24, 2016.
Perry Thurston ran unopposed in the Florida State Senate District 33 general election.[3][4]
| Florida State Senate, District 33 General Election, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Democratic |  Perry Thurston (unopposed) | |
| Source: Florida Division of Elections | ||
Perry Thurston ran unopposed in the Florida State Senate District 33 Democratic primary.[5][6]
| Florida State Senate, District 33 Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Democratic | Perry Thurston (unopposed) | |
2014
- See also: Florida attorney general election, 2014
Thurston ran for election as Attorney General of Florida. He lost in the Democratic primary election on August 26. The general election took place on November 4, 2014.
Democratic primary - August 26, 2014
| Florida Attorney General, Democratic Primary, 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
| George Sheldon |
60.7% | 457,811 | ||
| Perry Thurston | 39.3% | 296,907 | ||
| Total Votes | 754,718 | |||
| Election results via Florida Division of Elections. | ||||
Polls
| Governor of Florida Hypothetical Match-Up Poll | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Pam Bondi* (R) | George Sheldon (D) | Undecided | Margin of error | Sample size | ||||||||||||||
| Gravis Marketing April 23-25, 2014 | 45% | 38% | 11% | +/-3.0 | 907 | ||||||||||||||
| Public Policy Poll January 16-21, 2014 | 37% | 34% | 29% | +/-6.3 | 591 | ||||||||||||||
| AVERAGES | 41% | 36% | 20% | +/-4.65 | 749 | ||||||||||||||
| Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org. | |||||||||||||||||||
2012
Thurston won election in the 2012 election for Florida House of Representatives District 94. Thurston ran unopposed in the Democratic primary on August 14, 2012, and defeated Scott Herman (R) in the general election, which took place on November 6, 2012.[7]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Perry E. Thurston, Jr. Incumbent |
84.2% | 54,339 | |
| Republican | Scott Herman | 15.8% | 10,210 | |
| Total Votes | 64,549 | |||
2010
Thurston ran for re-election to the 93rd District seat in 2010. He did not have any opposition in the August 24 primary or the general election, which took place on November 2, 2010.[8]
2008
On November 4, 2008, Thurston won re-election to the Florida House of Representatives from Florida's 93rd District, defeating Tchaka Lawrence (write-in). Thurston received 42,600 votes in the election while Lawrence received 54 votes.[9] Thurston raised $39,650 for his campaign.[10]
| Florida House of Representatives, District 93 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
| Perry Thurston (D)
|
42,600 | 99.9% | ||
| Tchaka Lawrence (write-in) | 54 | 0.1% | ||
Campaign themes
2022
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Perry Thurston did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
Campaign website
The following themes were listed on Thurston's campaign website:
| “ |
Economic Security COVID-19 has had an unprecedented impact on our economy. In District 20, businesses have been forced to lay off staff or shut down altogether, and hard working families have struggled to make ends meet. Perry has fought tirelessly to protect workers, families, and small business owners through the pandemic. In Congress, he’ll continue to lead our community’s recovery from the pandemic, helping families stay in their homes, bolstering benefits for our most vulnerable, and creating jobs through critical investments in our infrastructure. Criminal Justice Reform Perry served as a public defender at the height of the war on drugs, and he saw firsthand how the criminal justice system works against Black defendants. Ever since, Perry has been a leading voice for criminal justice reforms like legalizing marijuana and ending police violence. Now, he’s ready to take his fight for criminal justice reform to Congress and bring real justice to our community. Expanding Access to Healthcare For years, Florida Republicans have turned down federal money to expand healthcare access, but Perry has fought back at every turn. He’s been the leading voice for Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act. As our Congressman, he’ll fight to expand the Affordable Care Act with a public option for health insurance, invest in our health infrastructure, and help our residents access care. Protecting Our Environment Florida is already experiencing the impact of climate change. From coastal erosion to increased flooding, Floridians are at greater risk from climate change than any other state. Low-income families face greater consequences when our water, our coastline, and our infrastructure are threatened by climate change and environmental mismanagement. That’s why Perry has been a strong advocate for resiliency and sustainability measures in our community, and that’s why he’ll continue to be a leading voice for environmental justice and environmental preservation as our Congressman. Defending Our Democracy Florida Republicans have put our basic rights at risk. With blatantly anti-democratic legislation like SB 90, they’ve joined countless other state legislatures in enacting voter suppression laws that threaten our right to vote. In the State Senate, Perry stood against legislation like SB 90. In Congress, he’ll fight partisan gerrymandering, work to expand voting rights, and end the GOP attack on voting rights.[11][12] |
” |
2020
Perry Thurston did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
Committee assignments
Note: This membership information was last updated in September 2023. Ballotpedia completes biannual updates of committee membership. If you would like to send us an update, email us at:editor@ballotpedia.org.
2021-2022
Thurston was assigned to the following committees:
- Senate Rules Committee
- Agriculture Committee
- Banking and Insurance Committee
- Education Committee
- Senate Judiciary Committee
2019-2020
Thurston was assigned to the following committees:
- Senate Appropriations Committee
- Banking and Insurance Committee
- Senate Rules Committee
- Collective Bargaining Committee
2017 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:
| Florida committee assignments, 2017 |
|---|
| • Banking and Insurance |
| • Education |
| • Judiciary |
| • Regulated Industries |
| • Rules, Vice chair |
| • Joint Legislative Auditing |
2013-2014
At the beginning of the 2013 legislative session, Thurston served on the following committees:
| Florida committee assignments, 2013 |
|---|
| • Appropriations |
2011-2012
In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Thurston served on the following committees:
| Florida committee assignments, 2011 |
|---|
| • Finance & Tax |
| • Rules & Calendar |
2009-2010
In the 2009-2010 legislative session, Thurston served on the following committees:
| Florida committee assignments, 2009 |
|---|
| • Criminal & Civil Justice Appropriations |
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Florida scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
2021
In 2021, the Florida State Legislature was in session from March 2 to April 30.
- Legislators are scored on their stances on economic issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on business issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
- Legislators were scored based on their votes on health care, the economy, public schools, affordable housing, clean energy and water, reproductive rights, the freedom to vote and more.
- Legislators are scored on votes on environmental bills.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
2020
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2020, click [show]. |
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In 2020, the Florida State Legislature was in session from January 14 to March 19.
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2019
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2019, click [show]. |
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In 2019, the Florida State Legislature was in session from March 5 through May 3.
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2018
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2018, click [show]. |
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In 2018, the Florida State Legislature was in session from January 9 through March 11.
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2017
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2017, click [show]. |
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In 2017, the Florida State Legislature was in session from March 7 through May 8. There was also a special session from June 7 to June 9.
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2016
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2016, click [show]. |
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In 2016, the Florida State Legislature was in session from January 12 through March 11.
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See also
2022 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Sun-Sentinel, "Five elected officials have resigned so they can run for Congress in South Florida special election," July 28, 2021
- ↑ The Florida Senate, "2020-2022, Senator Perry E. Thurston, Jr.," accessed September 27, 2021
- ↑ Florida Department of State, "Candidate listing for 2016 general election," accessed September 12, 2016
- ↑ Florida Division of Elections, "November 8, 2016 Official Election Results," accessed November 23, 2016
- ↑ Florida Department of State, "Candidates and Races," accessed July 1, 2016
- ↑ Florida Division of Elections, "August 30, 2016 Official Election Results," accessed September 22, 2016
- ↑ Florida Secretary of State Election Division, "Candidate List," accessed June 21, 2012
- ↑ Florida Department of Elections, "November 2, 2010, Election Results," November 2, 2010
- ↑ Florida Department of Elections, "District 93 Florida House candidate funds, 2008," November 4, 2008
- ↑ followthemoney.org, "District 93 Florida House candidate funds, 2008," November 4, 2008
- ↑ Perry Thurston's 2021 campaign website, "Priorities," accessed September 28, 2021
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
Florida State Senate District 33 2016-2022 |
Succeeded by Rosalind Osgood (D) |
| Preceded by - |
Florida House of Representatives District 94 2006-2014 |
Succeeded by - |
