Fran Florez
{{Short description|American politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Fran Florez
| image =
| office = Mayor of Shafter
| term_start = 2002
| term_end = 2006
| predecessor = Garry Nelson
| successor = Cathy Prout
| nationality = American
| birth_date =
| birth_place =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| spouse =
| children = Dean Florez (son)
| profession = Politician
| alma_mater =
| party = Democratic
| website =
}}
Frances Audrey Florez is an American politician from California and a member of the Democratic Party.
Biography
Florez began work at Bank of America in 1964, became the first female loan officer in the Shafter branch in 1973, and became the branch manager in 1990. She later worked as a consultant for the PG&E corporate contributions program. She is also a past president of the Chamber of Commerce of Shafter, California.
Florez won election to the Shafter City Council in 1996 and served there through 2008; she served as mayor (a council position) for four years,{{cite news |last1=Nidever |first1=Seth |title=Kings County leaning toward Gilmore, Kern toward Florez |url=https://hanfordsentinel.com/news/kings-county-leaning-toward-gilmore-kern-toward-florez/article_d3456c74-bc00-5871-921c-d44cdc939752.html |access-date=21 February 2022 |work=Hanford Sentinel |date=October 26, 2008}} and was the first Hispanic mayor of Shafter.{{cite news |last1=Stewart |first1=Jamie |title=New mayor looks to bright future, keeping city strong |url=https://www.theshafterpress.com/story/2018/12/27/news/new-mayor-looks-to-bright-future-keeping-city-strong/142.html |access-date=21 February 2022 |work=The Shafter Press |date=December 27, 2018}} While serving as mayor, she decided to run for the 30th District seat in the state Assembly.{{cite news |last1=Goldmacher |first1=Shane |title=New chapter in Florez-Parra feud |url=https://www.sacbee.com/latest-news/article2571903.html |work=The Sacramento Bee |date=July 16, 2008|access-date=21 February 2022}}
Beginning in 2002, she served as a member of the California High-Speed Rail Authority, serving as chairman in 2005.
In 2008, she was the Democratic nominee for the 30th District in the state Assembly. The outgoing incumbent, Democrat Nicole Parra,{{cite news |last1=Geluso |first1=James |title=Fran Florez makes Assembly run official |url=https://www.bakersfield.com/news/fran-florez-makes-assembly-run-official/article_edbc2efb-cb7d-5240-bd52-dce8ae613e86.html |access-date=2 March 2022 |work=The Bakersfield Californian |date=March 6, 2008 |quote=Updated September 13, 2016}} endorsed Fran Florez's Republican opponent, former Assistant California Highway Patrol Chief Danny Gilmore.{{cite news |last1=Wenner |first1=Gretchen |title=Party endorsement a lock for Fran Florez? |url=https://www.bakersfield.com/news/party-endorsement-a-lock-for-fran-florez/article_23c26cdb-56bc-51d0-b672-6d031041f45d.html |access-date=21 February 2022 |work=The Bakersfield Californian |date=March 23, 2010 |quote=Updated September 14, 2016}} Florez narrowly lost to Gilmore.{{cite news |last1=Geluso |first1=James |title=Fran Florez concedes Assembly race |url=https://www.bakersfield.com/news/fran-florez-concedes-assembly-race/article_273f61f1-d441-5fb5-8ba2-3a0d88e2530f.html |access-date=21 February 2022 |work=The Bakersfield Californian |date=November 25, 2008 |quote=Updated September 12, 2016}}
In June 2010, Florez won the Democratic primary in the 30th Assembly District by 13 percent of the vote against Nicole Parra's father, Pete Parra.{{cite news |last1=Bedell |first1=Christine |last2=Wenner |first2=Gretchen |title=Aftermath: Florez, Parra and the 30th |url=https://www.bakersfield.com/news/politics/aftermath-florez-parra-and-the-30th/article_390b430a-4b28-57f2-ab25-4ab7ed775d0a.html |access-date=21 February 2022 |work=The Bakersfield Californian |date=June 9, 2010 |quote=Updated September 13, 2016}}{{cite news |last1=Nidever |first1=Seth |title=Family feud lives on after vote |url=https://hanfordsentinel.com/news/local/family-feud-lives-on-after-vote/article_0bc4094c-757f-11df-b027-001cc4c03286.html |access-date=21 February 2022 |work=Hanford Sentinel |date=June 11, 2010}}{{cite news |last1=Schultz |first1=E.J. |title=Morning Assembly review: Parra concedes |url=https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/community/clovis-news/article19505523.html |access-date=21 February 2022 |work=The Fresno Bee |date=June 9, 2010}} She faced Republican farmer David Valadao in the November general election. Nicole Parra endorsed Valadao in a televised advertisement.{{cite news |last1=Tavlian |first1=Alex |title=Parra kicks off challenge to Valadao before he can be sworn-in |url=https://sjvsun.com/news/politics/parra-kicks-off-challenge-to-valadao-before-he-can-be-sworn-in/ |access-date=21 February 2022 |work=The San Joaquin Valley Sun |date=December 13, 2020}} Valadao won by a 61% to 39% margin.
In March 2013, she announced her candidacy for the 16th Senate District of the California state Senate,{{cite news |last1=Burger |first1=James |title=Fran Florez announces state Senate candidacy; Autry mulling bid |url=https://www.bakersfield.com/news/fran-florez-announces-state-senate-candidacy-autry-mulling-bid/article_f126a378-e2f1-5706-9fd1-d26bcb84ba9c.html |access-date=21 February 2022|work=The Bakersfield Californian |date=March 15, 2013 |quote=Updated September 13, 2016}} and soon after ended her campaign to help support candidate Leticia Perez and the prospects of the Democratic party by avoiding a contested primary.{{cite news |last1=Burger |first1=James |title=Fran Florez drops state Senate bid |url=https://www.bakersfield.com/news/fran-florez-drops-state-senate-bid/article_465dc304-63d9-5891-8ad6-5c5aad6afc06.html |access-date=21 February 2022 |work=The Bakersfield Californian |date=March 27, 2013 |quote=Updated September 13, 2016}}
Personal life
She is the mother of Dean Florez,{{cite news |last1=Geluso |first1=James |title=Fran Florez: Not just Dean's mom |url=https://www.bakersfield.com/news/fran-florez-not-just-deans-mom/article_4a48ff4b-bb76-548f-a74b-2c7df2d1194c.html |access-date=21 February 2022 |work=The Bakersfield Californian |date=September 12, 2008 |quote=Updated September 13, 2016}} who represented the area (which includes Fresno, Tulare, Kern and Kings counties) in the California State Assembly from 1998 to 2002 and in the California State Senate from 2002 to 2010.