Gary Farmer (Florida politician)

Farmer was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He attended Florida State University, where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in history in 1986. Afterwards, he attended the University of Toledo College of Law in Ohio, graduating in 1991. He returned to Florida to practice law, and founded the law firm Farmer, Jaffe, Weissing, Edwards, Fistos and Lehrman, specializing in consumer protection litigation.

He was the president of the Florida Justice Association, a trade group of trial lawyers, from 2012 to 2013.

When court-ordered redistricting resulted in an open Florida Senate seat based in eastern Broward County in 2016, Farmer decided to run for the seat. He faced former state Representative Jim Waldman and state Representative Gwyndolen Clarke-Reed in the Democratic primary. Farmer won with 43% of the vote to Waldman's 28% and Clarke-Reed's 29%.{{Cite web|url=https://results.elections.myflorida.com/Index.asp?ElectionDate=8/30/2016&DATAMODE=|title=August 30, 2016 Primary Election|last=Florida Division of Elections}} It was the most expensive Florida Senate primary that year, with Farmer raising hundreds of thousands of dollars primarily from law firms and trial attorneys, and Waldman getting financial support from insurance companies, gambling interests, and other industry groups.{{Cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/states/florida/story/2016/08/state-senate-primary-sets-up-special-interest-showdown-104991|title=Broward state senate Democratic primary sets up a showdown of special interests|last=Ducassi|first=Daniel|date=2016-08-26|work=Politico Florida|access-date=2018-07-05}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-nov-guide-state-senate-34-20161019-story.html|title=In Broward state Senate race, Democrat Farmer faces Republican Iotova|last=Sweeney|first=Dan|date=2016-10-19|work=South Florida Sun-Sentinel|access-date=2018-07-05}}

Farmer won the 2016 general election with 63% of the vote against Republican Antoanet Iotova.{{Cite web|url=https://results.elections.myflorida.com/Index.asp?ElectionDate=11/8/2016&DATAMODE=|title=November 8, 2016 General Election|last=Florida Division of Elections}} Iotova was arrested the month before the election and charged with two counts of grand theft.{{Cite news|url=http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-nov-guide-state-senate-34-20161019-story.html|title=In Broward state Senate race, Democrat Farmer faces Republican Iotova|last=Sweeney|first=Dan|date=2016-10-19|work=South Florida Sun-Sentinel|access-date=2021-04-16}}

Farmer won reelection in the 2018 elections, defeating Waldman again in the Democratic primary.{{Cite news|url=http://floridapolitics.com/archives/267044-rematch-jim-waldman-challenges-gary-farmer-in-sd-34|title=Rematch: Jim Waldman challenges Gary Farmer in SD 34|last=Wilson|first=Drew|date=2018-06-22|work=Florida Politics|access-date=2018-07-05}}

Farmer did not file to run for re-election in 2022 and left office on November 8, succeeded by fellow Democrat Shevrin Jones.{{cite web|url=https://ballotpedia.org/Gary_Farmer_(Florida_Senate)|title=Ballotpedia|access-date=February 9, 2023|archive-date=November 10, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221110023842/https://ballotpedia.org/Gary_Farmer_(Florida_Senate)|url-status=dead}}

In the Senate, Farmer serves on the Banking and Insurance Committee, the Education Committee, the Environmental Preservation and Conservation Committee, and the Appropriations Subcommittees on PreK-12 Education and Higher Education.{{Cite web|url=https://www.flsenate.gov/Senators/s34|title=Senator Jones - The Florida Senate|website=www.flsenate.gov|accessdate=2 September 2023}}

On November 16, 2020, the Democratic Senate caucus elected Farmer minority leader for the 2020–22 Legislature.{{Cite news|last=Swisher|first=Skyler|date=2020-11-16|title=Broward County's Gary Farmer elected to lead Florida Senate Democrats|work=South Florida Sun Sentinel|url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/fl-ne-gary-farmer-democratic-leader-20201116-ixfoxxaeh5cufawndhepla3nym-story.html}} On April 28, 2021, two days before the end of the 2021 legislative session, the Democratic caucus removed Farmer in a vote of no confidence.{{Cite news|last=Hayes|first=Kelly|date=2021-04-28|title= Senate Democrats sack Gary Farmer |work=Florida Politics|url=https://floridapolitics.com/archives/424833-senate-democrats-sack-gary-farmer/}}

{{reflist}}

• [https://www.flsenate.gov/Senators/s34 Florida Senate - Gary Farmer]
• [https://www.electgaryfarmer.com/ Gary Farmer for State Senate]

{{s-start}}

{{s-par|us-fl-sen}}

{{s-bef|before=Maria Sachs}}

{{s-ttl|title=Member of the Florida Senate
from the 34th district|years=2016–2022}}

{{s-aft|after=Shevrin Jones}}

|-

{{s-bef|before=Audrey Gibson}}

{{s-ttl|title=Minority Leader of the Florida Senate|years=2020–2021}}

{{s-aft|after=Lauren Book}}

{{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Farmer, Gary}}

Category:1964 births

Category:Democratic Party Florida state senators

Category:Florida State University alumni

Category:Living people

Category:People from Broward County, Florida

Category:South Broward High School alumni

Category:University of Toledo College of Law alumni

Category:21st-century members of the Florida Legislature

{{Florida-FLSenate-stub}}