Audrey Gibson
| Audrey Gibson | |
|---|---|
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| Member of the Florida Senate from the 6th district 1st (2011-2012) 9th (2012-2016) |
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Assumed office October 19, 2011 |
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| Preceded by | Tony Hill |
| Member of the Florida House of Representatives from the 15th district |
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In office November 5, 2002 – November 2, 2010 |
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| Preceded by | E. Denise Lee |
| Succeeded by | Reggie Fullwood |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
March 15, 1956 Jacksonville, Florida |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Alma mater |
Florida State College at Jacksonville (A.A.) Florida State University (B.S.) |
| Profession | Public relations |
| Religion | African Methodist Episcopal Church |
Audrey Gibson (born March 15, 1956) is a Democratic member of the Florida Senate, representing the 6th district, which includes sections of downtown Jacksonville in Duval County, since 2016. She previously represented the 9th district from 2012 to 2016 and the 1st district from 2011 to 2012. Gibson also served in the Florida House of Representatives, representing the 15th district in downtown Jacksonville from 2002 to 2010.
Gibson was born in Jacksonville, and attended Florida State College at Jacksonville, receiving her associate degree in 1976, and then the Florida State University, graduating with a degree in criminology in 1978. She worked in public relations and as a legal liaison, eventually taking a job as the business community liaison for the Jacksonville Job Corps Center. In 1999, she ran for a seat on the Jacksonville City Council against Reggie Fullwood, but narrowly lost to Fullwood, receiving 48% of the vote to his 52%.
When State Representative E. Denise Lee opted to run for a seat in the Florida Senate rather than seek re-election in 2002, Gibson ran to succeed her in the 15th District, which was based in downtown Jacksonville in Duval County. She faced Mack Freeman, a former television reporter, and Rahman Johnson, a Duval County Soil and Water Conservation District Commissioner, in the Democratic primary. Gibson campaigned on attracting high-paying jobs to the region, increasing workforce development, amending the state education funding formula to send more funds to area schools, and on her experience in "people issues," noting, "The function of a legislative leader isn't just thinking of what bills to bring about, it's about connecting to people to make things happen in the district." She ended up defeating her opponents by a comfortable margin of victory, winning 42% of the vote to Freeman's 30% and Johnson's 28%. She faced Adam Norwood, the Libertarian nominee, in the general election, whom she defeated in a landslide with 81% of the vote. Gibson was re-elected without opposition in 2004, and in 2006, was challenged in the Democratic primary by Fullwood, who had defeated her when she ran for the City Council in 1999. The Florida Times-Union endorsed Gibson for re-election, praising her as "a strong leader who deserves more time in office," noting, "Gibson has shown an ability to get things done without membership in the majority party." Ultimately, Gibson won renomination, scoring 57% of the vote to Fullwood's 43%, and advanced to the general election, where she was re-elected without opposition. She was re-elected unoposed once again in 2008, and could not seek another term in 2010 due to term limits.
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