Steve Pajcic
| Steve Pajcic | |
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| Member of the Florida House of Representatives from the 15th district |
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In office January 3, 1975 – January 3, 1987 |
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| Succeeded by | Mike Langton |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
August 4, 1946 Jacksonville, Florida |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Relations | Gary Pajcic (brother) |
| Residence | Jacksonville, Florida |
| Education | Princeton University |
| Occupation | Attorney |
Steve Pajcic (born August 4, 1946) is an American lawyer and politician. He served in the Florida House of Representatives for six terms, from 1974 to 1986. He was the Democratic nominee for governor of Florida in 1986. He now practices law in his hometown of Jacksonville, Florida.
Pajcic was born and raised in Northwest Jacksonville and is of Croatian descent. He attended Annie R. Morgan Elementary School, Paxon Middle School, and Paxon High School. At Paxon High, he was valedictorian and student body class president. Pajcic then attended Princeton, where he played on the basketball team with future NBA player and Democratic presidential candidate, Bill Bradley. After graduating magna cum laude from Princeton, Pajcic attended Harvard Law School, graduating with honors.
In 1974, Pajcic was elected to the first of six terms to the Florida House of Representatives, where he showed particular interest in educational issues. In 1986 he ran for the Democratic nomination for governor of Florida. In the primary election Pajcic slightly led the second-place finisher, state Attorney General Jim Smith; but, as neither had received 50%, per Florida law, a runoff primary was held. During the brief campaign before the run-off, Smith's rhetoric was seen by many as unprecedented in its vitriol for an intraparty contest. In a televised debate, the candidates were asked if, should they fail to win the nomination, would they endorse their runoff opponent in the general election against the Republican nominee. Both Smith and Pajcic answered in the affirmative. However, when Pajcic emerged victorious, Smith evaded the issue of an endorsement for several days. Eventually, Smith came out and openly endorsed the Republican candidate, Tampa mayor Bob Martinez. This split in Democratic ranks was a major contributor to the election of Martinez as only the second Republican governor in Florida history, as even Martinez himself acknowledged in later years.
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