Will Weatherford
| Will Weatherford | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives | |
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In office November 20, 2012 – November 18, 2014 |
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| Preceded by | Dean Cannon |
| Succeeded by | Steve Crisafulli |
| Member of the Florida House of Representatives from the 38th district |
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In office November 20, 2012 – November 18, 2014 |
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| Preceded by | Bryan Nelson |
| Succeeded by | Danny Burgess |
| Member of the Florida House of Representatives from the 61st district |
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In office November 21, 2006 – November 20, 2012 |
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| Preceded by | Ken Littlefield |
| Succeeded by | Betty Reed |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
November 14, 1979 Dallas, Texas, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Courtney Weatherford |
| Children | Ella Kate Molly Marie Madelyn Starr William Winston |
| Alma mater | Jacksonville University |
| Religion | Christianity |
Will Weatherford (born November 14, 1979) was a Republican member of the Florida House of Representatives from 2006 to 2014, representing the 61st District from 2006 to 2012 and the 38th District, which included eastern Pasco County, from 2012 to 2014. During his final term in the legislature, he served as the Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, which made him the youngest presiding officer of any state legislative chamber in the United States at the time.
Will Weatherford was born in Dallas, Texas, and moved to the state of Florida in 1986. He was homeschooled by his parents, but played football at Land O' Lakes High School with his brothers. One of his brothers, Drew Weatherford, would later attend Florida State University and play varsity football for the Florida State Seminoles.
Will Weatherford attended Jacksonville University, where he received a degree in business in 2002. After graduation, Weatherford worked in commercial real estate but was recruited by Allan Bense, his father-in-law and the Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, to join state government.
In 2006, incumbent State Representative Ken Littlefield initially planned to seek re-election, and won the Republican primary for the 61st District, which included most of Pasco County and some of northern Hillsborough County. However, Littlefield dropped his re-election plans and resigned from the legislature when he was nominated to the Florida Public Service Commission by Governor Jeb Bush. Weatherford was selected to run in Littlefield's place and faced Donovan Brown, the Democratic nominee. Weatherford's nomination apparently caused Brown, who had a history of mental illness, to suffer a breakdown, and he was admitted to the Harbor Behavioral Health Care Institute in accordance with the Baker Act. Over the course of the campaign, Weatherford massively outspent Brown and attacked him for his opposition to "jail time for people caught possessing small amounts of marijuana," about which he said that, because his name was not on the ballot, "he had to go negative or his district ran the risk of electing someone being treated for a mental disorder." Weatherford ultimately defeated Brown in a landslide, winning over 60% of the vote. He was unopposed for re-election in 2008. In 2010, Weatherford was challenged in the Republican primary by Kevin Wright, but he easily won the renomination of his party, winning more than 80% of the vote. In the general election, he faced the Democratic nominee, Elena McCullough, a veteran, who campaigned as the "true fiscal conservative" in the race. Weatherford had no difficultly turning away her challenge, winning re-election with 65% of the vote to McCullough's 35%.
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