Jimmy Patronis
| Jimmy Patronis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Florida House of Representatives from the 6th district | |
|
In office November 21, 2006 – November 18, 2014 | |
| Preceded by | Allan Bense |
| Succeeded by | Jay Trumbull |
| Public Service Commission of Florida | |
|
Assumed office January 2, 2015[1] | |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
April 13, 1972 Panama City, Florida |
| Political party | Republican |
| Alma mater |
Gulf Coast Community College (A.A.) Florida State University (B.S.) |
| Profession | Restaurateur |
| Religion | Greek Orthodox |
Jimmy Patronis (born on April 13, 1972) is currently a Commissioner on the Florida Public Service Commission. He was a Republican member of the Florida House of Representatives who represented the 6th District, which included Panama City and other parts of southern Bay County, from 2006 to 2014.
History
Patronis was born in Panama City and attended Gulf Coast Community College, where he graduated with his associate degree in restaurant management in 1994, and then he attended Florida State University, where he graduated with his bachelor degree in political science in 1996, he worked as an intern in the Florida Senate and the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. After graduation, in1998, he was appointed by Governor Lawton Chiles to the Florida Elections Commission and again in 2001 by Governor Jeb Bush where he served until 2003. Patronis also served on the Bay County Airport Authority from 2004 to 2006, where he served as chairman.
Florida House of Representatives
Following the inability of Allan Bense, the Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, to seek re-election in 2006, Patronis ran to succeed him in the 6th District, which included Gulf County, southern Bay County, and western Franklin County. In the Republican primary, Patronis emerged victorious, defeating Lee Sullivan, Cameron Floyd Skinner, and Bill Fisher with 39% of the vote. In the general election, Patronis defeated Democratic nominee Janice Lucas with 67% of the vote. He was re-elected without opposition in 2008. In 2010, he defeated Democratic nominee John McDonald with 78% of the vote.
In 2012, following the reconfiguration of districts, Patronis remained in the 6th District, but it swapped its portions in Franklin County and Gulf County for a further incursion into Bay County. He was unopposed in both the primary and general elections, and thus was re-elected to his final term unopposed.