Danny Burgess
Danny Burgess | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Florida House of Representatives from the 38th district | |
| Assumed office November 4, 2014 | |
| Preceded by | Will Weatherford |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 1, 1986 Zephyrhills, Florida |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Courtney Anne Burgess |
| Children | Adeline Belle Burgess, Daniel Wright Burgess III, Baby Pending |
| Alma mater | University of South Florida (B.A.) Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law (J.D.) |
| Profession | Attorney |
Daniel Wright "Danny" Burgess, Jr. (born June 1, 1986) is a Republican politician who currently serves as a member of the Florida House of Representatives, representing the 38th District, which includes Dade City, San Antonio, St. Leo, and Zephyrhills in eastern Pasco County, since 2014.
History
Burgess was born in Zephyrhills in 1986 and attended the University of South Florida. While a college student, he was elected to the Zephyrhills City Council in 2005, defeating Celia Graham with 60% of the vote.[1] Burgess was re-elected in 2007, defeating Richard Kaeberlein with 82% of the vote,[2] and he served as President of the City Council. In 2008, after he graduated with a degree in political science, he resigned from the City Council to attend the Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law in Orlando, graduating with his Juris Doctor in 2011. Upon graduation, he was commissioned in the Judge Advocate General's Corps of the U.S. Army Reserve as a first lieutenant and continues to serve in the rank of captain. He also began practicing with Johnson, Auvil, Pratico & Chane PA.[3] After the Mayor of Zephyrhills resigned after he faced impeachment proceedings over allegations of sexual harassment, Burgess ran in a special election to succeed him, and won, serving out the final year of the previous mayor's term.[4] He did not run for re-election in 2014.
Florida House of Representatives
In 2014, incumbent State Representative Will Weatherford was unable to seek re-election due to term limits, so Burgess ran to succeed him. He won the Republican primary unopposed, and advanced to the general election, where he faced retired social studies teacher Beverly Ledbetter. During the campaign, the Tampa Bay Times endorsed Ledbetter over him, criticizing Burgess for not having a "similar grasp of state issues" as Ledbetter and for having uninformed priorities.[5] However, the contest between Burgess and Ledbetter was not close, and Burgess won his first term in a landslide, receiving 60% of the vote.
See Also
References
- ^ "City of Zephyrhills Municipal Elections Final Official Results April 12, 2005". Pasco County Supervisor of Elections. Retrieved November 30, 2014.
- ^ "City of Zephyrhills Municipal Elections Final Official Results April 10, 2007". Pasco County Supervisor of Elections. Retrieved November 30, 2014.
- ^ Derby, Kevin; Nielsen, Allison (December 4, 2013). "Rising GOP Star Danny Burgess Runs for Pasco County House Seat". Sunshine State News. Retrieved November 30, 2014.
- ^ Morgan, Arjay (March 13, 2013). "Burgess wants to be mayor of Zephyrhills". Tampa Tribune. Retrieved November 30, 2014.
- ^ "Times recommends: For a better Florida House". Tampa Tribune. October 10, 2014. Retrieved November 30, 2014.
