Shevrin Jones
Shevrin D. Jones | |
---|---|
Member of the Florida Senate from the 35th district | |
Assumed office November 3, 2020 | |
Preceded by | Oscar Braynon |
Member of the Florida House of Representatives from the 101st district | |
In office November 6, 2012 – November 3, 2020 | |
Preceded by | Redistricted |
Succeeded by | Marie Woodson |
Personal details | |
Born | Miami Gardens, Florida | October 12, 1983
Nationality | American |
Political party | Democratic |
Parent(s) | Eric Jones |
Alma mater | Florida A&M University (BS) Florida Atlantic University (MS, PhD) |
Shevrin D. "Shev" Jones (born October 12, 1983) is an American politician from the state of Florida. He was elected to the Florida State Senate in 2020 to represent the 35th District. He previously was a Democratic member of the Florida House of Representatives, representing the 101st District, which includes southeastern Broward County since 2012.
Jones is the first openly gay Black person and first openly LGBT Black person elected to the Florida Legislature. Term-limited from his position, he ran for the Florida Senate in a crowded primary for District 35 facing no Republican opposition in the general election.
Personal life[]
Jones was born in Miami Gardens, Florida. He attended Florida A&M University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry and molecular biology in 2006. After receiving this degree, he returned to South Florida, where he taught Advanced Placement Chemistry in Broward County Public Schools, and then worked as a Biology instructor at Florida Atlantic University High School. In 2017 Jones obtained a Masters of Education from Florida Atlantic University. He later earned a PhD from the same institution.
In 2010, he ran for a seat on the Broward County Commission in District 8, running against Barbara Sharief and Angelo Castillo. Jones attacked Sharief and Castillo in a mailer over the fact that they would have to resign their positions in local government if they were elected, declaring, "Both of my opponents are incumbent politicians who have abandoned their oath to serve us for the full term for which they campaigned. Now the taxpayers of Pembroke Pines and Miramar will have to pay thousand[s] more for [s]pecial Election[s] needed to replace them. That's just wrong."[1] Jones came in third place, receiving 17% of the vote to Sharief's 62% and Castillo's 21%.[2]
In 2018, Jones came out as gay, thus becoming the first openly LGBT black person to serve in the Florida Legislature.[3]
Florida House of Representatives[]
In 2012, after the Florida House of Representatives districts were redrawn, Jones opted to run in the newly created 101st District. He initially was set to face Pembroke Park Mayor and Hollywood City Commissioner in the Democratic primary,[4] but both Mohammed and Furr dropped out, and Jones won election to the House unopposed in both the primary and general elections. Jones was re-elected to his second term in the legislature in 2014 without opposition. In 2020 Jones was elected to the Senate and now serves , which includes portions of Broward and Miami-Dade counties.
After the 2021 Hialeah shooting, Jones called on Florida governor Ron DeSantis to meet with Democrats and discuss gun control and gun violence.[5]
References[]
- ^ Wallman, Brittany (May 2, 2012). "VIDEO: Shevrin Jones running for state House". Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved May 14, 2014.
- ^ "2010 Primary Election". Broward County Supervisor of Elections. Archived from the original on July 3, 2013. Retrieved May 14, 2014.
- ^ Ring, Trudy (2018). "Florida Lawmaker Comes Out, Says He's Now 'Living My Truth'". Advocate.com. Retrieved 2018-08-26.
- ^ Wallman, Brittany (May 7, 2012). "Shevrin Jones and Pembroke Park Mayor Mohammed square off for state House". Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved May 14, 2014.
- ^ "Authorities ask public to help identify gunmen in deadly Miami-area shootings". CBS News. Retrieved 2021-05-31.
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External links[]
- Pages using Party stripe with other party
- 1983 births
- Living people
- Florida Democrats
- Florida state senators
- Members of the Florida House of Representatives
- 21st-century American politicians
- People from Hollywood, Florida
- LGBT state legislators in Florida
- Gay politicians
- LGBT African Americans
- African-American state legislators in Florida
- 21st-century African-American politicians
- 20th-century African-American people