Linda Chapin
Encyclopedia
Linda Welch Chapin, a Florida
politician, was the first chairman of the Orange County
Commission and an unsuccessful candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives.
The former Linda Welch received her early education at the Old Greenwich School in Greenwich, Connecticut
and eventually studied political science
and journalism
at Michigan State University
.
Linda met her future husband Bruce E. Chapin at Walt Disney
's "It's a Small World" attraction at the 1964 World's Fair
in New York City
. They moved to Orlando, Florida
, where she joined (and eventually became president of) both the local chapters of the League of Women Voters
and the Junior League
. Then, when their children were old enough to attend school, she took a job at a downtown bank, a position that expanded her contacts amongst the city's power brokers.
In 1985, Chapin was selected by the Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce to head their "Project 2000," an effort to set millennial goals for the city in the areas of economic development, the arts, and transportation. As this project came to an end, her district's incumbent county commissioner retired and she ran a successful campaign to win his open seat.
As a new county commissioner, Chapin is credited with pushing for modernization of the county charter. This was done in 1988 and included the creation of a new position: Chairman of the Orange County Commission, to be elected by a county-wide vote (rather than being selected from the commissioners representing single member districts). Two years later, in 1990 she was elected the first person to fill that position, buoyed in part by her leading role in getting the Walt Disney Company to work with the county's housing finance authority to buy back bonds and provide mortgage assistance to lower-middle-income families.
Disillusioned with the job by 1994, she announced her decision not to seek re-election and encouraged state senator Toni Jennings
to run to succeed her. But, Jennings chose to remain in Tallahassee, eventually becoming Lieutenant Governor under Jeb Bush
. This left two rival commissioners to compete for the job: the conservative Tom Dorman and the liberal Fran Pignone. So, Chapin relented and launched a re-election campaign to regain the support of the then-polarized electorate. She overwhelmingly won a run-off against Pignone, 61% to 39%.
Chapin's time as Orange County Chairman coincided with the administration of Glenda Hood
as Mayor of Orlando, a time when feminine influence over local politics was at an all-time high. The two women, along with Jennings and Dianna Fuller Morgan
(Walt Disney World's Senior Vice President for Community and Government Relations), were recognized as the leaders of the local "old girl network." They formed closed friendships despite surface political differences, and even took annual Christmas shopping trips to New York City together.
On June 25, 1996, Chapin led the Orange County Commission in approving a $53 million subsidy to build a fourth interchange for Walt Disney World on Interstate 4
. This spending would later spark a public outcry when it was revealed the construction project was not even in Orange County but across the line in Osceola County
. Chapin justified the subsidy, however, by pointing out Disney's billion dollar investment in constructing its Animal Kingdom theme park as well as the Coronado Springs and Boardwalk resorts--all of which would generate tax dollars for Orange County.
As her second term drew to a close in 1998, Chapin again did not want to run for re-election. Instead, she was succeeded by future HUD Secretary and U.S. Senator Mel Martinez
. And, she was tapped by Buddy MacKay
(who was acting as Governor of Florida since the death of Lawton Chiles
) to complete the unexpired term of Fran Carlton, who had recently resigned as Orange County Clerk of the Courts. Chapin enjoyed the clerk's job even less than the county chairmanship, because it was more administrative and less policy-driven.
It came as no surprise in 2000, when local congressman Bill McCollum
announced his candidacy to succeed Connie Mack
in the U.S. Senate, that Chapin jumped at the chance to claim his open seat in the House of Representatives as a Democrat
candidate. She quickly raised over $1 million in campaign contributions, more than the combined funds raised by the three Republicans who also announced their candidacies that year: moderate state legislator Bill Sublette, conservative attorney Ric Keller
, and military veteran Bob Hering.
Chapin would go on to face Keller in the general election that November. The campaign gained considerable national attention as the more politically-experienced Chapin seemed capable of taking the seat away from the Republican
majority in Congress. But, the 8th Congressional District of Florida is historically conservative, and Chapin's long career in public service provided easy fodder for the Keller campaign. They successfully painted her as a liberal opponent of the right to bear arms, but more famously cited her spending $18,500 in county funds for a bronze sculpture of a frog to back up their claim of her fiscal irresponsibility. These tactics allowed Keller to eke out a 51% to 49% win over Chapin.
Since leaving elective office, Chapin has continued to hold considerable influence over public policy in the Orlando area as Director of the Metropolitan Center for Regional Studies at the University of Central Florida
. Most notably, in 2007, she headed Orange County's Task Force on Ethics and Campaign Finance Reform and recommended (among other things) that local election laws be amended to require all candidates for public office submit a final list of contributors one week prior to Election Day.
Mrs. Chapin and her husband now live in Belle Isle, Florida
. Their son Roger Chapin waged an unsuccessful campaign to unseat incumbent Orlando City Commissioner Vickie Vargo in 2002.
The Linda W. Chapin Theater at the Orange County Convention Center
in Orlando was named for Mrs. Chapin.
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
politician, was the first chairman of the Orange County
Orange County, Florida
Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida and is part of the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford Metropolitan Statistical Area . As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 1,145,956....
Commission and an unsuccessful candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives.
The former Linda Welch received her early education at the Old Greenwich School in Greenwich, Connecticut
Greenwich, Connecticut
Greenwich is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 61,171. It is home to many hedge funds and other financial service companies. Greenwich is the southernmost and westernmost municipality in Connecticut and is 38+ minutes ...
and eventually studied political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
and journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
at Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
.
Linda met her future husband Bruce E. Chapin at Walt Disney
Walt Disney
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
's "It's a Small World" attraction at the 1964 World's Fair
World's Fair
World's fair, World fair, Universal Exposition, and World Expo are various large public exhibitions held in different parts of the world. The first Expo was held in The Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, London, United Kingdom, in 1851, under the title "Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. They moved to Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
, where she joined (and eventually became president of) both the local chapters of the League of Women Voters
League of Women Voters
The League of Women Voters is an American political organization founded in 1920 by Carrie Chapman Catt during the last meeting of the National American Woman Suffrage Association approximately six months before the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution gave women the right to vote...
and the Junior League
Junior League
The Association of Junior Leagues International, Inc. is a non-profit organization of 292 Junior Leagues in Canada, Mexico, United Kingdom and the United States. Junior Leagues are educational and charitable women's organizations aimed at improving their communities through volunteerism and...
. Then, when their children were old enough to attend school, she took a job at a downtown bank, a position that expanded her contacts amongst the city's power brokers.
In 1985, Chapin was selected by the Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce to head their "Project 2000," an effort to set millennial goals for the city in the areas of economic development, the arts, and transportation. As this project came to an end, her district's incumbent county commissioner retired and she ran a successful campaign to win his open seat.
As a new county commissioner, Chapin is credited with pushing for modernization of the county charter. This was done in 1988 and included the creation of a new position: Chairman of the Orange County Commission, to be elected by a county-wide vote (rather than being selected from the commissioners representing single member districts). Two years later, in 1990 she was elected the first person to fill that position, buoyed in part by her leading role in getting the Walt Disney Company to work with the county's housing finance authority to buy back bonds and provide mortgage assistance to lower-middle-income families.
Disillusioned with the job by 1994, she announced her decision not to seek re-election and encouraged state senator Toni Jennings
Toni Jennings
Antoinette "Toni" Jennings was the 16th Lieutenant Governor of Florida. She was nominated to the office by Governor Jeb Bush in February 2003 to replace Frank Brogan, who resigned to become president of Florida Atlantic University. She was sworn in on March 3, 2003, becoming the first woman to...
to run to succeed her. But, Jennings chose to remain in Tallahassee, eventually becoming Lieutenant Governor under Jeb Bush
Jeb Bush
John Ellis "Jeb" Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd Governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. He is a prominent member of the Bush family: the second son of former President George H. W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush; the younger brother of former President George W...
. This left two rival commissioners to compete for the job: the conservative Tom Dorman and the liberal Fran Pignone. So, Chapin relented and launched a re-election campaign to regain the support of the then-polarized electorate. She overwhelmingly won a run-off against Pignone, 61% to 39%.
Chapin's time as Orange County Chairman coincided with the administration of Glenda Hood
Glenda Hood
Glenda Evans Hood is a U.S. politician, who was Secretary of State of Florida, from 2003 to 2005, and the first woman to serve as Mayor of Orlando ....
as Mayor of Orlando, a time when feminine influence over local politics was at an all-time high. The two women, along with Jennings and Dianna Fuller Morgan
Dianna Fuller Morgan
Dianna Fuller Morgan was the Senior Vice President of Walt Disney World. She is currently the chairman of the University of Florida Board of Trustees...
(Walt Disney World's Senior Vice President for Community and Government Relations), were recognized as the leaders of the local "old girl network." They formed closed friendships despite surface political differences, and even took annual Christmas shopping trips to New York City together.
On June 25, 1996, Chapin led the Orange County Commission in approving a $53 million subsidy to build a fourth interchange for Walt Disney World on Interstate 4
Interstate 4
Interstate 4 is a intrastate Highway located entirely within the state of Florida, United States. It goes from Interstate 275 in Tampa, Florida to Interstate 95 at Daytona Beach, Florida . It also has the Florida Department of Transportation designation of State Road 400, but only a small...
. This spending would later spark a public outcry when it was revealed the construction project was not even in Orange County but across the line in Osceola County
Osceola County, Florida
Osceola County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 172,493. The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimate for the county is 244,045, making it the 17th fastest-growing county in the United States. Its county seat is Kissimmee.- History :Osceola County was...
. Chapin justified the subsidy, however, by pointing out Disney's billion dollar investment in constructing its Animal Kingdom theme park as well as the Coronado Springs and Boardwalk resorts--all of which would generate tax dollars for Orange County.
As her second term drew to a close in 1998, Chapin again did not want to run for re-election. Instead, she was succeeded by future HUD Secretary and U.S. Senator Mel Martinez
Mel Martinez
Melquíades Rafael Martínez Ruiz, usually known as Mel Martinez , is a former United States Senator from Florida and served as Chairman of the Republican Party from November 2006 until October 19, 2007, the first Latino to serve as chairman of a major party...
. And, she was tapped by Buddy MacKay
Buddy MacKay
Kenneth Hood "Buddy" MacKay, Jr. is an American politician and diplomat from Florida. A Democrat, he was briefly the 42nd Governor of Florida following the death of Lawton Chiles on December 12, 1998. During his long public service career he was also state legislator, U.S. Representative, Lt...
(who was acting as Governor of Florida since the death of Lawton Chiles
Lawton Chiles
Lawton Mainor Chiles, Jr. was an American politician from the US state of Florida. In a career spanning four decades, Chiles, a Democrat who never lost an election, served in the Florida House of Representatives , the Florida State Senate , the United States Senate , and as the 41st Governor of...
) to complete the unexpired term of Fran Carlton, who had recently resigned as Orange County Clerk of the Courts. Chapin enjoyed the clerk's job even less than the county chairmanship, because it was more administrative and less policy-driven.
It came as no surprise in 2000, when local congressman Bill McCollum
Bill McCollum
Ira William "Bill" McCollum, Jr. is a former Florida Attorney General. A Republican, he was Florida's 36th attorney general, taking office in 2007...
announced his candidacy to succeed Connie Mack
Connie Mack III
Cornelius Alexander McGillicuddy III , popularly known as Connie Mack, is a former Republican politician. He served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Florida from 1983 to 1989 and then as a Senator from 1989 to 2001. He served as chairman of the Senate Republican...
in the U.S. Senate, that Chapin jumped at the chance to claim his open seat in the House of Representatives as a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
candidate. She quickly raised over $1 million in campaign contributions, more than the combined funds raised by the three Republicans who also announced their candidacies that year: moderate state legislator Bill Sublette, conservative attorney Ric Keller
Ric Keller
Richard Anthony "Ric" Keller is an American politician, and was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, representing .Keller was defeated in his bid for a fifth term by Democrat Alan Grayson....
, and military veteran Bob Hering.
Chapin would go on to face Keller in the general election that November. The campaign gained considerable national attention as the more politically-experienced Chapin seemed capable of taking the seat away from the Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
majority in Congress. But, the 8th Congressional District of Florida is historically conservative, and Chapin's long career in public service provided easy fodder for the Keller campaign. They successfully painted her as a liberal opponent of the right to bear arms, but more famously cited her spending $18,500 in county funds for a bronze sculpture of a frog to back up their claim of her fiscal irresponsibility. These tactics allowed Keller to eke out a 51% to 49% win over Chapin.
Since leaving elective office, Chapin has continued to hold considerable influence over public policy in the Orlando area as Director of the Metropolitan Center for Regional Studies at the University of Central Florida
University of Central Florida
The University of Central Florida, commonly referred to as UCF, is a metropolitan public research university located in Orlando, Florida, United States...
. Most notably, in 2007, she headed Orange County's Task Force on Ethics and Campaign Finance Reform and recommended (among other things) that local election laws be amended to require all candidates for public office submit a final list of contributors one week prior to Election Day.
Mrs. Chapin and her husband now live in Belle Isle, Florida
Belle Isle, Florida
Belle Isle is a city in Orange County, Florida, United States. The population was 5,531 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S Census estimates of 2006, the city had a population of 6,457. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:The area now known as Belle...
. Their son Roger Chapin waged an unsuccessful campaign to unseat incumbent Orlando City Commissioner Vickie Vargo in 2002.
The Linda W. Chapin Theater at the Orange County Convention Center
Orange County Convention Center
The Orange County Convention Center is the primary public convention center for the Central Florida region. The center currently ranks as the second largest convention center in the United States . The OCCC offers of total space, of which is exhibit space...
in Orlando was named for Mrs. Chapin.