Wayne Mixson
Encyclopedia
John Wayne Mixson, better known as Wayne Mixson (born June 16, 1922) was the 39th Governor of the U.S. state
of Florida
. He assumed the office in January 1987 after Bob Graham
stepped down to take his seat in the United States Senate
, and served only three days until the governor-elect, Bob Martinez
, was sworn in. He also served as a Special Ambassador to Ecuador
, being appointed to this post by President Jimmy Carter
in 1979.
Born in New Brockton, Alabama
, immediately after graduating from high school he moved to Jackson County, Florida
. He served in the United States Navy
during World War II
. Following the war, he attended Columbia University
and the University of Pennsylvania
. In 1947, he received a degree in Business Administration from the University of Florida
, where he was tapped in to Florida Blue Key
. Also in the same year, he married his wife, Margie Grace. His political career began with the Florida House of Representatives
, serving six consecutive terms. He chaired House Agriculture Committee for 8 years. Mixson was a full-time farmer during his tenure as state legislator and developed a reputation as pro-agruculture business legislator.
Mixson decided against seeking re-election to the State House in order to run for Lieutenant Governor. He won the primary running on a ticket headed by gubernatorial nominee Bob Graham
. They were elected in 1978 and re-elected in 1982, which made Mixson the first Lieutenant Governor of Florida to be elected more than once to that position. During his second term, he also served as Florida's Secretary of Commerce, being appointed by Gov. Graham to this role.
Mixson decided to retire from active political life with end of his term as Lt. Governor and did not seek to succeed Graham as Governor. State representative Steve Pajcic
became the Democratic nominee in 1986, but lost to Republican
Bob Martinez
.
Mixson would become Graham's successor after all, however briefly, after Graham was elected to the United States Senate
. Florida's "resign-to-run" law requires an incumbent office holder seeking another elective office to submit an irrevocable resignation from the office they currently hold unless that tenure would end anyway before they would assume the new position if elected. The candidate may designate the effective date of the resignation to be in the future, but it must be no later than the date that they would assume the new office. This compelled Graham to submit his resignation as Governor early in 1986 when he began to campaign for the U.S. Senate seat. He chose January 3, 1987 as the effective date of his resignation, as that was the date new Senators would be sworn in. The term as Governor to which he had been elected in 1982 would not end, however, until January 6, 1987.
This sequence of events left Mixson to assume the office of Governor for just those three overlapping days. Even if Graham had lost the Senate race, his prior resignation as Governor could not have been withdrawn under Florida law, so Mixson would still have become Governor on January 3 and served out the remaining days of the term to which Graham had been elected. By virtue of his holding office for three days, Mixson is (as of 2009) the oldest Governor of Florida who is still alive.
Governor Mixson holds an honorary doctorate from the Florida Institute of Technology
. He has served on several boards of directors, including Bankers Insurance Company and the First Community Bank in St. Petersburg, Florida
, where he serves as chairman, First Community Insurance Company of Rochester, New York
, the Florida Economic Club, Florida Tax Watch, the University of Florida Foundation, and the North Florida Community Foundation.
During the 2004 presidential election, Governor Mixson crossed party lines to endorse the re-election of President
George W. Bush
, joining Zell Miller
. Previously, however, he backed a bid of his former boss Graham, who briefly sought Democratic presidential nomination.
Governor Mixson has decided to rejoin the Democratic column, endorsing State Senator Rod Smith
(D-Alachua
) in the Democratic primary for Governor of Florida. Governor Mixson also agreed to serve as a Co-Chairman of Sen. Smith's campaign, which drew criticism from some leading Florida Democrats.
He has also endorsed some other Republican candidates, including Jeb Bush
and Bill McCollum
.
Mixson is viewed widely as a conservative Democrat.
Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor runoff - October 5, 1978
Florida gubernatorial election - November 7, 1978
Florida gubernatorial election - November 2, 1982
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Florida
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...
. He assumed the office in January 1987 after Bob Graham
Bob Graham
Daniel Robert "Bob" Graham is an American politician. He was the 38th Governor of Florida from 1979 to 1987 and a United States Senator from that state from 1987 to 2005...
stepped down to take his seat in the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
, and served only three days until the governor-elect, Bob Martinez
Bob Martinez
Robert Martinez was the 40th Governor of Florida from 1987 to 1991. Prior to that, he was the mayor of Tampa from 1979 to 1986.- Education and early career :...
, was sworn in. He also served as a Special Ambassador to Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
, being appointed to this post by President Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
in 1979.
Born in New Brockton, Alabama
New Brockton, Alabama
New Brockton is a town in Coffee County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 1,250. The community was named for Huey E. Brock, settler.New Brockton is part of the Enterprise–Ozark Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, immediately after graduating from high school he moved to Jackson County, Florida
Jackson County, Florida
Jackson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. The population as of the 2000 census was 46,755. As of 2005, the population was estimated to be 48,985 . Its county seat is Marianna, Florida.- History :...
. He served in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Following the war, he attended Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
and the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
. In 1947, he received a degree in Business Administration from the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
, where he was tapped in to Florida Blue Key
Florida Blue Key
Florida Blue Key is a student honor and service society at the University of Florida. It is often written and referred to by the initialism "FBK."This organization was started at the University of Florida in 1923 under the presidency of Albert Murphree...
. Also in the same year, he married his wife, Margie Grace. His political career began with the Florida House of Representatives
Florida House of Representatives
The Florida House of Representatives is the lower house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. The House is composed of 120 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 156,677.The House convenes at...
, serving six consecutive terms. He chaired House Agriculture Committee for 8 years. Mixson was a full-time farmer during his tenure as state legislator and developed a reputation as pro-agruculture business legislator.
Mixson decided against seeking re-election to the State House in order to run for Lieutenant Governor. He won the primary running on a ticket headed by gubernatorial nominee Bob Graham
Bob Graham
Daniel Robert "Bob" Graham is an American politician. He was the 38th Governor of Florida from 1979 to 1987 and a United States Senator from that state from 1987 to 2005...
. They were elected in 1978 and re-elected in 1982, which made Mixson the first Lieutenant Governor of Florida to be elected more than once to that position. During his second term, he also served as Florida's Secretary of Commerce, being appointed by Gov. Graham to this role.
Mixson decided to retire from active political life with end of his term as Lt. Governor and did not seek to succeed Graham as Governor. State representative Steve Pajcic
Steve Pajcic
Steve Pajcic was the Democratic nominee for governor of Florida in 1986. A former state legislator, Pajcic now practices law in his hometown of Jacksonville, Florida.-Upbringing and education:...
became the Democratic nominee in 1986, but lost to 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...
Bob Martinez
Bob Martinez
Robert Martinez was the 40th Governor of Florida from 1987 to 1991. Prior to that, he was the mayor of Tampa from 1979 to 1986.- Education and early career :...
.
Mixson would become Graham's successor after all, however briefly, after Graham was elected to the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
. Florida's "resign-to-run" law requires an incumbent office holder seeking another elective office to submit an irrevocable resignation from the office they currently hold unless that tenure would end anyway before they would assume the new position if elected. The candidate may designate the effective date of the resignation to be in the future, but it must be no later than the date that they would assume the new office. This compelled Graham to submit his resignation as Governor early in 1986 when he began to campaign for the U.S. Senate seat. He chose January 3, 1987 as the effective date of his resignation, as that was the date new Senators would be sworn in. The term as Governor to which he had been elected in 1982 would not end, however, until January 6, 1987.
This sequence of events left Mixson to assume the office of Governor for just those three overlapping days. Even if Graham had lost the Senate race, his prior resignation as Governor could not have been withdrawn under Florida law, so Mixson would still have become Governor on January 3 and served out the remaining days of the term to which Graham had been elected. By virtue of his holding office for three days, Mixson is (as of 2009) the oldest Governor of Florida who is still alive.
Governor Mixson holds an honorary doctorate from the Florida Institute of Technology
Florida Institute of Technology
Florida Institute of Technology, also known as Florida Tech, is an independent private technical research university located in Melbourne, Florida, United States. Founded in 1958 as Brevard Engineering College, the institute has been known by its present name since 1966. Florida Tech's curriculum...
. He has served on several boards of directors, including Bankers Insurance Company and the First Community Bank in St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
, where he serves as chairman, First Community Insurance Company of Rochester, New York
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
, the Florida Economic Club, Florida Tax Watch, the University of Florida Foundation, and the North Florida Community Foundation.
During the 2004 presidential election, Governor Mixson crossed party lines to endorse the re-election of President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, joining Zell Miller
Zell Miller
Zell Bryan Miller is an American politician from the US state of Georgia. A Democrat, Miller served as Lieutenant Governor from 1975 to 1991, 79th Governor of Georgia from 1991 to 1999, and as United States Senator from 2000 to 2005....
. Previously, however, he backed a bid of his former boss Graham, who briefly sought Democratic presidential nomination.
Governor Mixson has decided to rejoin the Democratic column, endorsing State Senator Rod Smith
Rod Smith (politician)
Rod Smith is an American politician from the U.S. state of Florida. A Democrat, Smith was a member of the Florida Senate from Gainesville from 2001 until 2006. Smith ran for the Democratic nomination for Governor of Florida in the 2006 election but lost to Congressman Jim Davis...
(D-Alachua
Alachua, Florida
Alachua is a city in Alachua County, Florida, United States. According to 2006 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the city's population was 7,554. The city is part of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is home to 243,985 people....
) in the Democratic primary for Governor of Florida. Governor Mixson also agreed to serve as a Co-Chairman of Sen. Smith's campaign, which drew criticism from some leading Florida Democrats.
He has also endorsed some other Republican candidates, including 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...
and 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...
.
Mixson is viewed widely as a conservative Democrat.
Electoral history
Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor - September 12, 1978- Jim Glisson - 364,732 (35.15%)
- Wayne Mixson - 261,972 (25.25%)
- Manuel Arques - 124,706 (12.02%)
- Betty CastorBetty CastorBetty Castor , neeElizabeth Bowe, is an American educator and former politician and elected officeholder. Castor was elected to the Florida Senate and the Florida Education Commissioner, and she later served as the President of the University of South Florida, and President of the National Board...
- 124,427 (11.99%) - Charles W. Boyd - 85,298 (8.22%)
- Mary L. Singleton - 62,534 (6.03%)
- Maria Kay - 13,864 (1.34%)
Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor runoff - October 5, 1978
- Wayne Mixson - 482,535 (53.55%)
- Jim Glisson - 418,636 (46.46%)
Florida gubernatorial election - November 7, 1978
- Bob GrahamBob GrahamDaniel Robert "Bob" Graham is an American politician. He was the 38th Governor of Florida from 1979 to 1987 and a United States Senator from that state from 1987 to 2005...
/Wayne Mixson (D) - 1,406,580 (55.59%) - Jack EckerdJack EckerdJack Eckerd , was an American businessman who was a major innovator in drugstore retailing, and a public servant, politician and philanthropist.-Biography:...
/Paula HawkinsPaula HawkinsPaula Hawkins was an U.S. politician from Florida. She is to date the only woman elected to the U.S. Senate from Florida. She was the first woman ever elected to a full term in the Senate without a family connection....
(R) - 1,123,888 (44.41%)
Florida gubernatorial election - November 2, 1982
- Bob GrahamBob GrahamDaniel Robert "Bob" Graham is an American politician. He was the 38th Governor of Florida from 1979 to 1987 and a United States Senator from that state from 1987 to 2005...
/Wayne Mixson (D, Inc.) - 1,739,553 (64.70%) - Skip Bafalis/Leo Callahan (R) - 949,013 (35.30%)
External links
- Official Governor's portrait and biography from the State of Florida
- [OurCampaign profile endorsements, electoral history]
- NNDB Profile
- Biography from Florida Governor's Mansion
- Article about Mixson's naval service during WWII (with photo)
- New York Times article about Mixson's governorship