Debbie Mayfield
Debbie Mayfield | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Florida House of Representatives | |
| Assumed office November 5, 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Thad Altman |
| Constituency | 32nd district |
| In office November 4, 2008 – November 8, 2016 | |
| Preceded by | Stan Mayfield |
| Succeeded by | Erin Grall |
| Constituency | 80th district (2008–2012) 54th district (2012–2016) |
| Majority Leader of the Florida Senate | |
| In office November 23, 2020 – November 14, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Kathleen Passidomo |
| Succeeded by | Ben Albritton |
| Member of the Florida Senate | |
| In office November 8, 2016 – November 5, 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Redistricted |
| Succeeded by | Randy Fine |
| Constituency | 17th district (2016–2022) 19th district (2022–2024) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Deborah Janell Minton[1] December 2, 1956 Pensacola, Florida, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | |
| Education | Santa Fe College |
Deborah Janell Mayfield[2] (born December 2, 1956) is an American politician serving since 2024 as a Republican member of the Florida House of Representatives. She previously served in the Florida Senate from 2016 to 2024 and in the Florida House of Representatives from 2008 to 2016. She was the Senate Majority Leader from 2020 to 2022.[3]
Early life and career
[edit]Mayfield was born and raised in Pensacola, Florida, where she attended Pensacola High School.
She moved to Vero Beach in 1989, and began working for Barnett Bank, eventually rising up to Senior Vice-President of Residential Lending. Mayfield later left the bank to start the Mayfield Group, a mortgage brokerage firm that she owned and operated.
Florida House of Representatives
[edit]When incumbent State Representative Stan Mayfield, her husband, was unable to seek re-election in 2008 due to term limits, she ran to succeed him in the 80th District, which ran along the Treasure Coast, including northern St. Lucie County, eastern Indian River County, and southeastern Brevard County. She won the Republican primary unopposed, and advanced to the general election, where she faced Neal Abarbanell, the Democratic nominee. During the course of the campaign, Mayfield's husband, who was running for Indian River County Tax Collector, died of cancer.[4] Despite this, Mayfield ended up defeating Abarbanell by a wide margin of victory, winning 64% of the vote.
In 2010, she was challenged in the Republican primary by Art Argenio and Bradley Ward, who hammered Mayfield for being insufficiently conservative, despite the fact that she voted "consistently with the GOP majority."[5] Mayfield ended defeating both of them handily, winning 52% of the vote to Argenio's 34% and Ward's 15%, and in the general election, she only faced write-in opposition, winning easily.
In 2012, when state legislative districts were redrawn, Mayfield was moved into the 54th District, which included much of the territory that she had previously represented in the 80th District. She won both the primary and general election entirely unopposed.
In 2024, Mayfield defeated former Florida congressman Dave Weldon in the Republican primary for the Florida House's 32nd district.[6] She went on to defeat Democrat Juan Hinojosa in the general election, succeeding Thad Altman.[7] She was ceremonially sworn into office on November 19, 2024.[8]
Upon the announcement of the resignation of Randy Fine from the Florida Senate in November 2024, Mayfield announced her candidacy for her old senate seat in the June 2025 special election.[9] Due to Florida's resign-to-run law, after announcing her candidacy for the Florida Senate, Mayfield submitted her resignation from the Florida House of Representatives, effective June 10, 2025.[10]
Florida Senate
[edit]In 2016, Mayfield ran for the Florida Senate seat vacated by Thad Altman, who was term-limited. She defeated fellow State Representative Ritch Workman in the Republican primary, 42 to 35%, and Democrat Amy Tidd in the general election, 62 to 38%.[11][12]
In 2020, Senate president Wilton Simpson appointed Mayfield as Majority Leader.[3]
Due to term limits, Mayfield was barred from re-election to the Florida Senate in 2024, opting instead to run for the Florida House of Representatives.[13]
On April 2, 2025, Mayfield won the Republican primary for the Florida Senate's 19th district.[14]
Personal life
[edit]Mayfield is a Roman Catholic.[15] She is the widow of Stan Mayfield and lives in Melbourne, Florida.[16]
References
[edit]- ^ https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/tcpalm/name/stanley-mayfield-obituary?id=23563409
- ^ https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborah-mayfield-332b6660
- ^ a b Berman, Dave. "Sen. Debbie Mayfield named Florida Senate majority leader". Florida Today. Retrieved Mar 20, 2021.
- ^ Bierschenk, Ed (September 30, 2008). "State Rep. Stan Mayfield, 52, dies of cancer". TCPalm.com. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
- ^ Ward, Kenric (June 2, 2010). "Running to the Right in House District 80". Sunshine State News. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
- ^ Ogles, Jacob (August 20, 2024). "Debbie Mayfield defeats Dave Weldon in GOP Primary for HD 32". Florida Politics. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
- ^ "State House: Republicans sweep all five seats that represent Brevard". Florida Today. November 5, 2024. Retrieved April 4, 2025.
- ^ Cooper, Amber Jo (November 19, 2024). "Newly elected Florida lawmakers sworn in, marking start of 2024-2026 legislative term". Florida's Voice. Retrieved April 5, 2025.
- ^ Russon, Gabrielle (November 30, 2024). "Debbie Mayfield wants to return to former Florida Senate seat, and the stage is set". Florida Politics. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
- ^ Ogles, Jacob (January 24, 2025). "Debbie Mayfield formally submits resignation, Gov. DeSantis calls Special Election for HD 32". Florida Politics. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
- ^ Neale, Rick (August 31, 2016). "Debbie Mayfield defeats Ritch Workman in Senate GOP primary". Florida Today. Retrieved 2016-11-12.
- ^ Price, Wayne (November 8, 2016). "Republicans sweep Brevard legislative races". Florida Today. Retrieved 2016-11-12.
- ^ "State Sen. Mayfield to run against former U.S. Rep. Weldon for open Florida House seat". Florida Today. May 1, 2024. Retrieved April 4, 2025.
- ^ McCloud, Cheryl (April 2, 2025). "Florida election results are in. Quick hit to see winners in each race and what's next for some". The Daytona Beach News-Journal. Retrieved April 4, 2025.
- ^ https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/biography/107965/debbie-mayfield
- ^ Mayfield, Debbie (2020-10-28). "Donald Trump Helped Florida's Economy During the COVID-19 Pandemic". Florida Daily. Retrieved 2020-10-29.
External links
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Members of the Florida Senate | ||
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- 1956 births
- 21st-century American women politicians
- Businesspeople from Florida
- Catholic politicians from Florida
- Republican Party Florida state senators
- Living people
- Republican Party members of the Florida House of Representatives
- Politicians from Pensacola, Florida
- People from Vero Beach, Florida
- Women state legislators in Florida
- 21st-century members of the Florida Legislature