Susan L. (née Lawson) Farmer (May 29, 1942 – September 16, 2013) was an American politician, media executive and television personality.
Born inBoston, Massachusetts, she went toGarland Junior College andBrown University Extension Division. Farmer got her start in politics protesting theVietnam War with her husband Malcolm Farmer and helped start a dump-Richard Nixon rally that drew thousands to theRhode Island State House. In 1972, she ran the Rhode Island campaign for California RepublicanPete McCloskey, who was trying to deny Nixon another nomination for president. After becoming then-U.S. SenatorJohn Chafee’s finance director in 1976, Farmer ran for and won, in 1979, a seat on the commission drafting a new Home Rule charter for the city ofProvidence. She then ran forSecretary of State of Rhode Island in 1980, but lost to incumbent Robert Burns, before winning two years later in 1982 by defeating Democrat and future Rhode Island Supreme Court JusticeVictoria Lederberg. Farmer was the first woman inRhode Island history to serve in statewide constitutional office and served two two-year terms, from 1982 through 1986 as aRepublican.[1] After elected office, she then served as General Manager ofRhode Island PBS until her retirement in 2004.
She died in 2013, inProvidence, Rhode Island, at the age of 71 of cancer.[2][3][4]
Farmer was inducted into the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame in 2010, and was a 2013 recipient of theIsabelle Ahearn O'Neill Award.[5][6] She is memorialized to this day by a sandwich named the "Susan Farmer" at Geoff’s Superlative Sandwiches in Providence.[7]
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| Preceded by | Secretary of State of Rhode Island 1983–1987 | Succeeded by |
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