Buddy MacKay | |
|---|---|
 MacKay as lieutenant governor in 1991 | |
| United States Special Envoy for theAmericas | |
| In office March 5, 1999 – January 20, 2001 | |
| President | Bill Clinton |
| Preceded by | Mack McLarty |
| Succeeded by | Otto Reich |
| 42ndGovernor of Florida | |
| In office December 12, 1998 – January 5, 1999 | |
| Lieutenant | Vacant |
| Preceded by | Lawton Chiles |
| Succeeded by | Jeb Bush |
| 14thLieutenant Governor of Florida | |
| In office January 8, 1991 – December 12, 1998 | |
| Governor | Lawton Chiles |
| Preceded by | Bobby Brantley |
| Succeeded by | Frank Brogan |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromFlorida's6th district | |
| In office January 3, 1983 – January 3, 1989 | |
| Preceded by | Bill Young |
| Succeeded by | Cliff Stearns |
| Member of theFlorida Senate from the6th district | |
| In office November 5, 1974 – November 4, 1980 | |
| Preceded by | Jim Williams |
| Succeeded by | George G. Kirkpatrick Jr. |
| Member of theFlorida House of Representatives | |
| In office November 5, 1968 – November 5, 1974 | |
| Preceded by | Bill Chappell |
| Succeeded by | Wayne C. McCall |
| Constituency | 30th district (1968–1972) 32nd district (1972–1974) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Kenneth Hood MacKay Jr. (1933-03-22)March 22, 1933 Ocala, Florida, U.S. |
| Died | December 31, 2024(2024-12-31) (aged 91) Ocklawaha, Florida, U.S. |
| Party | Democratic |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 4 |
| Education | University of Florida (BA,BS,LLB) |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service |  United States Air Force |
| Years of service | 1955–1958 |
| Rank |  Captain |
Kenneth Hood "Buddy"MacKay Jr. (March 22, 1933 – December 31, 2024) was an American politician and diplomat who served as the 42ndgovernor of Florida from December 12, 1998, to January 5, 1999, upon the death ofLawton Chiles. A member of theDemocratic Party, he previously served as the 14thlieutenant governor of Florida from 1991 to 1998. During his career, he also served as astate legislator and as aUnited States representative andspecial envoy. MacKay was the most recent Democratic Governor of Florida, and until his death in 2024, the last living one.
MacKay was born to acitrus-farming family inOcala, Florida, the son of Julia Elizabeth (Farnum) and Kenneth Hood MacKay.[1] He served in theUnited States Air Force during the 1950s, and then attended theUniversity of Florida, where he was tapped intoFlorida Blue Key and eventually received alaw degree. MacKay was inducted into the University of Florida Hall of Fame (the most prestigious honor a student can receive from UF) and was a member of The Board. He married Anne Selph[2] in 1960; the couple has four sons.
MacKay was elected to theFlorida House of Representatives in 1968, and to theFlorida Senate in 1974.
In1980, he ran for U.S. Senate and came third in the Democratic Party primary, therefore failing to qualify for the runoff.
Two years later in 1982, he ran for the U.S. House of Representatives and won. From 1983 to 1989 he served for three terms in theUnited States House of Representatives.
In1988 he received the Democratic nomination for theUnited States Senate, but lost in a very close race for that office toConnie Mack III.
MacKay won the1990 Democratic primary for lieutenant governor on the ticket headed by former U.S. Senator Lawton Chiles, who had held the Senate seat MacKay had unsuccessfully sought two years earlier. They won the election and werere-elected in 1994, the latter campaign being a close contest against theRepublican ticket headed byJeb Bush.
As lieutenant governor, MacKay was co-chair of the Florida Commission on Education, Reform and Accountability.[3] He was regarded as the most significant and powerful lieutenant governor in Florida's history.[4]
MacKay was a strong supporter of the use ofcapital punishment, as was Chiles. When he was asked during the 1998 gubernatorial election campaign about his positions on use of the death penalty andelectric chair in Florida, he replied: "I support the death penalty and support the use of the electric chair so long as it operates in a reliable fashion."[5] However he suggested that Florida should change its mode of execution afterPedro Medina's botched execution, saying: "The last thing we want to do is generate sympathy for these killers."[6]
In 1998, MacKaysought to succeed the term-limited Chiles as governor, easily winning the Democratic nomination with his full support.[citation needed] However, MacKay secured only 44.7% of the vote, losing toRepublican nominee Jeb Bush, who had narrowly lost the 1994 contest but secured 55.3% of the vote in 1998.[7][8]
Despite his defeat, MacKay became Chiles' successor when Chiles died unexpectedly on December 12, 1998. MacKay was at this time inBoston with his wife. When they returned to their hotel room, they found a message about Chiles' death, asking MacKay to get on a plane toAtlanta, where they were picked up by a state crew and flown through thick fog toTallahassee. At 12.30 a.m. the next day, the 65-year-old MacKay was sworn in as Florida's 42nd governor at his Capitol office for the 24 days remaining in Chiles' term.
"There's no great pleasure in this," said MacKay about taking a job he had sought, but got for a short time after his political partner's death. He also stated how sorry he was that he would be unable because of the short time and lack of mandate to take care of issues he had long prioritized, such as education and health care.[4]
Despite keeping a low public profile during his time as governor, MacKay made at least 56 appointments to various boards and to various offices, including two judgeships. He granted six pardons to female prisoners and was involved in such issues as the negotiation plan for theEverglades, and moderated some other disputes.[9] Perhaps his most visible act as governor was signingPeggy Quince's nomination to theFlorida Supreme Court. Quince was Chiles' last pick for the bench and it fell to MacKay, and then Bush, to sustain her nomination.
Having been defeated in the 1998 election, MacKay was succeeded by Bush on January 5, 1999.
After his governorship ended, MacKay retired from active politics, but remained publicly active.
MacKay was appointed byPresident Clinton as a special envoy for the Americas, being the second person to hold this position. During his tenure he traveled to 26 countries in the Americas, working on issues such as theFree Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), theNorth American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), theCaribbean Basin Initiative (CBI), hemispheric security, strengthening the rule of law, labor standards, environmental policies and human rights.[10]
He attended a “Day with Florida Governors” symposium, organized by theUniversity of Central Florida andLouis Frey Institute on March 27, 2006, with Governor Bush and former governorsClaude Roy Kirk Jr.,Reubin Askew,Bob Graham andBob Martinez (Wayne Mixson, who served for three days after Graham's resignation, wasn't present).[11]
MacKay's memoir about his political career,How Florida Happened, was published by the University Press of Florida in March 2010.
MacKay died at his home inOcklawaha, Florida, on the afternoon of December 31, 2024.[12][13]
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Florida Senate, 6th district (1974)
Florida Senate, 6th district (1978)
United States Senate election in Florida, 1980 (Democratic primary)
Florida's 6th congressional district, 1982
Florida's 6th congressional district, 1984
Florida's 6th congressional district, 1986
United States Senate election in Florida, 1988 (Democratic primary)
Florida United States Senate election, 1988 (Democratic runoff)
Florida United States Senate election, 1988
Democratic primary for lieutenant governor, 1990
Florida gubernatorial election, 1990
Democratic primary for lieutenant governor, 1994
Florida gubernatorial election, 1994
Florida gubernatorial election, 1998
Source:Our Campaigns – Candidate – Kenneth "Buddy" MacKay Jr.
| Florida House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theFlorida House of Representatives from the 30th district 1968–1972 | Succeeded by Gary Cunningham |
| Preceded by L. E. Brown | Member of the Florida House of Representatives from the 32nd district 1972–1974 | Succeeded by |
| Florida Senate | ||
| Preceded by | Member of theFlorida Senate from the 6th district 1974–1980 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromFlorida's 6th congressional district 1983–1989 | Succeeded by |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Democratic nominee forU.S. Senator fromFlorida (Class 1) 1988 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Democratic nominee forLieutenant Governor of Florida 1990,1994 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Democratic Party nominee forGovernor of Florida 1998 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Lieutenant Governor of Florida 1991–1998 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Governor of Florida 1998–1999 | Succeeded by |
| Diplomatic posts | ||
| Preceded by | United States Special Envoy for the Americas 1999–2001 | Succeeded by |
| Military(1821) |  | |
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| Territorial(1822–1845) | ||
| State(since 1845) | ||
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* acting | ||
Democratic Party nominees forgovernor of Florida (1953–) | ||
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| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
