Jim Boyd | |
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| Majority Leader of the Florida Senate | |
| Assumed office November 19, 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Ben Albritton |
| Member of theFlorida Senate from the20th district | |
| Assumed office November 3, 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Bill Galvano |
| Member of theFlorida House of Representatives from the71st district | |
| In office November 2012 – November 2018 | |
| Preceded by | Bill Galvano |
| Succeeded by | Will Robinson |
| Member of theFlorida House of Representatives from the68th district | |
| In office November 2010 – November 2012 | |
| Preceded by | Bill Galvano |
| Succeeded by | Dwight Dudley |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1956-10-22)October 22, 1956 (age 69) Bradenton, Florida, U.S. |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse | Sandy Boyd |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Manatee Community College (AA) Florida State University (BS) |
Jim Boyd (born October 22, 1956) is aRepublican politician and a current member of theFlorida Senate, representing the20th District, which includes northernManatee County and southernHillsborough County. Boyd previously represented the68th District from 2010 to 2012 and the71st District from 2012 to 2018.
Boyd was born inBradenton, into a political family that included his grandfather,Hugh Boyd, a formerState Representative, and his uncle,Wilbur H. Boyd, a former State Representative andState Senator. In 1974, Boyd received his high school diploma fromPalmetto High School.[1] He attendedManatee Community College, where he graduated in 1976 with anAssociate's degree in 1976, and thenFlorida State University, where he graduated with aBachelor's degree in 1978. He served on thePalmetto City Council from 1988 to 1993, during which time he also served as Vice-Mayor and Mayor. After retiring from local politics, he worked as an insurance agent and realtor.[2]
In 2010, incumbentRepublicanState RepresentativeBill Galvano could not seek another term due to term limits, and Boyd ran to succeed him in the68th District, which included parts ofManatee County. He won the nomination of theRepublican Party uncontested, and in the general election, facedindependent candidate Dave Miner. Boyd was able to defeat Miner without much difficulty, receiving 62% of the vote.
When Florida House districts were reconfigured in 2012, Boyd opted to run in the newly created71st District, which included most of the territory that he had previously represented in the 68th District. He won the nomination of his party uncontested, and facedDemocratic nominee Adam Tebrugge in the general election. Boyd and Tebrugge held sharp disagreements on many issues, with Boyd advocating for GovernorRick Scott's plan to phase out Florida's corporate income tax, while Tebrugge strongly opposed such efforts.[3] Additionally, Boyd advocated for expanding school choice to include charter and religious schools, noting, "nobody cares more [about schools] than parents," while Tebrugge supported strengthening public schools.[4] Ultimately, Boyd was able to defeat Tebrugge by a comfortable margin, winning 56% of the vote. In 2014, Boyd was re-elected to his third term in the legislature without opposition.
In 2020, Boyd joined the Florida Senate. That same year, he sponsored legislation to overturn the results of a Key West ballot initiative to restrict the size of ships and the number of passengers who can visit the city daily.[5] He voted yea for the controversial Senate Bill 86 in 2021.[6] He ran for reelection during the 2022 election cycle. Due to redistricting, if elected for a four-year term in the 2022 election, he became eligible for another four-year term (Article VI, Section 4, Florida Constitution).[7]
| Florida Senate | ||
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| Preceded by | Majority Leader of the Florida Senate 2024–present | Incumbent |
Members of theFlorida Senate | ||
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