Skip Bafalis | |
|---|---|
 Bafalis in 1968 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromFlorida's10th district | |
| In office January 3, 1973 – January 3, 1983 | |
| Preceded by | J. Herbert Burke |
| Succeeded by | Andy Ireland |
| Member of theFlorida Senate from the 33rd district | |
| In office 1966–1970 | |
| Preceded by | Irlo Bronson Sr.[1] |
| Succeeded by | Philip D. Lewis |
| State Representative from Palm Beach, Florida | |
| In office 1964–1966 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Louis Arthur Bafalis (1929-09-28)September 28, 1929 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | March 10, 2023(2023-03-10) (aged 93) |
| Resting place | Arlington National Cemetery, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Charlotte Maria Bafalis |
| Children | 3 |
| Residence(s) | Palm Beach,Florida Fairfax,Virginia |
| Alma mater | Manchester Central High School St. Anselm College |
| Profession | Businessman |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | United States Army |
| Rank | Captain |
Louis Arthur "Skip" Bafalis (September 28, 1929 – March 10, 2023) was an American businessman and politician who served as theU.S. representative forFlorida's 10th congressional district from 1973 to 1983. A member of theRepublican Party, he was the party's nominee in the1982 Florida gubernatorial election, and previously represented district 33 in theFlorida Senate from 1966 to 1970.[2]
Bafalis was born inBoston, Massachusetts, his father was an immigrant fromGreece, and his maternal grandparents came fromSweden.[3] He graduated in 1948 fromManchester Central High School inManchester,New Hampshire, then attended until 1952Saint Anselm College in neighboringGoffstown, New Hampshire. He was in theUnited States Army from 1953 to 1956, having reached the rank ofcaptain. After military service, he moved toFlorida in 1955[4] to work as aninvestment banker.
Bafalis was elected to theFlorida House of Representatives in 1964 and then to theFlorida Senate in 1966 and 1968. In 1970, he was an unsuccessful candidate forgovernor, having lost his party's nomination toClaude R. Kirk, Jr., the controversial incumbent. Kirk was subsequently unseated by theDemocratReubin Askew ofPensacola. In that same election, U.S. RepresentativeWilliam C. Cramer ofSt. Petersburg lost theU.S. Senate race to DemocratLawton Chiles ofLakeland. The intraparty divisions stemming from the defeats of both Kirk and Cramer set back the projected growth of theFlorida Republican Party.[5]
While in the state legislature, he was one of the leaders in the legislative work necessary to bringWalt Disney World to Florida.[6]
In 1972, Bafalis was elected to the ninety-thirdUnited States Congress (1973–1975) from a newly created district stretching from the Palm Beaches toFort Myers. He was also elected to the four succeeding congresses and served from January 3, 1975, to January 3, 1983.[2] During his time in Congress, Bafalis resided inFort Myers Beach andPalm Beach.[4][7]
As a member of theU.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, he played a key role in several road and highway projects in Florida, including Interstate 95 and new bridges to theFlorida Keys and connections from Ft. Myers.[6]
Bafalis was not a candidate for re-election to the Ninety-eighth Congress in 1982, but was an unsuccessful gubernatorial nominee, having been defeated by the then incumbentBob Graham, a Democrat fromMiami.[4] According toGovTrack, Bafalis missed 8 percent of the roll call votes during his years of service in Congress, but the percent of missed votes reached 80 percent in the second quarter of 1982 when he was campaigning for governor.[8] After his congressional tenure, he worked as a lobbyist and governmental affairs consultant.[9] He tried to make a comeback in 1988 when he ran in the Republican primary forFlorida's 13th congressional district when incumbentConnie Mack III gave it up to run for Senate. Bafalis had represented much of this district, including Fort Myers, during his initial stint in Congress. He lost in the primary runoff, however, toLee County CommissionerPorter Goss.
As of 2011, Bafalis resided outsideWashington, D.C., inFairfax, Virginia. He was a partner at theArlington-based government affairs firmAlcalde & Fay.[10][11][12] Bafalis had three children, Renee Louise Bafalis, Gregory Louis Bafalis, and Joshua Evan Bafalis. His wife was Charlotte Maria Bafalis.[4]
Bafalis died inFairfax Station, Virginia, March 10, 2023, at the age of 93.[6]
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Republican nominee forGovernor of Florida 1982 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromFlorida's 10th congressional district 1973–1983 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded byas Former US Representative | Order of precedence of the United States as Former US Representative | Succeeded byas Former US Representative |
Republican Party nominees forgovernor of Florida (since 1953) | ||
|---|---|---|
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