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Daryl Jones | |
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| Member of theFlorida Senate from the 40th[1] district | |
| In office 1992–2002 | |
| Preceded by | Javier D. Souto[2][3] |
| Succeeded by | Rodolfo "Rudy" García[4] |
| Member of theFlorida House of Representatives from the 118th[5] district | |
| In office 1990–1992 | |
| Preceded by | Tom Easterly[6] |
| Succeeded by | Larcenia J. Bullard[7] |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1955-05-31)May 31, 1955 (age 69) Jackson, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Myoushi E. Carter[10][11] |
| Education | United States Air Force Academy(BSc) University of Miami(JD) |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | United States Air Force United States Air Force Reserve Puerto Rico Air National Guard |
| Years of service | 1977-2008 |
| Rank | Colonel |
Daryl Lafayette Jones (born May 31, 1955) is aDemocratic politician fromMiami, Florida.[12]
Jones was born inJackson, Mississippi, to parents who were both school teachers. He was the eldest of four children, with one sister and two brothers. He attendedLanier High School where he was elected President of the Mississippi State Association of Student Councils and in 1973, graduatedvaledictorian. He subsequently attended theUnited States Air Force Academy, where he was themiddleweight boxing champion, cadet vice wing commander, and a 1977 honor graduate majoring inMathematics.[13][14] He is the firstAfrican-American graduate of a military academy from Mississippi.
Jones became anF-4E pilot in theUnited States Air Force. He was transferred to the 90th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Clark AB in thePhilippines and became flight leader and mission commander in Team Spirit and Cope Thunder exercises. In 1981, Jones arrived atHomestead Air Reserve Base in Florida (previously known as Homestead Air Force Base, or Homestead AFB) as an F-4 Phantom ll instructor pilot, twice named the 31st TTS Outstanding Instructor Pilot and six consecutive classes of student pilots named him their Outstanding Instructor Pilot.
Jones left active Air Force duty in 1984 and enrolled at theUniversity of Miami School of Law. During his time at university, was recognized with membership in theIron Arrow Honor Society, the highest honor bestowed by the university. He graduatedcum laude in 1987 after serving as president of both the Student Bar and National Bar Associations. Jones worked as a federal judicial clerk for Judge Peter Fay in the11th Circuit Court of Appeals, then as an Assistant Dade County Attorney atMiami International Airport. He joined thePuerto Rico Air National Guard as an A-7D Corsair ll fighter pilot. In 1989, Jones transferred to the U.S. Air Force Reserve at Homestead AFB and became an F-16 Falcon fighter pilot. He rose to the rank ofcolonel as an Air Force Reservist.
Jones was elected to theFlorida House of Representatives in 1990. After his first session, theMiami Herald named him Freshman Representative of The Year. On August 24, 1992,Hurricane Andrew devastated Representative Jones' House District while he was in the midst of a campaign for theState Senate.
From 1992 to 2002, he served in theFlorida Senate. During this time and in the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew, Jones sponsored the Hurricane Andrew Trust Fund Bill, which appropriated more than $650 million over four years to help rebuild the devastated area. South Dade County largely recovered in only four years. Jones also sponsored and passed the Rosewood Bill, which is the only legislation in American history to grant reparations to African Americans.
In the 1990s, Jones successfully defended the existence of Homestead AFB before 2 Realignment and Closure Commission Boards. In 1995, Jones was elected Democratic SenatePresident-designate. The next year, President Clinton appointed Jones to the U.S. Air Force Academy Board of Visitors. In 1998, he was PresidentBill Clinton's choice to beSecretary of the Air Force, but was not confirmed.[13]
In 2002, Jones was the first African-American to run forGovernor of Florida.[citation needed]
On September 14, 2006, he was chosen as a nominee for the position ofLieutenant Governor of Florida by gubernatorial candidateJim Davis.
Jones currently resides inMiami. He has three children: Derek, Durel, and Michele. He has spent the past several years running his own real estate investment and consulting firm, D.L. Jones & Associates, and is president of the Law Offices of Daryl L. Jones, P.A., a law firm specializing inforeclosure defense andloan modifications.
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Democratic nominee forLieutenant Governor of Florida 2006 | Succeeded by |