Old Sparky is the nickname of the electric chairs in Arkansas,Connecticut,Florida,Georgia,Illinois,Kentucky,Nebraska,New York,Ohio,Oklahoma,South Carolina,Texas,Virginia,and West Virginia. Old Smokey was the nickname of the electric chairs used in New Jersey,Pennsylvania,and Tennessee. "Old Sparky" is sometimes used to refer to electric chairs in general,and not one of a specific state.
John Ripin Miller was an American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1985 to 1993. He represented the 1st congressional district of Washington as a Republican. While in Congress he was an advocate of human rights in the Soviet Union,China,and South Africa.
Allen Lee Davis was an American murderer who was executed for the 1982 murder of Nancy Weiler,who was three months pregnant,in Jacksonville,Florida. According to reports,Nancy Weiler was "beaten almost beyond recognition" by Davis with a .357 Magnum,and hit more than 25 times in the face and head. He was additionally convicted of killing Nancy Weiler's two daughters,Kristina,age 9,who was shot twice in the face,and Katherine,age 5,who was shot as she tried to run away and then had her skull beaten in with the gun.
The 2006 Florida gubernatorial election took place on November 7,2006. Incumbent Republican Governor Jeb Bush was term-limited,and could not run for reelection to a third consecutive term. The election was won by then-Republican Charlie Crist,the state's Attorney General. The election was notable in that for the first time,the state elected a Republican governor in three consecutive elections.
Pedro Luis Medina was a Cuban refugee who was executed in Florida for the murder of a 52-year-old woman in Orlando. The circumstances of his execution elevated objections to the use of electrocution as a means of capital punishment. During his execution,Medina's head burst into flames,filling the death chamber with smoke. An autopsy later revealed that the current had destroyed Medina's brain,killing him instantly.
Jesse Joseph Tafero was convicted of murder and executed via electric chair in the U.S. state of Florida for the murders of 39-year-old Florida Highway Patrol officer Phillip A. Black and 39-year-old Ontario Provincial Police Corporal Donald Irwin,a visiting Canadian constable and friend of Black. The officers were killed during a traffic stop where Tafero,his wife Sunny Jacobs and their children were passengers. Tafero's execution was botched;his head burst into flames during the execution by electric chair. After Tafero's execution,the driver,Walter Rhodes,confessed to shooting the officers,but later retracted his testimony.
Sidney Wallace Morrison is an American farmer and politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from January 3,1981 until January 3,1993. A member of the Republican Party,Morrison had previously served in both chambers of the Washington State Legislature and later served as Secretary of the Washington State Department of Transportation under Governors Mike Lowry and Gary Locke.
Steven Anthony Geller is an American attorney and politician who serves on the Broward County Commission for District 5. As of November 2020,Geller was the mayor of Broward County from November 2020 till November 2021. He was the former vice mayor from November 2019 till November 2020.
The 1986 Florida gubernatorial election took place alongside the midterm congressional elections. The Democratic Party won many victories across the country. However,in Florida,where Democrats gained the Senate seat from Republicans,they lost the Governorship for just the second time since Reconstruction.
Ronald Reagan is a Bradenton,Florida insurance agent and Republican politician who served as the representative for District 67 in the House of Representatives of the U.S. state of Florida. He was first elected in 2002 and was re-elected to three successive terms. He was the majority whip. He chaired the Committee on Insurance and the Jobs &Entrepreneurship Council. He was termed-out in 2010.
Capital punishment is a legal penalty in the U.S. state of Florida.
The 2010 Florida Attorney General election took place on November 2,2010,to elect the Attorney General of Florida. Incumbent Attorney General Bill McCollum opted to run for run for Governor rather than seek reelection. The election was won by Republican Pam Bondi,a former assistant state attorney for Hillsborough County,who defeated Democrat Dan Gelber by a 54.8% to 41.1% margin. Bondi took office in January 2011.
The 2006 Florida Attorney General election took place on November 7,2006,to elect the Attorney General of Florida. The election was won by Bill McCollum who took office on January 3,2007.
The 2002 Florida Attorney General election took place on November 5,2002,to elect the Attorney General of Florida. The election was won by Charlie Crist who took office in January 2003.
Lois Jane Frankel is an American politician and lawyer who has been the United States representative for Florida's 22nd congressional district since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party,Frankel formerly was a seven-term member of the Florida House of Representatives and a two-term mayor of West Palm Beach.
William C. Horne was an American politician and a Democratic member of the Nevada Assembly from February 4,2003,to February 2,2015,representing District 34. Horne is a member of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators.
Tyler Sirois is a Republican member of the Florida Legislature representing the state's 31st House District,which includes part of Brevard County on Florida's Space Coast.
The 2022 Florida gubernatorial election was held on November 8,2022,to elect the governor of Florida,alongside other state and local elections. Incumbent Republican Party governor Ron DeSantis won re-election in a landslide and defeated the Democratic Party nominee,former U.S. representative Charlie Crist,who previously served as governor of Florida from 2007 to 2011 as a Republican and later as an Independent. No Democrat has been elected governor of Florida since 1994.
The 1998 Florida Attorney General election was held on November 3,1998. Democratic incumbent Bob Butterworth defeated Republican nominee David H. Bludworth with 59.56% of the vote. As of 2024,this was the last time a Democrat was elected Florida Attorney General.
The 1986 Florida Attorney General election was held on November 4,1986. Bob Butterworth would be elected defeating Jim Watt with 58.63% of the vote. Incumbent James C. Smith would not run in this election.
