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Bill Bankhead

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Bill Bankhead
Member of the Florida Senate
In office
November 8, 1988 – January 13, 1999
Preceded byMattox Hair
Succeeded byJim King
Constituency9th district (1988–1992)
8th district (1992–1999)
Member of the Florida House of Representatives
In office
November 7, 1978 – November 8, 1988
Preceded byAnder Crenshaw
Succeeded byJoe Arnall
Constituency24th district (1978–1982)
19th district (1982–1988)
Personal details
Born(1941-01-15)January 15, 1941
Americus, Georgia
DiedMarch 6, 2005(2005-03-06) (aged 64)
Ponte Vedra, Florida
PartyRepublican
SpouseDiana O'Quinn
Children2
EducationUniversity of Florida (B.S.)
OccupationReal estate

William G. Bankhead (January 15, 1941 – March 6, 2005) was a Republican politician from Florida who served as a member of the Florida House of Representatives from 1978 to 1988 and as a member of the Florida Senate from 1988 to 1999. He served as the Secretary of the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice from 1999 to 2004.

Early life

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Bankhead was born in Americus, Georgia, in 1941 and moved to Florida in 1944,[1] and grew up in Jacksonville.[2] Bankhead graduated from Englewood High School in 1959, and later attended the University of Florida, graduating in 1963 with his bachelor's degree in business administration.[1][3] He worked in real estate after graduation, first for Stockton, Whatley, Davin & Co., and then for CSX Transportation.[2]

Florida House of Representatives

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In 1978, when State Representative Ander Crenshaw ran for Secretary of State, Bankhead ran to succeed him in the 24th district .[4] He won the Republican nomination unopposed,[5] and faced Democratic nominee Buck Cochran in the general election.[6] Bankhead narrowly defeated Cochran, winning 53 percent of the vote to his 47 percent.[7]

Bankhead ran for a second term in 1980, and was challenged by Democrat Andy Adams, a car dealer.[8] Bankhead defeated Adams with 61 percent of the vote.[9]

In 1982, following redistricting, Bankhead ran for re-election in the 19th district, and he was challenged by Democrat Eric Smith, a Jacksonville City Councilman and former State Representative,[10] and Libertarian Gerald Nyren.[11] Bankhead defeated them, winning 51 percent of the vote to Smith's 41 percent and Nyren's 8 percent.[12] Bankhead was challenged in 1984 by pharmacy manager Owen "Scotty" Scott and Nyren. During the campaign, Scott dropped out of the race, but his name remained on the ballot,[13] and Bankhead won re-election with 79 percent of the vote.[14] He was re-elected unopposed in 1986.[15]

Florida Senate

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In 1988, Democratic State Senator Mattox Hair declined to seek re-election, and Bankhead ran to succeed him in the 9th district, which stretched from eastern Jacksonville to Flagler County.[16] He was challenged by Edwin Iacobucci, a high school teacher.[17] Bankhead won in a landslide, receiving 77 percent of the vote to Iacobucci's 23 percent.[18]

Following redistricting, Bankhead ran for re-election in the 8th district in 1992, and was re-elected unopposed.[19] He was challenged by Democrat Bobbi de Cordova-Hanks, a public relations specialist at Florida Community College.[20] He received 74 percent of the vote to de Cordova-Hanks's 26 percent.[21] He was re-elected without opposition in 1998.[22]

Florida Department of Juvenile Justice

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In 1999, Governor Jeb Bush appointed Bankhead to serve as the secretary of the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, and he resigned from the senate.[23] Following a cancer diagnosis, he went on medical leave on February 21, 2004,[24] amid ongoing scrutiny into the death of a seventeen-year-old who was in state custody.[3] Bankhead left the department several months later.[3]

Death

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Bankhead died on March 6, 2005.[25]

References

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  1. 1 2 Florida Senate Handbook, 1996–98 (PDF). Secretary of the Florida Senate. 1996. p. 9.
  2. 1 2 Patton, Charlie (March 7, 2005). "Former legislator ran juvenile justice agency". The Florida Times-Union. Jacksonville, Florida. p. A-1, A-7. Retrieved July 17, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. 1 2 3 Patton, Charlie (May 23, 2004). "A lean-forward guy leans back: Bankhead takes a break from government to deal with cancer". The Florida Times-Union. Jacksonville, Florida. p. B-1, B-5. Retrieved July 17, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ "District 24 Race Busier". Jacksonville Journal. July 5, 1978. p. 11. Retrieved July 17, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ Brown, Lloyd; Goldman, Michael (August 29, 1978). "GOP Problem: No Foe". Jacksonville Journal. p. 9. Retrieved July 17, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ Clark, Mike (September 13, 1978). "Bitter Runoff Expected For Johnson, Freeman". Jacksonville Journal. p. 8. Retrieved July 17, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "November 7, 1978 General Election - State Representative District: 24". Florida Department of Elections. 1978. Retrieved July 17, 2026.
  8. ↑ Goldman, Michael (October 28, 1980). "Andrews, Bankhead Stress Conservatism". Jacksonville Journal. p. 7. Retrieved July 17, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "November 4, 1980 General Election - State Representative District: 24". Florida Department of Elections. 1980. Retrieved July 17, 2026.
  10. ↑ Drane, Hank (September 26, 1982). "Newspeople are newsmakers in this year's elections". The Florida Times-Union. Jacksonville, Florida. p. C-3. Retrieved July 17, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ Drane, Hank (September 28, 1982). "Nyren admits taking signs from roads". The Florida Times-Union. Jacksonville, Florida. p. B-1. Retrieved July 17, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ "November 2, 1982 General Election - State Representative District: 19". Florida Department of Elections. 1982. Retrieved July 17, 2026.
  13. ↑ "State House candidate's name to stay on ballot". Jacksonville Journal. October 5, 1984. p. 10B. Retrieved July 17, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ "November 6, 1984 General Election - State Representative District: 19". Florida Department of Elections. 1984. Retrieved July 17, 2026.
  15. ↑ Wallace, Terry (July 19, 1986). "Crenshaw unopposed for Senate". The Florida Times-Union. Jacksonville, Florida. p. A-3, A-4. Retrieved July 17, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ↑ Scott, William A. (December 1, 1987). "Bankhead announces bid for District 9 Senate seat". The Florida Times-Union. Jacksonville, Florida. p. B-4. Retrieved July 17, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ↑ Mikula, Andrew (November 2, 1988). "House veteran faces Jacksonville high school teacher for Senate seat". Flagler/Palm Coast News-Tribune. Bunnell, Florida. p. 6A. Retrieved July 17, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ↑ "November 8, 1988 General Election - State Senator District: 9". Florida Department of Elections. 1988. Retrieved July 17, 2026.
  19. ↑ Benedick, Robin (July 18, 1992). "It's no contest: Many incumbents return to office without a fight". Orlando Sentinel. p. D-8. Retrieved July 17, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ↑ "Other Senate races ahead". Daytona Beach News-Journal. August 28, 1994. p. 7E. Retrieved July 17, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ↑ "November 8, 1994 General Election - State Senator District: 8". Florida Department of Elections. 1994. Retrieved July 17, 2026.
  22. ↑ Sutton, Jim (July 18, 1998). "Free ride into office for many". The St. Augustine Record. p. 1A. Retrieved July 17, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. ↑ Pendleton, Randolph (October 6, 1999). "New job, new challenges: Former Sen. Bill Bankhead taking charge at Juvenile Justice". The Florida Times-Union. Jacksonville, Florida. p. B-1. Retrieved July 17, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ↑ Marbin Miller, Carol (February 27, 2004). "Chaos marked death of ailing youth". Miami Herald. p. 1A, 24A. Retrieved July 17, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  25. ↑ Lapidario, Millie (March 8, 2005). "Flagler mourns legislator". Daytona Beach News-Journal. p. 1C. Retrieved July 17, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
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