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Bill Gunter
Bill Gunter.jpg
21st Treasurer, Insurance Commissioner, and Fire Marshal of Florida
In office
November 9, 1976 – January 3, 1989
Governor Reubin Askew
Bob Graham
Wayne Mixson
Bob Martinez
Preceded by Philip F. Ashler
Succeeded by Tom Gallagher
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Florida's 5th district
In office
January 3, 1973 – January 3, 1975
Preceded by New Constituency (Redistricting)
Succeeded by Richard Kelly
Member of the Florida Senate
from the 18th district
In office
November 8, 1966 – November 7, 1972
Preceded by John E. Mathews Jr.
Succeeded by John T. Ware
Personal details
Born
William Dawson Gunter Jr.

(1934-07-16)July 16, 1934
Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.
Died April 8, 2024(2024-04-08) (aged 89)
Tallahassee, Florida, U.S.
Political party Democratic
Alma mater University of Florida (BSA)

William Dawson Gunter Jr. (July 16, 1934 – April 8, 2024) was an American politician from the state of Florida.

Early life and education

Gunter was born in Jacksonville in 1934. He attended public schools in Live Oak and received his Bachelor of Science in Agriculture (B.S.A.) from the University of Florida in 1956. While a student at Florida, he was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity (Florida Upsilon chapter). Gunter briefly attended the University of Georgia in 1957 and served in the United States Army from 1957 to 1958.

Political career

Gunter was a member of the Florida State Senate in 1966. He was elected as a Democrat to the United States House of Representatives as the first member from Florida's 5th congressional district, a newly created district in the Orlando area, in the 1972 election. He only served a single term. His voting record in the 93rd Congress was generally moderate.

Senate campaigns

Gunter unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate in 1974, but lost the primary to Richard Stone. He was elected Florida State Treasurer and Insurance Commissioner in 1976 and served in this post until 1988.

In 1980, Gunter ran again for the U.S. Senate, defeating incumbent Senator Stone in the Democratic primary. He then faced the Republican nominee Paula Hawkins, who had been the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor in the 1978 gubernatorial election. Gunter lost to Hawkins, who won 51.7 percent of the vote to Gunter's 48.3 percent. Gunter's loss was one of twelve Republican pickups in 1980, which produced a Republican majority in the Senate for the first time since 1954.

Gunter made a final U.S. Senate bid in 1988, narrowly losing the Democratic nomination to Buddy MacKay, who went on to lose the general election to Connie Mack III.

Post-politics

Gunter worked at Rogers, Gunter, Vaughn, a Tallahassee-based insurance agency and had been active in related trade associations and lobbying for the industry.

Gunter died at his home in Tallahassee on April 8, 2024, at the age of 89.

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