Denise Grimsley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Denise Grimsley
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| Member of the Florida Senate | |
| In office November 6, 2012 – November 6, 2018 |
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| Preceded by | Michael S. Bennett |
| Succeeded by | Ben Albritton |
| Constituency | 21st district (2012–2016) 26th district (2016–present) |
| Member of the Florida House of Representatives from the 77th district |
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| In office November 2, 2004 – November 6, 2012 |
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| Preceded by | Joe Spratt |
| Succeeded by | Dane Eagle |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 21, 1959 |
| Political party | Republican |
| Alma mater | Polk Community College (AS) Warner Southern College (BA) University of Miami (MBA) |
| Profession | Nurse, citrus grower |
Denise Grimsley, born on September 21, 1959, is a Republican politician. She served in the Florida State Senate from 2012 to 2018. Before that, she was a member of the Florida House of Representatives for eight years. She represented parts of Central and Southwest Florida.
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About Denise Grimsley's Early Life
Denise Grimsley was born in Lakeland, Florida. She went to college and earned several degrees. She studied nursing at Polk Community College. She also earned a degree in organizational management from Warner Southern College. Later, she received her Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Miami.
When her father became ill, Denise took over their family business. She also became the Chair of the Florida Petroleum Markets and Convenience Stores Association. This group helps businesses that sell gas and have convenience stores.
Time in the Florida House of Representatives
In 2004, Denise Grimsley decided to run for the Florida House of Representatives. The person who held the seat before, Joe Spratt, could not run again because of term limits. Term limits mean a politician can only serve for a certain number of years.
Winning Her First Election
Grimsley ran in the 77th District. This district included areas like Highlands County. She first had to win the Republican primary election. A primary election is when people from the same political party choose their best candidate.
She won the primary with 70% of the votes. After that, she ran in the general election against Pauline New Born. Grimsley won her first term in the legislature easily, getting 67% of the votes.
Re-election Campaigns
In 2006, Grimsley ran for re-election. She won again with 60% of the votes. In 2008, she faced another opponent and won easily with 67% of the votes. She was re-elected without anyone running against her in 2010.
During her time in the House, she worked on many projects. She helped get funding for a bus route from Orlando International Airport to a resort area. She believed this project would help tourism and create jobs.
Serving in the Florida Senate
After serving four terms in the Florida House, Denise Grimsley could not run again due to term limits. So, she decided to run for the Florida Senate in 2012. She ran in the 21st District.
Senate Election and Role
Grimsley won the Republican primary without any opponents. In the general election, she ran against Stacy Anderson McCland. Grimsley won the election with 57% of the votes.
As a Senator, she worked on state budgets. She explained that sometimes money from special funds, called trust funds, was used to help balance the state's main budget. She said this was done to manage large budget shortfalls.
In 2016, the districts were changed because of a court order. Grimsley's district was renumbered to the 26th district. This new district included Highlands, Okeechobee, Glades, DeSoto, Hardee, and parts of Polk, Charlotte, and Lee Counties.
After the Senate
After her time in the Senate, Denise Grimsley ran for Florida Commissioner of Agriculture in 2018. However, she did not win the Republican nomination for that position.
Other Activities
Denise Grimsley is one of the people who helped start an organization called Maggie's List.
