Greg Evers facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Greg Evers
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| Member of the Florida Senate from the 2nd district |
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| In office November 2, 2010 – November 8, 2016 |
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| Preceded by | Durell Peaden |
| Succeeded by | Redistricted |
| Member of the Florida House of Representatives from the 1st district |
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| In office October 22, 2001 – November 2, 2010 |
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| Preceded by | Jeff Miller |
| Succeeded by | Doug Broxson |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Robert Gregory Evers
June 16, 1955 Milton, Florida |
| Died | August 21, 2017 (aged 62) Okaloosa County, Florida |
| Political party | Republican |
| Alma mater | Pensacola Junior College |
| Profession | Farmer |
Robert Gregory Evers (June 16, 1955 – August 21, 2017) was an American politician. He was a member of the Republican Party. Evers served in the Florida Senate from 2010 to 2016. He represented parts of Northwest Florida. Before that, he was a member of the Florida House of Representatives from 2001 to 2010. He represented the 1st District.
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About Greg Evers
Early Life and Career
Greg Evers was born in Milton, Florida. He grew up on his family's farm. He later attended Pensacola Junior College. After college, he joined his family's fertilizer business.
When he became the owner, he moved the business to Baker. There, he also started farming. He grew crops like cotton, soybeans, peanuts, wheat, and corn.
Serving in the Florida House
In 2001, a special election was held for the 1st District. This happened because State Representative Jeff Miller resigned. The district included parts of Escambia, Okaloosa, and Santa Rosa counties.
Evers decided to run for the seat. He faced several other candidates in the Republican primary election. No one won a majority of the votes at first. So, a runoff election was held between Evers and C. Robert Hilliard. Evers won this close election with 54% of the votes.
In the general election, Evers ran against Eddie Cook, a Democratic candidate. Evers won by a large amount, getting 77% of the votes. This was his first time serving in the legislature.
Re-election Campaigns
Evers ran for re-election in 2002. He was challenged by Byrd Mapoles in the Republican primary. Evers won easily with 73% of the votes. He was then re-elected without anyone running against him in the general election.
He was also re-elected unopposed in 2004 and 2006. In 2008, he faced Ryan Gilbert in the Republican primary. Evers won with 76% of the votes. He was re-elected again in the general election without opposition.
Serving in the Florida Senate
In 2010, State Senator Durell Peaden could not run for re-election. This was because of term limits. Greg Evers decided to run for Peaden's seat in the 2nd District. This district covered a large area in Northwest Florida.
Evers faced Tea Party activist Mike Hill in the Republican primary. Evers raised much more money for his campaign. He won the primary election with 71% of the votes. In the general election, Evers defeated Christopher S. Crawford with 79% of the votes.
Legislative Work
Evers wrote several new laws, especially about guns. After a well-known court case, he wrote a law to protect people using self-defense. This law changed rules about jail time if a gun was used in certain situations. Governor Rick Scott signed this bill into law.
He also wrote a law that was called the "Pop Tart" bill. This law stopped schools from punishing students for playing with toy weapons. This bill also became a law.
In 2015, Evers worked with State Representative Greg Steube. They tried to pass a law that would let people with special permits carry guns on college campuses. However, this bill did not pass in the Florida Senate.
Running for Congress
In 2016, Greg Evers decided to run for the Florida's 1st congressional district seat. The current Congressman, Jeff Miller, was not running again. On August 30, 2016, Evers lost the Republican primary election. He lost to State Representative Matt Gaetz.
His Passing
Greg Evers passed away on August 21, 2017. He was in a car accident near his home in Baker, Florida. His car hit a guardrail and went into a creek.
