Randolph Bracy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Randolph Bracy
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| Member of the Florida Senate from the 11th district |
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| In office November 8, 2016 – November 8, 2022 |
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| Preceded by | Geraldine Thompson (redistricting) |
| Succeeded by | Geraldine Thompson (redistricting) |
| Member of the Florida House of Representatives from the 45th district |
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| In office November 6, 2012 – November 8, 2016 |
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| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Succeeded by | Kamia Brown |
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Randolph Bracy III
April 23, 1977 Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Relations | LaVon Bracy Davis (sister) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | College of William and Mary (BS) University of Central Florida (MBA, MS) |
Randolph Bracy III, born on April 23, 1977, is an American politician. He served in the Florida Senate from 2016 to 2022, representing parts of central and northwest Orange County. Bracy made history as the first African American to lead the Criminal Justice Committee in the Florida Senate. While in the Senate, he worked to make Juneteenth a state holiday. Before joining the Senate, Bracy was a member of the Florida House of Representatives from 2012 to 2016.
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Early Life and Education
Randolph Bracy was born in Jacksonville. His parents, Randolph Bracy, Jr. and LaVon Wright Bracy, founded the New Covenant Baptist Church in Orlando.
He studied Psychology at the College of William & Mary. There, he was a star player on the basketball team. Later, he earned two master's degrees from the University of Central Florida. He received a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and a Master of Science (MS) in sports administration.
Political Career
Before becoming an elected official, Bracy worked as a director at Workforce Advantage Academy. This was a charter school located in Orange County.
Serving in the Florida House of Representatives
In 2012, Bracy decided to run for the newly created 45th district in the Florida House of Representatives. This district included areas like Apopka, Ocoee, and Winter Garden. It was a district where many people from minority groups lived.
He won the Democratic primary election by a small number of votes. The Orlando Sentinel newspaper supported Bracy, saying he had "real-world experience" in working with businesses. In the general election, Bracy won by a large margin, receiving 69% of the votes. He was then sworn into his first term. In 2014, Bracy was re-elected to his second term without anyone running against him.
Serving in the Florida Senate
In 2016, Bracy decided to run for the Florida Senate in the 11th district. He won the Democratic primary election against several other candidates. He then won the general election against write-in opponents. Bracy served in the Florida Senate until November 2022.
Key Votes and Campaigns
In 2021, Bracy voted against Senate Bill 86. In May 2021, he announced he would run for the U.S. House of Representatives in Florida's 10th congressional district. He finished second in the Democratic primary election in August 2022.
Important Political Ideas
Randolph Bracy has worked on several important issues during his time in office.
Gun Control
In the Florida Senate, Bracy strongly supported laws to stop the sale of certain powerful weapons. He also supported banning large-capacity magazines. He co-sponsored bills to ban these types of weapons in both 2021 and 2022.
Police Reform
In June 2020, Bracy wrote an article for the Orlando Sentinel. He argued that the state legislature needed to change police practices. He asked for a special meeting of the Florida legislature to discuss police brutality and unfair treatment of African Americans. This request was not approved.
Bracy's ideas for police reform included several measures. He wanted outside groups to investigate police shootings instead of internal police departments. He also wanted to increase jury pay and ensure diverse jury panels. Other ideas included mandatory training for officers on "implicit bias" and how to calm down difficult situations. He also wanted annual data on racial differences in policing and civilian members on investigative teams.
In 2021, Bracy sponsored bills to make it a serious crime for officers to use chokeholds. He also introduced bills that would require local police to report traffic stop data, including the race of those stopped. Other bills he supported aimed to create standard rules for body and dashboard cameras. He also wanted a statewide system to track police misconduct.
Race and Discrimination
In October 2019, Bracy introduced a bill to protect certain hairstyles. This bill, called the "Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair (CROWN) Act," would stop discrimination based on natural hairstyles. This would apply to workplaces and schools.
In June 2020, Bracy began working to make Juneteenth a state holiday. Juneteenth, on June 19, marks the day news of the Emancipation Proclamation reached Texas. This was the last state in the former Confederacy to receive the news.
Solar Energy
Bracy voted for a bill that would change how rooftop solar panels work. This bill, supported by a large utility company, would reduce the benefits of net metering. Net metering allows people with solar panels to get credit for extra energy they send back to the power grid.
