| Florence Donald Shapiro | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Texas Senate from the 8th district |
|
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 1995 |
|
| Preceded by | O.H. "Ike" Harris |
| Member of the Texas Senate from the 2nd district |
|
| In office 1993–1995 |
|
| Preceded by | Ted Lyon |
| Succeeded by | David Cain |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 2, 1948 New York City, New York |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Howard Shapiro |
| Residence | Plano, Texas |
| Alma mater | B.S., University of Texas at Austin |
| Profession | Advertising executive |
Florence Donald Shapiro (born May 2, 1948[1]) is an American politician from Texas. Shapiro is a Republican member of the Texas Senate, from 1993 to 1995 representing the 2nd Senatorial District and since 1995 representing the 8th Senatorial District which includes several cities, towns, and other outlying areas of the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex.
Shapiro previously served as Senate State Affairs Committee chair and since 2003 has chaired the Senate Education Committee.[2] Her series of bills known as Ashley's Laws, which severely punishes sexual predators, quickly became national benchmarks in the fight against sex offenders. Shapiro's work earned her the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault's "Champion for Social Change Award".[3] and the Children's Advocacy Centers of Texas's "Legislator of the Year Award" in 2008.[4]
President George W. Bush appointed her to serve on the Honorary Delegation to accompany him to Jerusalem for the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the State of Israel in May 2008.[5]
Contents |
A first-generation American and the daughter of two Holocaust survivors,[6] Florence Shapiro was born in New York City,.[7] After the family moved to Dallas, Texas, she attended and graduated from Hillcrest High School.[8] After high school, Shapiro matriculated to The University of Texas at Austin, the first in her family to attend college,[9] and graduated with a B.S. in secondary education.[7] Shapiro began her professional career as a public school English and speech teacher for the Richardson Independent School District in Richardson, Texas.[7] Shapiro also founded Shapiro & Company, an advertising, public relations and special events agency.[7] She lives in Plano, Texas with her husband Howard; they have three children, Lisa Strauss of Houston, Todd Shapiro of Frisco, and Staci Rubin of Frisco,[2] and seven grandchildren.[9]
Florence Shapiro entered politics after being elected to be a member of the Plano City Council, where she served six terms from 1979 to 1990.[7] Shapiro was subsequently elected Mayor of Plano and served from 1990 to 1992.[7] During this time, Shapiro was the President of the Texas Municipal League and the North Texas Council of Governments.[10]
Florence Shapiro was first elected to the Texas Senate in 1992, after defeating Democratic incumbent Ted Lyon, serving since 1993.[11] In January 2005, she was elected President pro tempore of the State Senate, becoming second in the gubernatorial line of succession, behind the Lieutenant Governor of Texas.[7] She was the first senator from Collin County to serve in that position in more than forty years.[10] When both Governor Rick Perry and Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst were out of the state on official business on April 9, 2005, Shapiro served as the Governor for a day, the sixth woman in Texas history to do so.[10]
Due to her friendship with Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, it was widely speculated that Shapiro would run for Hutchison's seat upon her resignation for her own gubernatorial run against Rick Perry. On July 15, 2008, Shapiro announced the formation of an exploratory committee for U.S. Senate,[11] the first candidate to do so.[12] It is chaired by former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach.[13] Since the formation of the committee, Shapiro has begun heavy fundraising, both in Texas and out-of-state, and by the end of 2008, had raised more money than any other declared candidate, to date the highest of any declared Republican. Shapiro raised $226,000 in the fourth quarter of 2008 and ended the year with $373,556 in the bank.[14] Early polls indicate Shapiro defeating former Texas State Comptroller John Sharp, but trailing current Houston mayor Bill White in head-to-head matchups.[15]
However in January 2011, she decided against continuing a campaign for United States Senate. Saying that she is "committed to serving in the Texas State Senate now and in the future." [16]
| Texas general election, 2006: Senate District 8[17] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Republican | Florence Shapiro (Incumbent) | 127,590 | 100.00 | +10.25 | |
| Majority | 127,590 | 100.00 | +20.50 | ||
| Turnout | 127,590 | -15.76 | |||
| Republican hold | |||||
| Texas general election, 2002: Senate District 8[17] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Republican | Florence Shapiro (Incumbent) | 135,927 | 89.75 | -10.25 | |
| Libertarian | David Spaller | 15,525 | 10.25 | +10.25 | |
| Majority | 120,402 | 79.50 | -20.50 | ||
| Turnout | 151,452 | -32.80 | |||
| Republican hold | |||||
| Texas general election, 2000: Senate District 8[17] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Republican | Florence Shapiro (Incumbent) | 225,369 | 100.00 | +10.24 | |
| Majority | 225,369 | 100.00 | +20.48 | ||
| Turnout | 225,369 | +6.48 | |||
| Republican hold | |||||
| Texas general election, 1996: Senate District 8[17] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Republican | Florence Shapiro (Incumbent) | 189,985 | 89.76 | -0.47 | |
| Libertarian | Randal Morgan | 21,674 | 10.24 | +5.82 | |
| Majority | 168,311 | 79.52 | -5.36 | ||
| Turnout | 211,659 | +22.41 | |||
| Republican hold | |||||
| Texas general election, 1994: Senate District 8[17] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Republican | Florence Shapiro (Incumbent)[18] | 156,014 | 90.23 | +7.57 | |
| Libertarian | John Wawro | 7,642 | 4.42 | -12.92 | |
| Independent | Paul Bertanzetti | 9,247 | 5.35 | ||
| Majority | 146,767 | 84.88 | +19.56 | ||
| Turnout | 172,903 | -15.52 | |||
| Republican hold | |||||
| Texas general election, 1992: Senate District 2[17] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Democratic | Ted Lyon | 96,746 | 40.08 | ||
| Republican | Florence Shapiro | 129,229 | 53.54 | ||
| Libertarian | Richard C. Donaldson | 15,384 | 6.37 | ||
| Majority | 32,482 | 13.46 | |||
| Turnout | 241,358 | ||||
| Republican gain from Democratic | |||||
| Republican primary runoff, 1992: Senate District 2[17] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Don Kent | 7,609 | 49.40 | ||
| ? | Florence Shapiro | 7,793 | 50.59 | |
| Majority | 184 | 1.19 | ||
| Turnout | 15,402 | |||
| Republican primary, 1992: Senate District 2[17] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Don Kent | 12,742 | 34.74 | ||
| Jack Harvard | 6,189 | 16.87 | ||
| Florence Shapiro | 17,737 | 48.37 | ||
| Turnout | 36,668 | |||
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Jack Harvard |
Mayor of Plano, Texas 1990–1992 |
Succeeded by James N. Muns |
| Texas Senate | ||
| Preceded by Ted Lyon |
Texas State Senator from District 2 1993–1995 |
Succeeded by David Cain |
| Preceded by Ike Harris |
Texas State Senator from District 8 1995 – present |
Incumbent |
| Preceded by Jeff Wentworth |
President pro tempore of the Texas Senate January 11, 2005 – May 30, 2005 |
Succeeded by Frank L. Madla |
|
||||||||||||||||||||