Steve Crisafulli


Steve Crisafulli is an American politician. He was the Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, representing the 51st District, which is located in northern Brevard County, including Cape Canaveral, Cocoa, Cocoa Beach, and Rockledge, from 2014-2016. His full term ran from 2008-2016.

History

Crisafulli was born in Rockledge in 1971, into a political family, as his cousin, Doyle E. Carlton, served as Governor of Florida from 1929 to 1933, and his grandfather, Vassar B. Carlton, served as a Justice of the Florida Supreme Court from 1969 to 1974. He attended Brevard Community College, from which he received his associate degree, and the University of Central Florida, where he received his bachelor's degree. Following graduation, Crisafulli worked in his family's agribusiness. He was deeply involved in the Brevard county agricultural community, serving as a Director of the Brevard County Farm Bureau from 1996 to 2004, and again from 2006 to the present. He also served as the President of the Farm Bureau from 2003 to 2005. In 1998, he was elected to the Brevard County Soil and Water Conservation District, where he served until 2002.

Florida House of Representatives

Crisafulli's career in the Florida House began in 2008, when he defeated Democrat incumbent Tony Sasso 52-48%. Crisafulli ran unopposed in 2010 and 2012 and defeated Democrat Joe Murray with 67% of the vote to earn his final term in 2014.
When state legislative districts were redrawn in 2012, Crisafulli was moved into the 51st District, which dropped his previous district's reach into Orange County in exchange for more portions of northern Brevard County.
Following the 2012 elections, the House Republican Conference selected Crisafulli to serve as Speaker-Designate. He became House Speaker in November 2014 and termed out in November 2016.
Prior to becoming House Speaker, Crisafulli served in numerous other leadership positions, including:
During his service in the Florida House, Crisafulli distinguished himself as an advocate for agriculture. As Speaker, he passed major legislation to modernize Florida's water laws and he spearheaded opposition to Medicaid expansion under Obamacare.