Betty Easley

Betty Easley
Member of the Florida Public Service Commission
In office
January 3, 1989 – January 5, 1993
GovernorBob Martinez
Lawton Chiles
Preceded byKatherine Cowles Nichols
Succeeded byJulia Johnson
Member of the Florida House of Representatives
In office
November 7, 1972 – November 4, 1986
Preceded byDennis McDonald (redistricting)
Succeeded bySandra Mortham
Constituency56th district (1972–1982)
52nd district (1982–1986)
Personal details
Born(1929-08-05)August 5, 1929
Victoria, Texas
DiedJuly 29, 1994(1994-07-29) (aged 64)
Tampa, Florida
PartyRepublican
SpouseKenneth Easley
EducationEckerd College (B.A.)
University of Texas
OccupationHomemaker

Betty Chapman Easley (August 5, 1929 – July 29, 1994) was a Republican politician from Florida who served as a member of the Florida House of Representatives from 1972 to 1986 and as a member of the Florida Public Service Commission from 1989 to 1993.

Easley was born in Victoria, Texas, in 1929, and moved to Florida in 1957. She was elected to the Florida House of Representatives from the 56th district in 1972, defeating incumbent State Representative Dennis McDonald in the Republican primary. She was re-elected in 1974, 1976, 1978, and 1980. In 1982, after redistricting, she won re-election in the 52nd district and was re-elected in 1984.

In 1986, Easley declined to run for re-election, and instead ran for Education Commissioner. However, she dropped out of the Republican primary and ran for Lieutenant Governor as the running mate of State Representative Tom Gallagher. They placed third in the primary, winning 24 percent of the vote to Tampa Mayor Bob Martinez's 44 percent and former Congressman Lou Frey's 25 percent, and narrowly missed the runoff election.

After Martinez was elected Governor, he appointed Easley to a four-year term on the Florida Public Service Commission in 1989. She served until 1993, when she was succeeded by Julia Johnson, who was appointed by Governor Lawton Chiles as her replacement.

Easley died of cancer on July 29, 1994.

References

  1. 1 2 Morris, Allen, ed. (1984). The Clerk's Manual: 1984-1986. Clerk of the Florida House of Representatives. pp. 77–79.
  2. ↑ "1973 State Legislature Will Have Younger Look". Florida Times-Union. September 14, 1972. p. B-3. Retrieved July 19, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ↑ Rhyne, Mary Anne (July 15, 1986). "Easley abandons Cabinet race to be Gallagher's running mate". The Ledger. Lakeland, Florida. p. 8B. Retrieved July 19, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ Dewar, Heather (September 3, 1986). "Gallagher didn't get hometown backing". Miami Herald. p. 8A. Retrieved July 19, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ Troxler, Howard (December 26, 1988). "PSC chairman leaving post, unwillingly". The Tampa Tribune. p. 1B. Retrieved July 19, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ "Ex-lawmaker joins PSC". Florida Today. Cocoa, Florida. January 4, 1989. p. 5B. Retrieved July 19, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "PSC swears in its youngest member". Florida Today. Cocoa, Florida. January 6, 1993. p. 1B. Retrieved July 19, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "FPSC Commissioner History" (PDF). Florida Public Service Commission. 2026. Retrieved July 19, 2026.
  9. ↑ "Ex-legislator Betty Easley dies". Tallahassee Democrat. July 30, 1994. p. 1C. Retrieved July 19, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.