David Coley

David Coley
Member of the Florida House of Representatives from the 7th district
In office
November 3, 2004 – March 27, 2005
Preceded byBev Kilmer
Succeeded byMarti Coley
Personal details
Born(1961-11-08)November 8, 1961
Louisville, Kentucky
DiedMarch 25, 2005(2005-03-25) (aged 43)
Tallahassee, Florida
PartyRepublican
SpouseMarti Coley
Children3
EducationChipola Junior College
Murray State University
OccupationHigher education administrator, legislative aide, journalist

David A. Coley (November 8, 1961 – March 25, 2005) was a Republican politician from Florida who served as a member of the Florida House of Representatives from the 7th district from 2004 until his death in 2005.

Early life

Coley was born in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1961. He attended Murray State University before moving to Florida in 1976. Coley worked as a legislative aide to Republican Congressman Bill Grant and Representatives Robert Trammell and Allan Bense before he was appointed the special services coordinator at Chipola College.

Florida House of Representatives

In 2004, when State Representative Bev Kilmer opted to run for Congress rather than seek re-election, Coley ran to succeed her in the 7th district. In the Republican primary, he faced former State Representative Jamey Westbrook, who had been elected to a single term in the State House in 1996 before being defeated by Kilmer in 1998. Coley defeated Westbrook by a wide margin, winning 63 percent of the vote to his 37 percent.

In the general election, Coley faced the Democratic nominee, Carl Duncan, an education consultant for the state Department of Corrections. Coley defeated Duncan in a landslide, winning 71 percent of the vote.

Death

Coley died of liver cancer on March 25, 2005. He was succeeded in the State House by his widow, Marti.

References

  1. 1 2 "David Coley". Florida House of Representatives. 2025. Retrieved July 8, 2026.
  2. 1 2 Cotterell, Bill (March 26, 2005). "David Coley, former aide who won House seat, dies of cancer". Tallahassee Democrat. p. 1A, 2A. Retrieved July 8, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ↑ Cook Lauer, Nancy (August 28, 2004). "Ex-Democrats vie for Republican seat: Coley emphasizes his experience, leadership skills in push for office". Tallahassee Democrat. p. 1B, 2B. Retrieved July 8, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ "August 31, 2004 Primary Election Republican Primary - State Representative District: 7". Florida House of Representatives. 2004. Retrieved July 8, 2026.
  5. ↑ Cook Lauer, Nancy (October 13, 2004). "Disparity in coffers marks race: Duncan chartering new path based on old relationships". Tallahassee Democrat. p. 1B, 2B. Retrieved July 8, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ "November 2, 2004 General Election - State Representative District: 7". Florida House of Representatives. 2004. Retrieved July 8, 2026.