Gary Siegel

Gary Siegel
Member of the Florida Senate from the 12th district
In office
November 3, 1992 – November 8, 1994
Preceded byRich Crotty (redistricting)
Succeeded byJohn Ostalkiewicz
Personal details
Born (1949-06-26) June 26, 1949 (age 77)
New York City, New York
PartyRepublican
SpouseCarol Rooney
Children3
EducationUniversity of Miami (B.A.)
University of Memphis (J.D.)
Georgetown University Law Center (LL.M.)
OccupationAttorney

Gary Siegel (born June 26, 1949) is a Republican politician from Florida who served as a member of the Florida Senate from the 12th district from 1992 to 1994.

Early life

Siegel was born in New York City in 1949, and attended the University of Miami, graduating in 1971. He then graduated from the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law at the University of Memphis with his Juris Doctor in 1974 and the Georgetown University Law Center with his master of laws degree in 1976. Siegel moved to Florida in 1976 and practiced as an attorney. He worked as an assistant county attorney in Seminole County from 1976 to 1978, and established his own law firm afterwards.

Florida Senate

In 1992, Siegel ran for the Florida Senate from the 12th district, which included the suburbs of Orlando in Orange, Osceola, Seminole, and Volusia counties. He initially challenged challenged State Senator Rich Crotty for re-election in the Republican primary. After State Representative Art Grindle, a prominent car dealer, entered the race, Crotty announced that he would instead run for Orange County Property Appraiser. The contest between Siegel and Grindle was contentious, with Siegel accusing Grindle of "buying" his advanced from diploma mills. Siegel ended up narrowly defeating Grindle, winning 53 percent of the vote to his 47 percent.

Siegel faced retiree Jim Kelly, the Democratic nominee, in the general election. He defeated Kelly by a wide margin, receiving 63 percent of the vote to Kelly's 37 percent.

In 1994, Siegel ran for re-election. He was challenged in the Republican primary by John Ostalkiewicz, a businessman and parents' rights advocate. Ostalkiewicz launched an aggressive campaign, accusing Siegel of "parent bashing" through his support for criminal justice reform, and ultimately defeated Siegel, receiving 56 percent of the vote to Siegel's 44 percent.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Florida Senate Handbook, 1992–1994 (PDF). Secretary of the Florida Senate. 1993. p. 31.
  2. 1 2 Shanklin, Mary (May 2, 1992). "Candidate wants to get in, then out of politics". Orlando Sentinel. p. D-3. Retrieved July 21, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ↑ Oliver, Mike (July 10, 1992). "Crotty to give up state Senate seat". Orlando Sentinel. p. B-1. Retrieved July 21, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ O'Neal, Donna (September 2, 1992). "GOP foe upends Grindle". Orlando Sentinel. p. A-6. Retrieved July 21, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ "September 1, 1992 Primary Election Republican Primary - State Senator District: 12". Florida Department of Elections. 1992. Retrieved July 21, 2026.
  6. ↑ "Candidate on food stamps battles wealthy opponent". The Tampa Tribune. October 31, 1992. p. 6-Florida/Metro. Retrieved July 21, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "November 3, 1992 General Election - State Senator District: 12". Florida Department of Elections. 1992. Retrieved July 20, 2026.
  8. ↑ Vonklock, Nick (November 5, 1992). "Kelly loses Senate seat to newcomer Siegel". Daytona Beach News-Journal. p. 3C. Retrieved July 21, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "Ostalkiewicz to run for state senate seat". Orlando Sentinel. June 23, 1994. p. I-2. Retrieved July 21, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ McBreen, Sharon (August 23, 1994). "Reforming juvenile justice divides 2". Orlando Sentinel. p. C-1. Retrieved July 21, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ "September 8, 1994 Primary Election Republican Primary - State Senator District: 12". Florida Department of Elections. 1994. Retrieved July 21, 2026.