Meet Geraldine Thompson
I am Geraldine F. Thompson, and in 2020 I was re-elected to serve as the Representative to the 44th District of the Florida House of Representatives. For more than 40 years, I have been a fierce advocate for our community. In the present political climate, our residents need someone with the right experience and a proven track record of serving the citizens of Central Florida. As someone who served our district as we rebounded from the 2008 recession, I am prepared to fight for our economic recovery in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and work for more affordable housing, improved education, health care, and infrastructure. A vote for Geraldine Thompson is a vote to send someone to Tallahassee with the necessary background, experience, and knowledge to tackle the significant challenges Floridians are facing.
During my time in the Florida Legislature, I have advocated for sensible gun laws to protect our community, fought for our environment and improvements for our schools, and fought to diversify our economy to provide livable wages for each of our citizens.
In a time where the sanctity of the ballot box has come under assault, I worked to strengthen our democracy by sponsoring legislation which allowed all voters to cast their ballot by mail. In a time where the rights of women have been come under attack, I worked to promote fair treatment of all workers and sponsored legislation which outlawed discrimination against pregnant women in the workplace.
For me, it’s not about talking points; it’s about getting results. I have created programs in my community, established a museum to honor our history, and fought for sensible solutions that aim to make the lives of our residents better.
The Issues
Economics
Affordable Healthcare
Diverse Economy
Creating Innovative Jobs
Substainability
Protecting our Environment
Solar and Green Initiatives
Smart Infrastructure Growth
Education
Opportunities for Students
Modernized Education
Increase Teacher Salaries
Experience Counts
“For more than 40 years, I have been a fierce advocate for our community. In the present political climate, we need someone with experience and a proven track record of serving the citizens of Central Florida.
The results of my service are clear.
During my time in the Florida Legislature, I advocated for sensible gun laws to protect our community. I fought for a strong educational system to ensure that each of our children has an equal opportunity to receive a quality education. I fought to diversify our economy to provide livable wages for each of our citizens.
To encourage stronger participation in our democracy, I sponsored legislation which allowed all voters to cast their ballot by mail and to promote fair treatment of all workers, and I sponsored legislation which outlawed discrimination against pregnant women in the workplace.
But for me, it’s not about talking points; it’s about getting results. I have created programs in my community, established a museum to honor our history, and fought for sensible solutions that aim to make the lives of our residents better.”
My experience includes:
Member, Florida Senate, 2012-2016
Member, Florida House of Representatives, 2006-2012
Florida House Democratic Leader Pro-Tempore, 2008-2010
Chairperson – Women Legislative Caucus
Chairperson – Orange County Legislative Delegation
Florida Conference of Black State Legislators Chairwoman
Leadership Orlando
Leadership Florida
Board Member: Orlando Children’s Trust, Tiger Bay, PAST, Inc.
Assistant to the President of Valencia College
Classroom Teacher in Orange County Public Schools
Wells’ Built Museum Founder
College Reach Out Founder at Valencia College
Former Board Member of YMCA, WMFE, Holocaust Resource Center
Urban League, Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center
Co-Founder YMCA Achievers
Affordable Housing
There is no question, Floridians are facing an affordable housing crisis. Rents continue to sky-rocket and it feels everyday like the American Dream is getting harder and harder for the average person to attain. Central Florida desperately needs an experienced advocate who will fight for real housing solutions for working Floridians. As your Senator for Senate District 15 I will work with federal and state entities to help bring funds to bear to increase our community’s affordable housing stock. I’ll also fight to protect The Sadowski Fund and stop the Florida GOP from balancing our state’s budget on the backs of the less fortunate.
Fair Wages and Equitable Treatment in the Workplace
I have six outstanding granddaughters and recently traveled to join other family members to celebrate my third granddaughter’s completion of a personal development mentorship program. Her accomplishment and that of 16 other girls was highlighted during a formal dinner. I have worked to model for my granddaughters accomplishments that are not limited by gender. As a member of the Florida Senate, I sponsored and shepherded to passage Senate Bill 774 to end discrimination against pregnant women in the workplace. As your Senator for District 15, you can count on me to champion legislation that advances fair wages and equitable treatment for all individuals in the workplace.
Advocacy for Workers
Over fifty years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee on April 4, 1968. I invited 86 year old Elmore Nickleberry who was a sanitation worker in Memphis in 1968 to travel to Orlando to tell his story of his march with other sanitation workers and Dr. King. He told of putting metal tubs of garbage on his head and feeling maggots crawl out of the rusted out bottoms of the tubs and into his shirt. He told of the death of two of his fellow workers who sat on the back of a garbage truck on February 1, 1968 and moved into the bed of the truck to escape pouring rain and were crushed to death by a compactor. They went on strike and reached out to union organizers and Dr. King. As a member of the Florida Legislature for ten years, I advocated consistently for the right of workers to organize and bargain collectively. I would continue this advocacy for workers as Senator for District 15.
Equal and Quality Education
When my granddaughter looks at me and her maternal grandmother, she does not see race. She sees two women who love, support and encourage her to reach her goals. As a public educator for over thirty years, I have worked to create opportunities for individuals regardless of ethnicity, religion, age, race and other factors such as economic background.
I taught in Orange County Schools for six years and was an administrator for 24 years at Valencia College. As an administrator at Valencia College, I initiated the College Reach Out Program to allow low income students who had the intellect, but not the money, to achieve a college education. I am committed to a quality educational system for all Florida students. As your Senator for District 15, you can be assured that I will continue to fight for equal and quality education for all our children.
As a former educator, I am convinced that performance over time, as reflected in a grade point average and interspersed diagnostic tests, is a better indicator of what students learn rather than high stakes tests that measure test taking ability on one arbitrary date. The curriculum for Florida students has been narrowed and many instructors focus on teaching students to pass high stakes tests rather than a broader range of subject matter. I will continue to fight as I have in the past for higher teacher pay and to replace high stakes testing with a system of evaluation that more accurately measures student learning.
Higher Teacher Pay and Replacing High Stakes Testing
As a former educator, I am convinced that performance over time, as reflected in a grade point average and interspersed diagnostic tests, is a better indicator of what students learn rather than high stakes tests that measure test taking ability on one arbitrary date. The curriculum for Florida students has been narrowed and many instructors focus on teaching students to pass high stakes tests rather than a broader range of subject matter. As your Senator for District 15, I will continue to fight as I have in the past for higher teacher pay and to replace high stakes testing with a system of evaluation that more accurately measures student learning.
Protecting Our Environment
My husband, Emerson R. Thompson, Jr., and I visited South Africa during the summer of 2017. We traveled to the neighboring country of Zimbabwe and stood before the thundering waters of Victoria Falls. There are strict regulations in place in Zimbabwe to protect the pristine environment of that country which now attracts tourists from throughout the world. As a member of the Florida Legislature, I opposed fracking in Florida and fought against drilling off Florida’s shores which I believe will damage Florida’s environment and put at risk our thriving tourist economy. As a member of the Board of Directors of Florida Conservation Voters, I have worked to protect Florida’s environment and oppose fracking, offshore drilling, and other threats to our environment. I will continue to oppose fracking and off shore drilling on Florida’s coast.
Transportation Needs of our District
Tremendous growth will occur in West Orange County in the coming years. Transportation systems including roadways, trails, mass transit and rail connections must be provided to efficiently move individuals to and from desired locations. As a State Senator, I served on the committee on Transportation, Tourism and Economic Development and established working relationships with staff of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). As your Senator for District 15, I would continue my work with FDOT to ensure that the transportation needs of individuals in West Orange County are addressed.
Criminal Justice Reform
I learned the legislative process as secretary to Representative Gwendolyn Sawyer Cherry, who in 1970, became the first African American woman elected to the Florida Legislature. I founded the Wells’ Built Museum of African American History and Culture to help preserve a little-known portion of Central Florida’s history.
Healthcare
I served on the Board of the West Orange Health Care District which operated Health Central Hospital before it merged with Orlando Health. Health Central provided a great deal of uncompensated care to uninsured or underinsured patients. Because hospitals in Florida cannot turn people away when they don't have insurance, Florida taxpayers subsidize care for the indigent. An expansion of Medicaid, which I support, would allow indigent people to see primary care physicians and to focus on preventing ailments before they become acute. It has been shown that emergency room care is the most expensive form of healthcare and I support programs that expand access to health care for more Floridians.
