12 Facts About Allen Boyd

Allen Boyd was educated at Florida State University, where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.

Allen Boyd first got elected after he won a special election in the 10th district after his predecessor Gene Hodges resigned on November 22,1988.

Allen Boyd served the district from the January 17,1989 to November 3,1992 and the 11th district from November 3,1992 to November 5,1996.

Allen Boyd retired from the House, to run for Congress.

Allen Boyd was succeeded in the State House by Janegale Boyd, his sister-in-law.

Allen Boyd entered the 1996 Democratic primary for the 2nd in 1996, after three-term Democratic incumbent Pete Peterson announced his retirement.

Allen Boyd led a three-way Democratic primary with 48 percent of the vote, a few thousand votes short of outright victory.

Allen Boyd was reelected with no major-party opposition in 1998 and defeated an underfunded Republican in 2000.

However, Allen Boyd was handily reelected with 66 percent of the vote in 2002 against another underfunded Republican.

In 2004, Boyd faced his first serious test in the form of state representative Bev Kilmer, but Boyd turned back this challenge fairly easily, taking 62 percent of the vote even as George W Bush carried the district with 54 percent of the vote.

In 2010, Boyd fended off a spirited challenge in the primary from a more liberal Democrat, State Senator Al Lawson, with whom he'd served in the state house.

Allen Boyd is married to Jeannie Schmoe and has 3 grown children from his previous marriage to Cissy Roush.