13 Facts About Tracy Stafford

Tracy's younger sister is actress and author Nancy Stafford who was crowned Miss Florida in 1976 and would later work as an actress on the TV series Matlock.

Lauderdale High School, Tracy Stafford attended the University of Florida where he attained his Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature and his Juris Doctor.

Tracy Stafford was a member of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity, Florida Beta chapter and was elected three times to the position of Archon, representing District IV on the national Fraternity's Executive Council for a total of five years.

Tracy Stafford left the Council in 1981 to accept the position of city administrator.

Tracy Stafford ran for Mayor of Wilton Manors in 1986 and won the first of two terms, serving as mayor for a total of four years.

In 1990 when District 94 occupant and House Speaker Tom Gustafson was retiring from the Florida Legislature, Tracy Stafford ran as a Democrat for the open seat, beating Republican Bobbi Elder to win the first of five consecutive elections to the Florida House of Representatives, which by this time had reformed its composition to single-member districts.

In 1992, Tracy Stafford successfully fended off a Democratic primary challenger and then beat the Republican Mayor of Davie and former Miami Dolphins quarterback Earl Morrall with 51.6 percent of the vote.

At various times during his five terms in the Florida House of Representatives, Tracy Stafford served as Chair of the House Juvenile Justice Committee, Broward County Legislative Delegation and Florida Advisory Council on Intergovernmental Relations.

Tracy Stafford was appointed to chair a task force on contraband forfeiture to make recommendations to state lawmakers on how to provide a proper balance within Florida law between the ability of law enforcement to seize property used in the commission of a crime and to protect the property rights of individuals.

Tracy Stafford passed legislation into law that allows the eviction of a person convicted of a crime from a rental property within 72 hours if that property was used in the commission of the crime, such as prostitution or drug dealing.

Tracy Stafford passed legislation ensuring that the results of a person's genetic test - that would potentially show a predisposition for a disease - would remain a private document at the discretion of the individual.

Tracy Stafford was one of the first state legislators in Florida to provide an e-mail address for communication with constituents.

Tracy Stafford would be the first member of the Florida House of Representatives to introduce legislation that would provide domestic partnership benefits to same-sex couples.