Bill Sublette is a former Republican member of the Florida House of Representatives from 1993 to 2001. Sublette was born April 12, 1963 in Walnut Creek, California. In 1985, he graduated from the University of Florida with and B.A. in History, with honors. During that time he served as a Student Government Senator, a member Delta Tau Delta fraternity and a member of the History Honor Society. In 1988, he received his J.D. from the University of Florida.
Sublette in the State Legislature
In 1992, Sublette ran for the Florida House of Representatives in district 40. His Republican primary opponents were local realtor Carlene Julian and Joe Durek. Sublette finished first in the primary, but received less than 50% of the vote which is required to avoid a runoff. Julian finished second. Durek was third and eliminated from the runoff. The race between Sublette and Julian was a battle between different political ideologies. Sublette was a more moderate, pro-choice candidate, while Julian was a staunch conservative. Sublette prevailed in the runoff election, defeating Julian 56% to 44%. Sublette was subsequently elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 1994, 1996 and 1998, with very little opposition. As a state representative, Sublette was one of the most moderate Republicans in Tallahassee. While Sublette was conservative on fiscal issues, he was progressive on social issues. He also filled a variety of leadership positions, including stints as Chairman of the Education Appropriations Committee, Chairman of the House Public Responsibility Council, and Chairman of the Orange County Legislative Delegation. On April 7, 2009, Sublette filed the required documents to run for Orange County School Board Chair.
Sublette after the Legislature
Sublette ran for Florida's 8th Congressional district in 2000. He was defeated in the runoff by Ric Keller, who would later defeat Orange County Chair Linda Chapin in the general election. Sublette continued to seek political office. He ran for Mayor of Orlando in 2003 after Glenda Hood was appointed Secretary of State by Governor Jeb Bush. Sublette finished fourth in the primary. Sublette has served as Chairman of the Orange County Chairman's Jail Oversight Commission, Chairman of the Mayor's Education Action Council, Co-Chair of the Orange County Juvenile Justice Task Force, and most recently as Chairman of the Blue Ribbon Panel on Education, a group of 25 community leaders appointed by the Orange County School Board, City of Orlando, and Orange County government charged with recommending changes to improve the performance of Orange County's public schools. He currently serves as statewide chairman for No Casinos, Inc., and he is also the President, or an officer, of various community organizations, including public broadcaster WMFE, the Orange County Bar Association, the Central Florida Council-Boy Scouts of America, and the Howard Phillips Center for Children and Families. Sublette was elected in August 2010 to the position of School Board Chairman for Orange County Public Schools.
