Arnhilda Gonzalez-Quevedo

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Arnhilda Gonzalez-Quevedo
Gonzalez-Quevedo in 1984
Member of the Florida House of Representatives
from the 112th district
In office
1984–1988
Preceded byJohn F. Cosgrove
Succeeded byCarlos L. Valdes
Personal details
Political partyDemocratic (since May 1988)
Republican (before May 1988)
Alma materUniversity of North Carolina

Arnhilda Badia Gonzalez-Quevedo is an American politician in the state of Florida. She served in the Florida House of Representatives between 1984 and 1988.

Early life[edit]

Gonzalez-Quevedo grew up in Havana, Cuba, before moving to the United States as a teenager.[1] She was fifteen when she had a son with her husband, Benito Gonzalez-Quevedo.[2][3] She received a doctoral degree in linguistics from the University of North Carolina.[4] She worked as an administrator at Florida International University, serving as the vice president for academic affairs.[5][6]

Political career[edit]

Gonzalez-Quevedo ran as a candidate for the Florida House of Representatives in the 1984 general election for the 112th district. She was one of four Republicans in the primary, all Cuban Americans, which went to a run-off in October.[7][8] She ran and won against the incumbent, Democrat John F. Cosgrove, in the general election.[4][9] She was a member of the children and youth ad hoc committee, the health and rehabilitative services committee, the higher education committee, and the tourism and economic development committee.[10]

During her first term, she proposed the Quality Assurance Act, to fund summer classes for Florida state universities and community colleges to allow students to graduate on time, and the Management Training Act, to train minority staff at the institutions.[5] She helped pass two childcare amendments during the legislative special session.[11] Gonzalez-Quevedo sponsored the Florida Small and Minority Business Assistance Act in 1985 and the following year, proposed a commission to develop programs for teenage mothers.[12][13] In September 1987, she presented the administrator of the Bay of Pigs Museum with $75,000 from the state for its construction.[14]

Gonzalez-Quevedo changed parties from Republican to Democratic on May 19, 1988, stating that it was due to the Reagan administration's policies regarding Fidel Castro in Cuba and the Sandinista government in Nicaragua.[1] She was asked by the Speaker of the House, Jon Mills, to join the budget committee but declined the appointment.[15] Following her decision, fellow Democratic legislators passed a bill to repeal a state law banning candidates from changing parties within six months of an election.[16][17] She ultimately decided not to run for re-election.[18]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Kennedy, John (May 20, 1988). "Legislator's Party Flip Lauded, Reviled". Sun-Sentinel. Archived from the original on June 28, 2021. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
  2. ^ Kennedy, John (April 9, 1986). "Hotly Debated Abortion Bill Clears Hurdles". Fort Lauderdale News. p. 10. Retrieved March 24, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ Feldstein Soto, Luis (July 16, 1986). "12 running for Metro Commission". Miami Herald. p. 208. Retrieved March 24, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ a b Joffee, Robert (October 23, 1984). "House candidates cross ethnic boundaries". The Miami News. p. 6. Retrieved March 24, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ a b Panner, Morris (April 21, 1985). "Gonzalez-Quevedo pushes first education bills". Miami Herald. p. 17. Retrieved March 24, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ McClure, Robert (April 2, 1985). "Jenne gets no House pledge on university plea". Fort Lauderdale News. p. 8. Retrieved March 24, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Santiago, Fabiola (September 2, 1984). "Cuban-Americans hope to ride Reagan sweep into office". Miami Herald. p. 685. Retrieved March 24, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ Dibble, Sandra; Macari, Ann (September 9, 1984). "Little Havana incumbent runs hard after second-place finish". Miami Herald. p. 460. Retrieved March 24, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ Hampton, Ellen (November 9, 1984). "Absentee ballots don't alter elections". The Miami News. p. 11. Retrieved March 24, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ Panner, Morris (March 31, 1985). "Crime, education top legislators' concerns". Miami Herald. p. 597. Retrieved March 24, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ Daugherty, Jane (April 14, 1985). "'Mom Mafia' leads push for child care bills". Miami Herald. p. 819. Retrieved March 24, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ Bivins, Larry (May 14, 1985). "Minority business bill clears House". Miami Herald. p. 187. Retrieved March 24, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ Hollman, Laurie (April 15, 1986). "Children having children". Tampa Bay Times. p. 26. Retrieved March 24, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Bay of Pigs Museum gets state funds". Miami Herald. September 19, 1987. p. 236. Retrieved March 24, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ Silva, Mark (May 25, 1988). "Key post offered after party switch". Miami Herald. p. 9. Retrieved March 24, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ McElroy, Terence (July 1, 1988). "Martinez to sign gun law, surrogate restriction". The Miami News. p. 3. Retrieved March 24, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ Feldstein Soto, Luis (July 1, 1988). "Lawmaker's switch could backfire". Miami Herald. p. 49. Retrieved March 24, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ Branch, Karen (September 7, 1988). "6 state House races headed for runoffs". Miami Herald. p. 19. Retrieved March 24, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
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