Deborah J. Horan

Deborah James Horan Ritchie (born December 10, 1962) is an American politician in the state of Florida. A Democrat, she served in the Florida House of Representatives for the 120th district between 1994 and 1998.

Deborah Horan
Member of the Florida House of Representatives
from the 120th district
In office
1994–1998
Preceded byRon Saunders[1]
Succeeded byKen Sorensen[2]
Personal details
Born (1962-12-10) December 10, 1962
Quincy, Florida, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseBuzz Ritchie

Early life

Horan was born on December 10, 1962, in Quincy, Florida, and grew up in Chattahoochee.[3][4] She received an associates degree from Chipola College in 1982 and her bachelors of science degree in business from the Florida State University (FSU) in 1984. While at FSU, she was a member of the Kappa Delta sorority, where she was treasurer of her pledge class and a chaplain, and participated in the governor's internship program under Governor Bob Graham. She worked as a legislative aide.[3]

Political career

Horan was a member of the Florida House of Representatives for the 120th district between 1994 and 1998, representing the Democratic Party.[3][5] She won her first election on November 8, 1994, against Republican Bill Dalton with 54.3% of the vote.[6] In 1996, she sponsored a bill to allow parents to decide which school in a district their children would attend.[7] She retired in 1998 to spend more time with her family.[8]

Later career

Horan founded Impact 100 Pensacola Bay Area, an organization providing grants to nonprofits, in 2004.[4][9] She chaired the board of directors for Gulf Coast Kid's House and worked for Studer Group, starting as chief operations officer in 2006 and becoming the president in 2016.[4]

Personal life

Horan has two children: Lindsey Nicole and Kelsey Virginia.[3] She married Buzz Ritchie, a former legislator, and moved from Key West to Pensacola in the late 1990s.[10][11]

References
  1. "Our Campaigns - FL State House 120 Race - Nov 08, 1994".
  2. "Our Campaigns - FL State House 120 Race - Nov 05, 1996".
  3. "Representative Deborah James "Debbie" Horan". www.myfloridahouse.gov. Archived from the original on February 11, 2012. Retrieved 2023-09-27.
  4. "Pinnacle Award Winner: Debbie Ritchie". 850 Business Magazine. 2018-12-17. Retrieved 2023-09-27.
  5. Takacs, Jeff (2019). The People of Lawmaking in Florida: 1822 - 2019 (PDF). Florida House of Representatives. p. 78.
  6. "November 8, 1994 General Election". results.elections.myflorida.com. Retrieved 2023-09-27.
  7. "House panel okays public school choice". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 2023-09-27.
  8. "Fourth Democrat in a week's time bids House goodbye". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 2023-09-27.
  9. Shaw-Hardy, Sondra; Taylor, Martha A.; Beaudoin-Schwartz, Buffy (2010-08-13). Women and Philanthropy: Boldly Shaping a Better World. John Wiley & Sons. p. 199. ISBN 978-0-470-76977-5.
  10. Weatherford, Doris (2015-05-26). They Dared to Dream: Florida Women Who Shaped History. University Press of Florida. ISBN 978-0-8130-5933-4.
  11. "Public relations battle rages over Pensacola environmental suit". Midland Reporter-Telegram. 2002-03-31. Retrieved 2023-09-27.
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