State Senator Geraldine Thompson will be honored today at a homegoing service held in Orlando. A public viewing was held yesterday and was attended by hundreds of constituents, fans, and long-time admirers of this tireless and effective champion of rights.
Geraldine Thompson (November 18, 1948 – February 13, 2025) will be sorely missed. This pioneer of states’ rights was undeniably a champion of the people. Senator Thompson passed away on Thursday, February 13, following complications from knee replacement surgery, according to a statement from her family.
As a long‑standing member of the Democratic Party, Thompson served in an integral capacity within the Florida Legislature from 2006, holding multiple terms in both the House and Senate. She founded the Wells’ Built Museum of African American History and Culture in Paramore, thereby preserving both the stories and memorabilia of the Civil Rights Movement along with a solid cache of African art. Thompson often represented western Orange County and was first elected to the Florida House in 2006, serving multiple terms in both legislative chambers over the years.
The Rev. Dr. Robert M. Spooney, pastor at Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Orlando, said, “She loved to educate the youth about history.” Reverend Spooney also noted that she would bring busloads of children to his church to listen to the stories of older African Americans, engaging and educating them.
U.S. Representative Maxwell Frost, D‑Orlando, stated, “Her impact and legacy of service, resilience, and unwavering love for her community will be felt for generations to come. We lost a giant, but her work lives on in all of us.”
Her Senate biography stated, “Thompson was a retired college administrator, married to Senior Judge Emerson R. Thompson Jr., the Ninth Judicial Circuit’s first Black judge, who served as a county circuit court and appellate judge.” Judge Thompson had three children, six grandchildren, and was also a great grandmother.
Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, Geraldine Thompson attended Miami‑Dade Community College, where she received a scholarship to attend the University of Miami in Coral Gables. In 1970, after earning a bachelor’s degree with honors in journalism and business education, she relocated with her husband Emerson to Tallahassee. Under the mentorship of Executive Secretary Gwendolyn Sawyer Cherry—the first African American woman to serve in the Florida House of Representatives—Thompson began a career dedicated to serving the African American community in the legislature.
In 2002, Thompson ran for the Florida House of Representatives from the 39th District, which included parts of downtown Orlando in Orange County. Opponents Bruce Antone, Tiffany Moore, and Jon Eason were on opposing tickets. Thompson came in third place, but she ran again in 2004 when she challenged incumbent State Senator Gary Siplin in the 19th District. The Orlando Sentinel endorsed Thompson in this race, commending her “political savvy and dogged determination to actually get things done.” Ultimately, Thompson fell short of Siplin, receiving 40% of the vote to his 60%.
When Thompson ran again—citing affordable housing for low‑income residents of the district, improved public transportation systems, and addressing crime by expanding economic opportunity—she was once again endorsed by the Orlando Sentinel. Thompson defeated both her opponents in a landslide, winning 60% of the vote. She was elected without an opponent in the general election and was re‑elected without opposition in both 2008 and 2010.
In 2014, Thompson ran for reelection and was challenged in the Democratic primary by Gary Siplin. She easily defeated Siplin in a landslide, obtaining 64% of the vote to his 36%. Once again, the Sentinel endorsed Thompson.
In 2015, Thompson announced she would run for Congress in the 10th District, challenging former Orlando Police Chief Val Demings and former Florida Democratic Party Chairman Bob Poe in the Democratic primary. Thompson came in second, receiving 20% of the vote compared to the 57% garnered by Val Demings.
In 2018, Thompson announced her intention to challenge incumbent Republican state representative Bobby Olszewski in District 44. She went on to defeat Olszewski in the general election by a margin of 51.3% to 48.7%.
Most recently, Thompson defeated fellow State Representative Kaia Brown in 2022 to win election to the Florida Senate’s District 15 seat.
This profoundly talented and dedicated public servant was unrelenting in her commitment to the people she served here in Central Florida. She will long be remembered for her unwavering dedication and strong commitment to the community.
