Background
Thurman, Karen L. was born on January 12, 1951 in Rapid City, South Dakota, United States. Daughter of Lee Searle and Donna (Altfillisch) Loveland.
Congresswoman lobbyist organization administrator
Thurman, Karen L. was born on January 12, 1951 in Rapid City, South Dakota, United States. Daughter of Lee Searle and Donna (Altfillisch) Loveland.
Associate of Arts, Santa Fe Community College, Gainesville, Florida. Bachelor, University Florida, Gainesville, 1973.
She is a Democrat.
She received her associate degree from Santa Fe Community College in Gainesville in 1970 and her bachelor"s degree in education from the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida in 1973. They have two children, McLin (Macky) and Liberty Lee, and make their home in Dunnellon, Florida. Early Political She served as Mayor of Dunnellon from 1979 to 1981.
She served in the Florida State Senate from 1983 to 1993.
Florida gained three congressional districts after the 1990 census. One of them was the 5th District, which stretched from Gainesville to the far northern portion of the Tampa Bay Area.
lieutenant was an open secret that this district was drawn for Thurman. She was elected to the House from that district in 1992 and was reelected four more times with no serious opposition.
Thurman was recognized as an expert on health, veterans, and tax issues.
She was only the sixth woman to serve on the House Ways and Means Committee. On Ways and Means she fought for lower prescription drugs, increased access to health insurance, and tax relief. Prior to her appointment to Ways and Means in 1996, Thurman served on both the House Agriculture Committee and the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight.
After the 2000 census, the Republican-controlled Florida legislature reconfigured the 5th so it was virtually coextensive with the State Senate district of that body"s President Pro Tem, Ginny Brown-Waite.
Nonetheless, Thurman ran for reelection. In 2005 Thurman was elected Chairman of the (Freie Demokratische Partei (Free Democratic Party)), succeeding Chairman Scott Maddox, who resigned in order to seek the Democratic nomination for governor.
Thurman resigned on November 12, 2010 following the midterm elections. Her son Macky Thurman unsuccessfully ran for the state house in 2006.
Her husband was a circuit judge.
Member Dunnellon City Council (Florida), 1974-1982. Member Monroe Regional Medical Center Governancy Committee. Member Comprehensive Plan Technology Advisory Committee.
Member Regional Energy Action committee.
Member Florida State Senate, 1982-1992. Member 103rd-105thCongress from 5th Florida district, 1993, ranking minority.
Member Dunnellon Chamber of Commerce (director), Florida Horseman"s Children"s Society (charter).
Married John Patrick Thurman, 1973. Children: McLin Searl and Liberty Lee.