Background
Pafford was born in unincorporated Miami-Dade County in 1966 and attended North Miami High School, graduating in 1984.
Pafford was born in unincorporated Miami-Dade County in 1966 and attended North Miami High School, graduating in 1984.
Bachelor in Public Administration, Florida International University, 1988.
After high school, he was a student at Miami-Dade Community College, receiving his associate degree in 1986, and then at Florida International University, where he received a degree in public administration in 1988. Following graduation, he worked as a naturalist at Architecture Creek Park in North Miami. Pafford then worked for United States Congressman Lawrence J. Smith as a congressional aide from 1989 to 1992, and later worked for State Representative Lois Frankel as a legislative assistant from 1996 to 1997.
In 2002, when Frankel, his former boss, was unable to seek re-election in the due to term limits, Pafford ran to succeed her in the 85th District, which stretched from Wellington to Lake Worth.
Pafford experienced more success in 2008, when State Representative Susan Bucher was unable to seek re-election due to term limits in the 86th District, which stretched from Boynton Beach to Boca Raton in eastern Palm Beach County. In 2010, he faced a challenge from Ron Miranda in the Democratic primary, who claimed that Pafford had an insufficiently pro-business voting record and criticized Pafford for his poor standing with Associated Industries of Florida.
Pafford responded by calling attention to his voting record and observing that some of the votes that were considered to be votes against the business community were not, noting, "If you look at what I voted against, you"ll find things like Senate Bill 6 on education, you"ll find some of the Medicaid reform. When the state"s legislative districts were redrawn in 2012, Pafford ran for re-election in the 86th District, which contained some of the territory that he had previously represented.
He faced Tami Donnally, the Republican nominee and a business administrator, in the general election.
Pafford earned the endorsement of The Palm Beach Post, which criticized Donnally and praised Pafford for his support for Medicaid expansion under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Acting and for his opposition to the law that required the closing of "the state"s only tuberculosis sanatorium." Pafford ended up defeating Donnally with ease, receiving 60% of the vote to her 40% and winning his third term. Though State Representative Darryl Rouson was initially elected to serve as House Democrats" floor leader for the 2014-2016 legislative term, he was ousted by the caucus. Pafford serves as the Minority Leader for the 2014-2016 legislative term.
Member Youth Conservation Corps, 1980. Interpretive guide & naturalist Arch Creek Park Miami-Dade Parks & Recreation, 1986—1989. Volunteer Foster Care Review Board, 2001.
President Palm Beach County Partnership For Aging, 2005—2006. Member of Democratic Executive Committee, Democracy For Palm Beach County, Palm Beach County Young Democratic, Century Village United Democratic Club, West Palm Beach Democratic Club, North County Haitian American Democratic Club, Mid-County Democratic Club (former vice president), Lake Worth West Democratic Club, Golden Lakes Democratic Club, Cypress Lakes Democratic Club.
Married Tracy Pafford. Children: Audrey, Brendan.