Former Gov. Buddy McKay, a longtime Florida politician who served as governor for nearly a month following the sudden death of Gov. Lawton Chiles in late 1998, was surrounded by his adult sons and wife, Ann, on Tuesday afternoon. He died in his sleep.
A family spokesperson confirmed that he passed away at the age of 91. Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.
Mr. McKay was the last Democrat to serve as Florida’s governor, bridging two political eras. When Chiles died in December of that year, he had just lost the 1998 gubernatorial election to Jeb Bush.
“Governor McKay’s life was dedicated to serving the state of Florida, and he did so with honor and honor,” President Bush said in a social media post Thursday.
McKay was a mainstay in Florida politics in 1990 when he joined Chile’s challenge to incumbent Republican Gov. Bob Martinez. Mr. McKay had two years left to run for the Senate, but lost by a narrow margin to Connie Mack, becoming the leader of the Chilean party. running mate. Part of Mack’s line to McKay was, “Hey, buddy, you’re a liberal.”
During his time as lieutenant governor, Mr. McKay played an active role in the Chilean administration, tasked with steering the state’s troubled child welfare agency, spearheading difficult projects such as Hurricane Andrew recovery efforts and disaster relief efforts in Miami. He was tagged by the governor many times. The city’s finances were in turmoil. Under the past two Republican governors, the lieutenant governor’s role was more limited.
“He played a huge role in everything Chili did,” said Ron Sachs, who served as Chili’s top aide. “He was the most active and effective lieutenant governor in modern Florida history.”
McKay was born in Ocala in 1933 and earned his bachelor’s and law degrees from the University of Florida. He spent time in the United States Air Force, earning the rank of Captain. He was first elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 1968 and moved to the Florida Senate six years later. McKay was elected to the Central Florida State Assembly in 1982.
Doug Cook first met McKay in Washington, D.C., where he worked for then-Sen. Chile. Cook worked for the Chilean government during both terms and was considered one of its top aides.
Cook, who worked in the governor’s budget office before being appointed first secretary of the state Health Care Agency, remembered McKay as one of the great Florida politicians of the 20th century. He described McKay as a progressive Democrat who was able to win the election from conservative Ocala.
“He managed to get elected and re-elected because he’s a good man and a dedicated public servant who puts public service and the public interest first,” Cook told The Florida Phoenix in a phone interview. That’s what everyone felt,” he said.
“Buddy was a man with a big, positive, thoughtful, progressive vision for Florida. He truly loved his country. Some people pursue power because it’s fun. You know. , it’s fun to wield power, and it leads to that, but some people pursue power in order to serve. And Buddy came to serve because he loved Florida.”
Linda Shelley, who served in various positions in Chile’s administration before becoming chief of staff, said Mr. McKay and Mr. Chiles were a great pair, but they had different personalities as well as political viewpoints.
She noted that McKay is a supporter of a constitutional amendment that would impose a penny-per-pound tax on sugar to help restore the Florida Everglades. He said Chileans do not support the constitutional reforms that were rejected by a majority of voters in 1996.
She recalled Mr. McKay as a “policy geek,” but said the governor was not.
“Mr. Chiles, if you were forced to attend a long and volatile policy briefing, he would take off his hearing aids and fall asleep, but Buddy did not. You want to know the whole thing, not just a little bit,” she said in a phone interview Thursday from Phoenix, Florida.
Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis confirmed McKay’s death on social media.
“We mourn the passing of Buddy McKay, the 42nd Governor of Florida. A veteran of the U.S. Air Force and a lifelong public servant, McKay was dedicated to our country and state. May you rest in peace.”
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