Suzanne Kosmas
Encyclopedia
Suzanne M. Kosmas is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 2009 until 2011. She is a member of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

. She previously served in the Florida House of Representatives
Florida House of Representatives
The Florida House of Representatives is the lower house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. The House is composed of 120 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 156,677.The House convenes at...

.

The district consists of several portions of the Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...

-Daytona Beach area as well as portions of the Space Coast
Space Coast
The Space Coast is a region in the U.S. state of Florida around Kennedy Space Center , where NASA launched space shuttles until the last one on July 8th, 2011 at 11:29am; and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, site of unmanned civilian and military space launches...

 region.

Early life, education and career

Kosmas has lived in New Smyrna Beach since 1973. She has owned Prestige Properties of New Smyrna Beach, a real estate company, since 1979. Kosmas graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Stetson University
Stetson University
Stetson University is a private university with four colleges and schools located across the I-4 corridor in Central Florida. The primary undergraduate campus is located in DeLand, Florida, USA. In the 2012 U.S...

 in 1998.

Florida House of Representatives

Kosmas represented the 28th District in the Florida House of Representatives
Florida House of Representatives
The Florida House of Representatives is the lower house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. The House is composed of 120 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 156,677.The House convenes at...

 for four consecutive terms, 1996 through 2004, before being term-limited. She was succeeded by Republican Dorothy Hukill.

Committee Assignments

  • Committee on Financial Services
    United States House Committee on Financial Services
    The United States House Committee on Financial Services is the committee of the United States House of Representatives that oversees the entire financial services industry, including the securities, insurance, banking, and housing industries...

    • Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government-Sponsored Enterprises
    • Subcommittee on Domestic Monetary Policy and Technology
      United States House Financial Services Subcommittee on Domestic Monetary Policy and Technology
      The U.S. House Financial Services Subcommittee on Domestic Monetary Policy and Technology is a subcommittee of the House Committee on Financial Services...

    • Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
      United States House Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
      The U.S. House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations is a subcommittee of the House Committee on Financial Services.-Jurisdiction:The Subcommittee conducts oversight of the agencies, departments, and programs under the Committee’s jurisdiction...

  • Committee on Science and Technology
    • Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics
      United States House Science Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics
      The Science Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics is one of five subcommittees of the United States House Committee on Science and Technology.- Jurisdiction :...


Votes

In 2009, Kosmas joined with the Democratic majority to vote for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, abbreviated ARRA and commonly referred to as the Stimulus or The Recovery Act, is an economic stimulus package enacted by the 111th United States Congress in February 2009 and signed into law on February 17, 2009, by President Barack Obama.To...

, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, the American Clean Energy and Security Act
American Clean Energy and Security Act
The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 was an energy bill in the 111th United States Congress that would have established a variant of an emissions trading plan similar to the European Union Emission Trading Scheme...

, and the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act. She originally voted along with 38 other Democrats against the Affordable Health Care for America Act
Affordable Health Care for America Act
The Affordable Health Care for America Act was a bill that was crafted by the United States House of Representatives in November 2009. At the encouragement of the Obama administration, the 111th Congress devoted much of its time to enacting reform of the United States' health care system...

. However, she switched to a "Yes" vote for the Senate version of the bill.

2008

Kosmas was one of the top recruits for the Democrats in the 2008 cycle. Despite the wide perception that Feeney had drawn the 24th for himself while still serving as state house speaker (the district included most of his state house district), the district is actually a fairly marginal district on paper, with a Cook Partisan Voting Index
Cook Partisan Voting Index
The Cook Partisan Voting Index , sometimes referred to as simply the Partisan Voting Index , is a measurement of how strongly an American congressional district or state leans toward one political party compared to the nation as a whole...

 of R+4. It includes most of Democratic-leaning Volusia County, where Kosmas lives.

In 2008, Kosmas campaigned on issues such as fiscal conservatism
Fiscal conservatism
Fiscal conservatism is a political term used to describe a fiscal policy that advocates avoiding deficit spending. Fiscal conservatives often consider reduction of overall government spending and national debt as well as ensuring balanced budget of paramount importance...

, support for veterans, and values like integrity and transparency. Feeney was attacked in independent expenditure ads for his ties to Jack Abramoff
Jack Abramoff
Jack Abramoff is an American former lobbyist and businessman. Convicted in 2006 of mail fraud and conspiracy, he was at the heart of an extensive corruption investigation that led to the conviction of White House officials J. Steven Griles and David Safavian, U.S. Representative Bob Ney, and nine...

, the negative perception of which was exacerbated by Feeney's own.

In the November election, Kosmas won, taking 57% of the vote to Feeney's 41% — the largest margin of defeat for a Republican incumbent in the 2008 cycle.

2010

Kosmas defeated former Winter Springs Mayor Paul Partyka in the Democratic primary.

Kosmas was defeated for re-election by former State Representative Sandy Adams
Sandy Adams
Sandra "Sandy" Adams is the U.S. Representative for . She is a member of the Republican Party. She is also a former law enforcement professional who represented District 33 in the Florida House of Representatives....

 on Nov. 2, 2010 by a 60% to 40% margin. Ironically, two years after handing Feeney the largest margin of defeat for a Republican incumbent in the 2008 cycle, Kosmas herself lost by the second-largest margin of any Democratic incumbent in the 2010 cycle.

External links

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