Billy Cypress Billy Cypress, the former long-serving chair of the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians died on February 28th at the age of 74. First elected to the Miccosukee Business Council in 1973, Cypress served for 26 years as chair. During his tenure, he helped reclaim tens of thousands of acres for the Tribe, established the Tribe’s gaming operations, pioneered an embassy and authorized Tribal passports that were formally recognized. As strong advocate for the Everglades, Cypress helped set pollution-control standards and brought billions of dollars in state and federal funding in support of restoration efforts.
Lincoln Díaz-Balart Lincoln Díaz-Balart, a Cuban American Republican politician died on March 3rd at the age of 70. The son of a prominent and powerful Cuban family, they fled Cuba in 1958 after the rise of Fidel Castro. Díaz-Balart served in the U.S. House of Representatives for 18 years (1993-2011) and was known for defending immigrants and fiercely opposing Castro’s regime. He strove to help restore democracy in his native Cuba. Like many Cuban Americans, he was initially a Democrat, leading the Florida Young Democrats and running unsuccessfully for the State Legislature in 1982. But along with other Cuban exiles and their children, he began to identify as a Republican during the administration of President Ronald Reagan. He remained staunchly Republican thereafter.
Geraldine Thompson Senator Geraldine F. “Geri” Thompson (D-Orlando) died on February 13th following complications from knee replacement surgery. Thompson served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2006-2012 and 2018-2022 and in the Florida Senate 2012-2016 and 2022-2025. Born in New Orleans, she moved to Florida as a young child. She later graduated from the University of Miami and Florida State University. Thompson was a former Orange County school teacher and Valencia College administrator and the founder of the Wells’ Built Museum of African American History and Culture in Orlando. Current U.S. Representative Maxwell Frost summed up her life by saying “For nearly 20 years in the Florida Legislature, she broke barriers and created opportunities, especially for Black and Brown communities and those too often overlooked. She paved the way for many, including myself, to step up and serve our communities.”