Michael Bilirakis

Michael Bilirakis

Michael Bilirakis (born July 16, 1930 in Tarpon Springs , Florida ) is an American politician . Between 1983 and 2007 he represented the state of Florida in the US House of Representatives .

Career

Michael Bilirakis was born in Florida but grew up in Pennsylvania , where he attended the public schools in Clairton . He then studied at Douglas Business College in McKeesport until 1949 . Between 1950 and 1954, including during the Korean War , he was a soldier in the US Air Force . After his military service, he continued his training until 1959 with his studies at the University of Pittsburgh . Bilirakis graduated from the University of Florida at Gainesville with a law degree in 1963 .

During and after his studies, Michael Bilirakis worked in various professions. Among other things, he worked as a steel worker, engineer, teacher and lawyer. He was also a city ​​judge in his native Tarpon Springs and New Port Richey . Politically, Bilirakis joined the Republican Party . In the 1982 congressional elections , he was elected to the US House of Representatives in Washington, DC in the ninth constituency of Florida , where he succeeded Bill Nelson on January 3, 1983 , who moved to the eleventh district. After eleven re-elections, he was able to complete twelve legislative terms in Congress by January 3, 2007 . The Second Gulf War and the Iraq War took place during this period . In 1992, the 27th Amendment to the Constitution was passed in Congress.

In 2006 Michael Bilirakis decided not to run again for Congress. In this year's elections , his son Gus was elected as his successor. In 2009, Michael Bilirakis was in talks for an appointment to the US Senate to fill the vacancy after the resignation of Mel Martínez ; In the end, however, the choice fell on George LeMieux .

Web links

• Michael Bilirakis in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)