When Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Renatha Francis as his next appointee to the Florida Supreme Court back in 2020, Francis had not yet been a member of the Florida Bar for 10 years, a requirement spelled out in the state Constitution.
He attempted to fudge the problem. Geraldine “Geri” Thompson called him on it.
The veteran Democratic state legislator from central Florida fought the Republican governor all the way to a court that he had largely reshaped following his election in 2018. She insisted again and again that DeSantis could not ignore the constitutional requirements even as she applauded him for trying to make Francis the first Caribbean American to sit on the state’s highest court.
In the end, Thompson prevailed — the justices refused to seat her, and the governor had to appoint someone else. He didn’t get to place Francis on the court for another two years, by which time she’d met the Bar requirement.
It was but one example of Thompson’s tenacity in pursuing an issue she believes in — one of many moments during her long career of public service that earned her praise from both sides of the aisle as a fighter and trailblazer.
Thompson, who spent most of the past two decades in the Legislature, serving both in the House and Senate, died Thursday at 76 following complications from knee surgery, according to a statement from her family.
Family members described her as a “dedicated public servant and visionary leader. She was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother whose love, wisdom and compassion shaped their lives and the lives of so many in their community and across the state.”
DeSantis on Friday acknowledged Thompson’s death during a press conference.
“Casey and I send our condolences to the senator’s family. I was surprised to see that news this morning, and I know she meant a lot to a lot of people, particularly in Central Florida. And, you know, she’s been in the Legislature since I’ve been governor, and we have actually worked together on some issues.”
Long career
Thompson was first elected to the state House in 2006, where she spent six years. She was elected to the Senate in 2012 and then ran for Congress in 2016 only to lose to Val Demings in the Democratic primary. Thompson returned to the House two years later and then returned to the Senate in 2022.
The Florida Democratic Party issued a public statement calling Thompson a “true trailblazer” as well as a “lifelong public servant and fighter for civil rights” whose significance “stretched far beyond the average elected official.”
“Over the course of her career she championed access to health care, giving our kids the education they deserve and preserving Black history and culture – most notably the establishment of the Wells’Built Museum of African American History and Culture in Orlando,” the party said in a statement. The museum occupies the site of a hotel that housed Black musicians during segregation.
Thompson’s death startled her Senate colleagues, who had just wrapped up a special session dealing with immigration. Senate President Ben Albritton called her a “force to be reckoned with.”
Sen. Tom Wright recalled working with Thompson on a project for the Wells’Built Museum, recording the audio history of Orlando’s Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Institutional Church.
“It was an honor to contribute to her mission of preserving Florida’s rich history, and I am forever grateful that she entrusted me with this responsibility,” the Republican from Volusia County wrote in a post on Facebook. He added, “May we continue the work she so passionately championed, ensuring that her legacy of service and advocacy lives on.”
Delaitre Hollinger, co-executive director at the Florida Civil Rights Museum and a former legislative aide to Thompson, called her loss “immeasurable.”
“She was perhaps the greatest advocate for African American history, black museums, and preservation of civil rights history in the Legislature. I’m thankful for our time together,” he wrote in a Facebook post.
Former state Rep. Michele Rayner recalled in a social media post how during her first term in the House she sat behind Thompson. “Her wisdom and grace under fire was unmatched. Every time she opened her mouth she masterfully wove history, taught us and appealed to our better angels. I stood, and quite frankly still do, in awe and admiration of her,” wrote Rayner.
“Senator Thompson was tough but kind,” Rayner continued. “She led by example and called us to be better. We, not just the legislature, but the state are better for her service. She will truly be missed. We owe her a debt of gratitude that can never be repaid. Thank you for your selfless service. Rest well.”
Florida Phoenix reporter Jackie Llanos contributed to this report.
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This article appears in Feb 12-18, 2025.