# Jim Sebesta

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{{Short description|American politician (1935–2024)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name          = Jim Sebesta
| image         = Senator Jim Sebesta.jpg
| image_size    =
| state_senate  = Florida
| district      = [16th](/source/Florida's_16th_Senate_district)
| term_start    = 2002
| term_end      = 2006
| predecessor   = [Locke Burt](/source/Locke_Burt)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=5485|title=Our Campaigns - FL State Senate 16 Race - Nov 05, 2002|website=www.ourcampaigns.com}}</ref>
| successor     = [Charlie Justice](/source/Charlie_Justice_(politician))
| state_senate1 = Florida
| district1     = 20th
| term_start1   = 1999
| term_end1     = 2003
| predecessor1  = [Charlie Crist](/source/Charlie_Crist)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=7800|title=Our Campaigns - FL State Senate 20 Race - Nov 03, 1998|website=www.ourcampaigns.com}}</ref>
| successor1    = [Anna Cowin](/source/Anna_Cowin)
| office2       = [Hillsborough County](/source/Hillsborough_County%2C_Florida) Supervisor of Elections
| term_start2   = 1970
| term_end2     = 1974
| predecessor2  = 
| successor2    = 
| birth_date    = {{birth date|1935|8|24}}
| birth_place   = [Pontiac, Illinois](/source/Pontiac%2C_Illinois), U.S.
| death_date    = {{death date and age|2024|1|29|1935|8|24}}
| death_place   = 
| party         = [Republican](/source/Republican_Party_(United_States))
| spouse        = Jean
| profession    = Real Estate/Broker/Developer,
| children      = Six
| alma_mater    = [Loyola University](/source/Loyola_University_Chicago) ([BSC](/source/Bachelor_of_Science))<br>[DePaul University](/source/DePaul_University) ([MBA](/source/Master_of_Business_Administration)) 
}}

'''James Alvin Sebesta''' (August 24, 1935 – January 29, 2024) was an [American politician](/source/American_politician). He served as a Republican member of the [Florida Senate](/source/Florida_Senate) from 1998 to 2006.<ref name="ufl">{{cite web|url=http://www.uflib.ufl.edu/fefdl/florida/Senate18452001.html|title=Florida Senators|publisher=uflib.ufl.edu|accessdate=September 21, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://votesmart.org/|title=The Voter's Self Defense System|website=Vote Smart}}</ref> He previously served as [Hillsborough County](/source/Hillsborough_County%2C_Florida) Supervisor of Elections from 1970 to 1974.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://public.lobbytools.com/index.cfm?type=legislators&id=20|title=Former Florida Senator Jim Sebesta (R) &#124; LobbyTools|website=public.lobbytools.com}}</ref> He died on January 29, 2024, at the age of 88.<ref>[https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/james-sebesta-obituary?id=54266983 James Sebesta obituary]</ref><ref>[https://floridapolitics.com/archives/656138-former-state-sen-jim-sebesta-dies-at-88/ Former state Sen. Jim Sebesta dies at 88]</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=chancellor |date=2024-02-05 |title=James A. Sebesta |url=https://www.dosp.org/james-a-sebesta/ |access-date=2025-04-25 |website=Diocese of Saint Petersburg |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Early life==
Sebesta was born in [Pontiac, Illinois](/source/Pontiac%2C_Illinois) on August 24, 1935, and studied at [Loyola University Chicago](/source/Loyola_University_Chicago) and [DePaul University](/source/DePaul_University), from where he attained a [Masters in Business Administration](/source/Masters_in_Business_Administration) (MBA).<ref name="tampabaytimes">{{cite web |title=Former Florida state Sen. Jim Sebesta dead at 88 |url=https://www.tampabay.com/news/st-petersburg/2024/01/31/former-florida-state-sen-jim-sebesta-dead-88/ |website=[Tampa Bay Times](/source/Tampa_Bay_Times) |access-date=February 6, 2024 |date=January 31, 2024}}</ref>

Sebesta and his wife, Jean, subsequently moved to Florida where he became general manager of a radio station in [Lake Wales](/source/Lake_Wales), and a member of the [Lake Wales City](/source/Lake_Wales_City_Hall) Commission.<ref name="tampabaytimes" />

==Political career==
He became Hillsborough County elections supervisor in 1972, succeeding [Jim Fair](/source/Jim_Fair), and ran unsuccessfully to become [Secretary of State of Florida](/source/Secretary_of_State_of_Florida) two years later. In 1976, he oversaw the Florida division of [Gerald Ford](/source/Gerald_Ford)'s [Presidential campaign](/source/1976_United_States_Presidential_election).<ref name="tampabaytimes" />

Sebesta and his family moved to [St. Petersburg, Florida](/source/St._Petersburg%2C_Florida) in 1984, where he started a home building company. He returned to politics in 1998, elected to the [Florida State Senate](/source/Florida_State_Senate) and becoming Republican majority whip and transportation committee chairman.<ref name="tampabaytimes" />

After stepping down from the Senate in 2006, Sebesta was appointed to the Florida Transportation Commission by [Governor Rick Scott](/source/Rick_Scott).<ref name="tampabaytimes" />

==Death==
Sebesta died following complications from [dementia](/source/dementia) on January 29, 2024, aged 88; at the time of his death he had six children, 12 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren.<ref name="tampabaytimes" />

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-ppo}}
{{s-bef|before=Don B. Mieklejohn}}
{{s-ttl|title=[Republican](/source/Republican_Party_(United_States)) nominee for [Secretary of State of Florida](/source/Secretary_of_State_of_Florida)|years=1974}}
{{s-aft|after=[Ander Crenshaw](/source/Ander_Crenshaw)}}
{{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sebesta, Jim}}
Category:1935 births
Category:2024 deaths
Category:People from Pontiac, Illinois
Category:Loyola University Chicago alumni
Category:DePaul University alumni
Category:People from Lake Wales, Florida
Category:Politicians from Tampa, Florida
Category:Politicians from St. Petersburg, Florida
Category:Republican Party Florida state senators
Category:Deaths from dementia in Florida
Category:American Catholics
Category:20th-century members of the Florida Legislature
Category:21st-century members of the Florida Legislature

{{Florida-FLSenate-stub}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Jim Sebesta](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Sebesta) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Sebesta?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.