First elected to the Florida Senate in 2010, Lizbeth Benacquisto currently represents Southwest Florida in the 30th district. Senator Benacquisto was named the Majority Leader for the Republican caucus in the Florida Senate in fall of 2012. Additionally she was appointed to be the Vice Chair of the Budget Committee.
Senator Benacquisto has also served as Vice Chair of Florida’s Government Efficiency Taskforce, a joint legislative and executive taskforce that focuses on reducing governmental waste and over regulation. In this position, she is focused on finding efficient ways to save taxpayer dollars. She sits on a number of other significant committees in the Florida Senate, including Education, Banking and Insurance, Transportation, Rules, and Ethics and Elections.
Senator Benacquisto has been a Florida resident for more than 34 years. She graduated from Palm Beach Atlantic University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Organizational Management.
Since her election to the Legislature, Senator Benacquisto has maintained her focus on good public policy, sponsoring legislation like the Andrew Widman Act to protect law enforcement officers and keep our streets safe, the Silver Alert Program to protect our seniors, and the Qualified Targeted Industries bill to help incentivize global trade and logistical businesses in the state.
Her hard work during her first session did not go unnoticed, with many local organizations recognizing her accomplishments. Recent honors include being named the Boys and Girls Club of Lee County Children’s Advocate of the Year, PACE Center for Girls’ Senator of the Year, Southwest Florida Library Champion, as well as being awarded an “A” rating from business groups such as the Florida Chamber of Commerce, Associated Industries of Florida, and Associated Builders and Contractors.
