Senator Lori Berman Contact information

Lori Berman, born on June 27, 1958, in New York City, is a Democratic member of the Florida Senate. She represents the 26th district, which encompasses parts of central Palm Beach County. Her political journey began with her election to the Florida House of Representatives in 2010, where she served four terms until her election to the Senate in an April 2018 special election.

Berman was born to a Jewish family in New York City and moved to the state of Florida in 1958. She attended Tufts University, where she graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in 1980. Following this, she attended the George Washington University Law School, graduating in 1983. She returned to Florida and, years later, attended the University of Miami School of Law, where she received a Master of Laws with a specialty in estate planning in 2002.

While working as an attorney in South Florida, Berman became active in politics, working for the congressional campaigns of former Congressman Robert Wexler and in his congressional office. When incumbent State Representative Maria Sachs opted to run for the Florida Senate rather than seek re-election, Berman ran to succeed her in the Democratic primary in the 86th District, which stretched from Hypoluxo to Boca Raton in eastern Palm Beach County. She defeated her only opponent, Carole Penny Kaye, in a landslide, receiving 79% of the vote. In the general election, Berman was unopposed and won her first term uncontested.

In 2012, when the Florida House districts were reconfigured, Berman was redistricted into the 90th District, which included most of the territory that she had previously represented. She won the nomination of her party unopposed, and in the general election, faced Republican nominee Sean Michael Kasper. Despite adhering “too much to liberal party doctrine,” The Palm Beach Post endorsed Berman for re-election, praising her for having “an impact in a GOP-dominated legislature.” The South Florida Sun-Sentinel concurred, criticizing Kasper for “his lack of understanding…the issues facing lawmakers and the basics of…the legislative process,” but endorsing Berman for her “decent record of representing county residents in Tallahassee.” She ended up defeating Kasper in a landslide, receiving 68% of the vote to his 32%.

While serving in the legislature, Berman joined with fellow State Representative Janet Cruz to propose legislation that would ratify the Equal Rights Amendment in the state of Florida. She continues to serve the people of Florida with dedication and commitment.