Click here to download a PDF of Senate President Kathleen Passidomo’s bio.

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PASSIDOMO AS PRESIDENT

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Kathleen Passidomo served as President of the Florida Senate 2022 through 2024. During her two years as leader of the upper chamber in the Florida Legislature, Passidomo championed a series of initiatives to better the lives of Floridians and tackle the challenges facing our state.

 

“Live Healthy” was passed with overwhelming support in 2024. This comprehensive legislation incentivizes innovation in health care, strengthens the pipeline of health care workers and improves access to care across rural communities.

 

“Live Local” was developed to address Florida’s workforce housing shortage. The legislation, which was passed in 2023, created pathways to homeownership for young workers and incentivized developers to construct more affordable housing units.

 

“Learn Local” aimed to break down barrier in the public school system. The legislation reduced administrative burdens on teachers so they can focus on their classrooms.

 

In 2023, Passidomo championed legislation to increase access to one of Florida’s greatest landmarks: Florida’s Wildlife Corridor. The corridor is a collection of state and private-owned lands that are protected from development to preserve the state’s natural beauty, replenish water resources and provide critical habitat for wildlife. Increasing access to the corridor will allow Florida families and visitors to enjoy the natural beauty of our state’s “Central Park.”

 

As Senator Ben Albritton assumed the role of Senate President, Passidomo will remain in the Senate through 2026 to fulfill her term and serve her constituents.

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A LIFE OF PUBLIC SERVICE

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Passidomo is an attorney who specializes in Real Estate Law. Together with her partners, she formed a successful practice in Naples, where she works for individuals, corporations and financial institutions in all aspects of transactional real estate and real estate development.

 

Inspired by her parents, she leveraged her skills to support her community. Over four decades, she helped nearly 100 civic, charitable and business organizations with their corporate documents and governance structure. She created the Collier County Juvenile Justice Council and served as Co-Chair of the Community Engagement Initiative of the Education Foundation of Collier County-Champions for Learning (“Connect Now”), President of the Southwest Florida Land Preservation Trust and Chair of the Board of The United Way of Collier County. She also served as President of the Collier County Bar Association.

 

Passidomo was elected to the Florida Legislature in 2010. She was first elected as a member of the Florida House of Representatives. Then in 2016, she was elected to Florida Senate. During her time in Tallahassee, Passidomo focused on legislation that supported Florida’s most vulnerable populations.

 

As an attorney, she had witnessed many families in Southwest Florida struggling through the foreclosure process during the Great Recession. She formed a partnership of community, civic and governmental organizations to provide pro bono advice and assistance to people facing foreclosure. As a legislator, she was able to reform the process and eliminate unnecessary burdens on Floridians during a difficult time.

 

Having seen scammers take advantage of older populations in her community, Passidomo shepherded bills that would increase penalties for identity theft. She also worked with stakeholders to reform the guardian program in Florida to prevent abuse of seniors and strengthen the integrity of the profession. 

 

During the 2018-2020 legislative session, Passidomo was appointed by Senate President Bill Galvano to serve as the Senate Majority Leader. In 2020, Senate President Wilton Simpson appointed her to serve as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Rules.

 

Passidomo was elected by her colleagues to serve as Senate President during the 2022-2024 legislative term. She is only the third woman in the 185-year history of the Florida Senate to serve at the helm of either legislative chamber in Florida.

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A FAMILY ROOTED IN LOVE

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Passidomo met her husband John while they were students at Stetson University College of Law. They married in 1979 and moved to Naples, using their wedding money to purchase a condominium.

 

Together, they had three daughters: Catarina, Francesca and Gabriella. Catarina and her husband now live in Lexington, Virginia where she teaches at the Washington & Lee University, and they raise their sons William and Emilio. Francesca and her husband Claudio live in Naples, where she practices land use law. Gabriella, also an attorney, serves as a Commissioner with Florida's Public Service Commission. She and her husband Wilson, live in Tallahassee.

 

Kathleen and John were married for 45 years. Both had successful careers in law and public service. Both had a heart for giving back to their community. Both were deeply in love with one another.

 

They had many adventures planned for the years ahead when John tragically died while hiking with Kathleen in Bryce Canyon National Park in 2024. Kathleen continues to the mourn the loss of her husband, life-love and best friend, but she is grateful for the outpouring of support from her colleagues, friends and neighbors in Southwest Florida.

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Click here to download a headshot of Senate President Kathleen Passidomo