Joseph A. "Joe" Gibbons is a Democratic politician who served as a member of the Florida House of Representatives from 2006 to 2014, representing the 105th District from 2006 to 2012 and the 100th District, which includes eastern Broward County and eastern Miami-Dade County, from 2012 to 2014.
When incumbent State Representative Kenneth A. Gottlieb was unable to seek re-election in 2006, Gibbons ran to succeed him in the 105th District, which stretched from Pembroke Pines to Hallandale Beach in southern Broward County. In the Democratic primary, Gibbons narrowly defeated Henry Rose by 331 votes, and was uncontested in the general election. He was re-elected without opposition in 2008 and 2010. In 2012, following the redistricting process, Gibbons was redrawn into the 100th District, which included his home in Hallandale Beach and stretched from Fort Lauderdale in Broward to Indian Creek. Gibbons was opposed in the Democratic primary by Sheldon Lisbon, a former Surfside Town Commissioner and son of Holocaust survivors. During the course of the campaign, Lisbon sent out a controversial campaign email that said, " is primarily a Jewish district that composed of residents like us," which contrasted with the fact that Gibbons is African-American. The Anti-Defamation League blasted Lisbon for the email, which they called "divisive" and "contrary to the ideal of including all Americans in the political process." Gibbons ultimately defeated Lisbon in the primary, winning 55% of the vote to Lisbon's 45%. In the general election, Gibbons was elected to his final term in the House unopposed once again.
In 2014, Gibbons was term-limited and was unable to run for re-election in the Florida House of Representatives, so he instead ran for the Broward County Commission in the 6th District, which consists of southeastern Broward County, stretching from Pembroke Pines to Hollywood and Hallandale Beach, as incumbent County Commissioner Sue Gunzburger could not seek re-election. He faced former Hollywood City Commissioner Beam Furr, and during the campaign, came under fire for whether he actively lived in the county or not. In 2009 and 2010, the County Property Appraiser's Office determined that he "falsely claimed his Hallandale Beach condo was his permanent residence," and his wife, Ava Parker, continues to maintain her residence and business in Jacksonville, where they are raising their children, while she spends most of her time in Lakeland as the Chief Operating Officer at Florida Polytechnic University. The Sun-Sentinel, though praising Gibbons as a "strong candidate," ultimately endorsed Furr, praising his "demonstrated courage in looking out for taxpayers." Ultimately, Furr comfortably defeated Gibbons, receiving 57% of the vote to Gibbons's 43%.
