Betty Holzendorf


Betty Smith Holzendorf served in the Florida Senate and was selected as Democratic Leader Pro Tempore in 1998. She served four years in the Florida House of Representatives and 10 years in the Florida Senate.

Life and career

Holzendorf was born in Jacksonville on April 5, 1939. She graduated from Edward Waters College and the University of North Florida, both in Jacksonville. She married King Holzendorf who served as a city councilman in Jacksonville.
In the 1960s she was an administrative aide to mayor Jake Godbold.
Holzendorf was defeated in 2003 in a race for the Mayor of Jacksonville. The Jacksonville Daily Record interviewed her during her mayoral campaign.
Holzendorf died on February 29, 2024, at the age of 84. Betty Holzendorf Drive In Jacksonville is named in her honor.