Ralph Haben
Ralph H. Haben, Jr. is an American attorney, lobbyist, and politician who served as the Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives from 1980 to 1982. Haben graduated from the University of Florida in 1964 and Cumberland School of Law in 1967, and began working as a government prosecutor, first for the city of Palmetto, Florida, and then for the Twelfth [Judicial Circuit Court of Florida]. He eventually became a judge before running for the Florida House of Representatives in 1972. In the House, he served on numerous committees, including the Criminal Justice Committee, and eventually became Speaker. He left the legislature to run for Florida Comptroller in 1982, but lost the only election in his electoral history. He briefly considered a run for Governor of Florida, but decided instead to become a lobbyist for many large interests in the state legislature.
Haben was known as a fairly conservative Democrat who focused on criminal issues; his tenure including multiple attempts to increase the penalties on criminals and create new task forces and funding to combat organized and violent crime. He also sought a number of tax increases to help pay for transportation costs, and opposed both the state Sunshine Amendment requiring that politicians disclose their financial assets, and the Equal Rights Amendment.
Life
Haben was born on November 25, 1941, in Atlanta, Georgia. Haben graduated from Palmetto High School. He went on to earn an Education degree from the University of Florida in 1964, where he was a member of Phi Delta Theta. In 1967, he received his Juris Doctor from Cumberland School of Law, where he was a member of Phi Delta Phi.He served in the National Guard of the United States. He is an outdoorsman, and his hobbies include fishing, skiing, and tennis. He also piloted his small plane often. He is a member of the Kiwanis organization and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. He nearly died from a serious case of hashimoto's thyroiditis in 1991, but was stabilized at Shands at the University of Florida. This was the fourth time he nearly died, following a black widow bite, the sinking of a boat 12 miles offshore, and a plane crash.
Legal career
For the majority of his legal career, Haben served as a government prosecutor. He was City Prosecutor for Palmetto, Florida, and then Assistant State Prosecutor for the Twelfth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida. He later became a judge for the Palmetto and Anna Maria, Florida, area. He left the bench and opened a private practice that he continued to operate while in the Florida legislature.Political career
Haben was first elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 1972. He represented the 71st district, which encompassed parts of Manatee County, Hardee County, and three precincts of Sarasota County. He received numerous awards during his tenure, including 1977 Unified Sportsmen outstanding legislator of the year, 1979 Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers Outstanding Legislative Contribution, 1976 Florida Sheriffs Association Distinguished Service Award for Law Enforcement, and 1980 University of Florida Outstanding Alumnus.Speaker of the House
Haben ran for the 1980 through 1982 Speakership in 1978. At first, he had an opponent for the position, but won his bid when the other candidate Franklin Mann dropped out of the race.Committees
Haben served as the chairman of the House Criminal Justice Committee; when he first began, he was the youngest committee chair in the House at 35. He also chaired the Subcommittee on Banks and Banking, as well as serving on the Finance and Taxation, Tourism and Economic Development, and Transportation and Commerce Committees.Electoral history
Haben was first elected to the House in 1972. That year, he defeated Floyd Price in the Democratic primary, and Republican Don Miller, Jr. in the general election. He was re-elected without opposition in 1974 and 1976. He only ever lost one election, when he tried to unseat incumbent Democrat Florida Comptroller Gerald Lewis in 1982. At the time, it was the most expensive Florida Cabinet race ever run, with over $1.7 million spent.Haben had hoped to use the position as a stepping stone to the position of Governor of Florida; he considered taking on many different incumbents, but decided on Lewis, believing him vulnerable. He also briefly considered a run for United States Congress and also a switch to the Republican Party to run for their gubernatorial nomination. He briefly considered running for governor in the 1986 election, but eventually decided not to.