Former Gov. MacKay Dies at 91

TALLAHASSEE — Former Florida Gov. Kenneth “Buddy” MacKay, 91, died peacefully during an afternoon nap at his home in Ocala surrounded by his wife and sons on New Year’s Eve, a family spokesman said Thursday.

MacKay’s decades-long public-service career included stints as a state legislator, U.S. representative, lieutenant governor and — briefly — governor.

MacKay was elected lieutenant governor in 1990 alongside the late Gov. Lawton Chiles. The Democrats were re-elected in 1994.

MacKay ran to succeed Chiles in 1998, but was defeated by Republican Jeb Bush. Shortly before leaving office, however, MacKay stepped in as governor after Chiles’ sudden death on Dec. 12, 1998. MacKay’s tenure as the state’s chief executive lasted until Bush was sworn in on Jan. 6, 1999.

“Gov MacKay was one of Florida’s greatest leaders and statesmen with a career of service that benefited all the people of Florida,” Ron Sachs, who served as communications director in the Chiles administration, said Thursday in a phone call speaking on behalf of the MacKay family.

At the time of his death, MacKay was with his wife, Anne, and all four of his adult sons who were visiting during the holidays, according to Sachs. MacKay “had a regimen of taking a short afternoon nap most of his adult life,” Sachs added

Bush and his wife, Columba, offered condolences.

“Columba and I send our deepest sympathies to Anne and the MacKay family as they mourn the loss of their beloved husband and father,” Bush said in a post on the social-media platform X. “Governor MacKay’s life was dedicated to serving the state of Florida, which he did with honor and distinction.”

MacKay, Chiles and other leaders, such as former Gov. and U.S. Sen. Bob Graham, were part of a bygone era when Democrats controlled the state. Graham died in April at age 87.

Sachs credited MacKay with encouraging Chiles, a former U.S. senator and legendary figure in Florida politics, to “come off the sidelines and run for governor” in 1990. Chiles demonstrated his confidence in his second-in-command by using MacKay as a fixer for a variety of high-profile issues, including overseeing the response to Hurricane Andrew. The storm tore through Miami-Dade County in 1992.

MacKay also helped sort out the city of Miami’s financial woes and stepped in to temporarily lead the troubled Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services. The agency later was broken apart into separate agencies to oversee health and human-services issues.

“He came into the job of lieutenant governor as probably the most accomplished person to ever hold the job, and that’s why Gov. Chiles gave him so many responsibilities,” Sachs said.

MacKay, a softspoken Ocala native with a Southern twang and a humble demeanor, was a lawyer who was elected to the Florida House in 1968 and the Florida Senate in 1975, according to information on the Florida Department of State website. He was elected to the U.S. House in 1982 in a district that included all or parts of eight counties and served three terms in Washington.

But in 1988, MacKay lost a bruising U.S. Senate race to Republican Connie Mack by less than 35,000 votes out of more than 4 million cast.

Two years later, MacKay joined Chiles on the ticket as Democrats won back the governor’s mansion by unseating Republican Gov. Bob Martinez.

Chiles’ death in the final weeks of his administration shook the state and thrust MacKay into the spotlight. MacKay was the state’s last Democratic governor.

“Always thought the true Shakespearean tragedy of Florida politics was this man got to live his dream for 24 days only because his best friend died,” Steve Schale, a Democratic consultant who ran former President Barack Obama’s Florida campaign in 2008 and earlier worked as a legislative aide, said in a text message. “He was very kind to me when I was a pup aide and I always remembered that.”

Details about funeral or memorial arrangements had not been announced early Thursday afternoon.

“His was a life well-lived, looking out for others in his public and private life,” Jon Moyle, a lobbyist who served as legislative affairs director for the Chiles administration, said in a text message Thursday.