Colleen Burton is a Republican state senator representing District 12 in Florida, which consists of part of Polk County. Born on April 19, 1958, in Heidelberg, Germany, she moved to Florida in 1987 and has resided in Lakeland since 1993 with her husband Brad, three children, and three grandchildren. She is Roman Catholic and active at Resurrection Catholic Church. Prior to politics, she served as Executive Director of Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Imperial Symphony Orchestra, and Polk Vision, focusing on at-risk youth, arts, culture, and community development in areas like jobs, infrastructure, education, and civic engagement. She has held leadership roles in organizations such as the Lakeland Republican Women’s Club , Catholic Charities of Central Florida West Central Advisory Board, United Way of Central Florida Community Impact Cabinet, Central Florida Development Council Board, Polk County Workforce Development Board, and currently the Board of Directors for Volunteers in Service to the Elderly .

Education and Political Experience

• Education: Bachelor of Science in Public Administration, California State University, Sacramento .
• Political Experience: Elected to the Florida House of Representatives for District 40 , where she was part of House leadership. Elected to the Florida Senate for District 12 in 2022; terms extend through 2030. Notable committee roles include Chair of Health Policy, Vice Chair of Judiciary, and service on Appropriations , Banking and Insurance, Fiscal Policy, Joint Administrative Procedures Committee, and others. She advocates for conservative values.