Representative Allison Tant Contact information

Allison Tant is an American former lobbyist, Democratic Party of Florida chair, and politician serving as a member of the Florida House of Representatives from the 9th district. She assumed office on November 3, 2020.

Born in 1961 in Jacksonville, Florida, Tant attended Duncan U. Fletcher High School in Neptune Beach, Florida, graduating in 1979. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication and a Bachelor of Science in psychology from Florida State University.

Tant has worked as a lobbyist for Holland & Knight and Steel Hector & Davis International. From 2014 to 2016, she served as chair of the Florida Democratic Party. In July 2016, Tant cast Florida’s ballots in the 2016 Democratic National Convention for Hillary Clinton. Tant did not seek re-election as chair after the 2016 United States elections, in which Hillary Clinton lost Florida to Donald Trump and Democrats gained only three seats in the Florida Legislature.

In November 2020, Tant was elected to the Florida House of Representatives, succeeding Loranne Ausley. She currently serves as the Representative of District 9 in the Florida House of Representatives which includes Leon, Jefferson and Madison Counties. Allison is the ranking member of the House Post-Secondary Education & Workforce Committee, the ranking member of the Commerce Committee, and a member of the Ways & Means Rules, Health Care Regulation & Insurance & Banking Committees.

Along with being a State Representative, Allison is the Founder of Independence Landing, an innovative and affordable housing option for adults with a range of Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities and is the Founding Chair Emeritus for KEYS (Keys to Exceptional Youth Success), a scholarship program for students with disabilities.

She also serves as an Advisory Board member of the Florida Center for Students with Unique Abilities. Allison is an active member of the Tallahassee Rotary Club, Capital Women’s Network, Tiger Bay, the Board of Directors of the Challenger Learning Center and the Advisory Board for the Adult & Community Education program for Leon County Schools and is the regional representative for the Anti-Defamation League of Florida.

Tant is married to Barry Richard, an attorney and former member of the Florida House of Representatives who was one of several lawyers who represented George W. Bush in Bush v. Gore (2000). Tant and Richard have three children.