John Hugh “Buddy” Dyer was born on August 7, 1958, in Orlando, Florida, and raised in nearby Kissimmee. He graduated from Osceola High School. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in civil engineering from Brown University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Florida College of Law, where he served as Editor-in-Chief of the University of Florida Law Review and was a member of the Florida Blue Key honor society.
Before entering politics, Dyer worked as an environmental engineer and later as an attorney.
Florida State Senate (1992–2002)
Dyer was elected to the Florida Senate (District 14) in 1992 and served until 2002. His colleagues elected him Senate Democratic Leader for the final three years of his tenure. In 2002, he ran unsuccessfully for Florida Attorney General.
Mayor of Orlando (2003–present)
Dyer was elected the 48th (and current) Mayor of Orlando in a special election on February 25, 2003, following Glenda Hood’s resignation (he took office in March 2003). He has been re-elected five times and is now in his sixth full term, which runs through January 10, 2028. He is Orlando’s longest-serving mayor.
Notable Events and Controversies
In 2005, Dyer and others faced (and later had dismissed) felony charges related to a state law on absentee-ballot collection; he was briefly suspended by Gov. Jeb Bush but returned to office.
He supported a 2006 city ordinance restricting large group feedings in downtown parks (aimed partly at addressing homelessness concerns); it was struck down in federal court as unconstitutional.
No major unresolved personal or ethical scandals appear in recent credible reporting.
