William C. Cramer

William Cato Cramer Sr. (August 4, 1922 – October 18, 2003), was an American attorney, lobbyist, and Republican Party politician who represented Florida in the United States House of Representatives from 1955 to 1971. His district was centered on his hometown of St. Petersburg and Pinellas County. As the first Republican elected to represent Florida since 1880, Cramer was a significant figure in the revival of the state party, and his 1954 election was an early example of Republican resurgence in the Southern United States.

Cramer was born in Denver, Colorado and raised in St. Petersburg. After serving in the United States Navy and graduating from Harvard Law School, he returned to St. Petersburg and entered politics as a liberal Republican. He was elected county attorney and represented Pinellas County in the Florida House of Representatives. In 1954, Cramer unseated incumbent Democratic representative Courtney W. Campbell by a narrow margin. He served in the House until 1970, when he ran for the United States Senate but was defeated by Lawton Chiles.

In the U.S. House, Cramer was ranking member of the subcommittee on Roads and influenced federal highway policy during a period of major expansion, including by ensuring that the Interstate Highway System remained toll-free and securing federal funding for Interstate 75 between Tampa and Miami. He was also instrumental in reviving the Republican Party of Florida, taking advantage of the state's changing demographics by recruiting Republican migrants from the Northern and Midwestern states and Cuban Americans. From 1964 until 1984, Cramer represented Florida on the Republican National Committee and served as its legal counsel for six years.