Perry Eugene Thurston Jr.[1][2] (born January 30, 1961) is an American lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Florida Senate from 2016 to 2022.

Thurston was born in Pompano Beach and attended Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in finance in 1982.

When State Representative M. Mandy Dawson did not seek re-election in 1998, making a successful run for the Florida Senate instead, Thurston ran to succeed her in the 93rd District.

Against Alain Valias-Jean, Randy Smith, Sallie Tillman-Watson, and McKinley Williams II, Thurston won the Democratic primary with 43% of the vote.

In that capacity, he played a critical role in the controversy over the proposed Medicaid expansion as provided for by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, joining to support Governor Rick Scott's proposal to take "more than $50 billion from the federal government over the next decade," which would allow "an estimated 1.1 million low-income Floridians to purchase private insurance.

"[9] He faced George Sheldon, who had most recently served as the Assistant Secretary for the Administration for Children and Families in the United States Department of Health and Human Services, in the Democratic primary.

Thurston campaigned on his support for protecting consumers, expanding individual rights, and increasing government oversight, specifically criticizing Bondi for her opposition to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the restoration of felons' civil rights, medical marijuana, and marriage equality.

[17] After incumbent representative Alcee Hastings died of pancreatic cancer, Thurston announced that he would run to succeed him in a special election.