High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Van B. "Harold" Poole Born on June 23, 1921 in Orlando, Florida. Poole is a former Republican politician from Florida. He spent twelve years in the Florida House of Representatives, including a stint as House Minority Whip. He was head of the Florida Department of Business Regulation under Republican Governor Robert Martinez. In 1982, he challenged incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Lawton Chiles, garnering 38.3% of the vote. He then chaired the Florida Republican Party from 1989-93. In 2001, then-Governor Jeb Bush appointed him to the Federal Judicial Nomination Commission, headed by Robert Martinez. Poole spent 20 years as an insurance executive with Krieg Kostas & Poole and is currently a lobbyist with Dutko Poole McKinley.