Michael John Haridopolos[1] (born March 15, 1970) is an American politician, consultant, and educator. He previously served in the Florida Senate and was President of the Florida Senate from 2010 to 2012. He also served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2000 to 2003.
In 2000, Haridopolos won an open seat in the Florida House, after winning a six-way Republican primary by over 30 percentage points and later won the November general election 65-35%.[6][7] He won the 2002 Republican primary following re-apportionment with over 82% of the vote and was re-elected to the Florida House with 79% of the vote in the general election.[8][9]
In January 2003, State Senator Howard Futch passed away, and a special election was called in order to elect a new senator. Haridopolos won the Republican Party primary with 84% of the vote, and he won 63% of the vote in the general election to win the remainder of the four-year senate term.[10][11]
In 2008, Haridopolos passed on an open Congressional race with the retirement of Congressman Dave Weldon. Weldon and others asked Haridopolos to run, including the eventual nominee and now Congressman Bill Posey.[12] Haridopolos endorsed Posey. Posey went on to win both the Republican primary and general election.[13] Haridopolos said that he wanted to focus on his likely role as Senate President and continue his push to make the Florida Senate more conservative.
In both 2006 and 2010, Haridopolos was re-elected without opposition to the Florida Senate. Haridopolos actively supported conservative candidates throughout the state in the 2006, 2008, and 2010 election cycles.[14] In the Florida Senate, Haridopolos served as Majority Whip from 2006 to 2008 and, in 2009, was elected President of the Senate.[3] Haridopolos was sworn in as Senate President on November 16, 2010, for a two-year term. He presided over the largest Republican majority (28-12) since Reconstruction.[15] Before being sworn in, Haridopolos made headlines when he removed the doors from his Senate office, making a pledge to be transparent and accessible during his term as President.[16]
Haridopolos is a co-founder of the Freedom Caucus, which has signed Americans for Tax Reform's Taxpayer Protection Pledge to "oppose and vote against any and all efforts to increase taxes" every year before the Legislature goes into session.[17]
Haridopolos family gathers for unveiling of Haridopolos portrait in 2012
Haridopolos sought the Republican nomination to challenge incumbent U.S. Senator Bill Nelson in 2012.[18][19] The Washington Post identified Haridopolos as "one of the state Republican Party's rising stars."[20] On July 18, 2011, Haridopolos released a campaign video stating that he would no longer seek the nomination for the 2012 U.S. Senate seat, effectively ending his campaign.[21]
During his first term as Senate President, he oversaw the balancing of the state's budget which suffered a $4 billion shortfall.[26]
That same year, the Senate also passed more than $300 million in tax relief, including a measure that effectively eliminates the corporate income tax burden for nearly half the roughly 30,000 Florida businesses that currently pay the tax; reformed Florida's entitlement programs, including the state's pension, welfare and Medicaid systems; reformed the state's education system; tightened regulations on unauthorized sales of habit-forming drugs; and reformed the state's growth management laws.[citation needed]
Florida Innocence Commission
In 2010, Haridopolos began to pursue the creation of an innocence commission. The commission sought to review cases where Floridians were possibly falsely imprisoned.[27]
In 2005, Haridopolos supported a claim from Wilton Dedge that he had been convicted and wrongfully imprisoned for 22 years. He was exonerated by DNA testing in August 2004. The claim bill, which awarded Dedge $2 million in compensation, passed in the Florida Legislature during a special session in 2005.[28]
Haridopolos with Senate President Don Gaetz.
In 2012, Haridopolos helped pass two claims bills to compensate victims of wrongful imprisonment.
One was a claim for William Dillon, who had been wrongfully incarcerated for 27 years. He was exonerated after DNA testing. He was compensated $1.35 million by the Florida Legislature.[29]
The other was for Eric Brody, who suffered catastrophic injuries after being struck by a police cruiser in 1999. He was compensated $10.75 million for ongoing medical care.[30]
At the close of the 2012 Legislative Session, a News Service of Florida story noted that "Two lives may be changed for the better by the cash, a long-lasting effect of Haridopolos' persistence."[31]
Senate President Mike Haridopolos
Subsequent career
In 2019, Haridopolos co-authored the book The Modern Republican Party in Florida with Peter Dunbar. The book chronicles the rise of the Republican Party in Florida from the 1950s through the 2018 elections. [32] He continued to teach at the University of Florida after he left the Florida Senate.[33]
He owns and operates MJH Consulting. He has been a lobbyist in Florida.[34] He also is active in both the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the Republican Governors Association.[citation needed]
Personal life
Haridopolos is a Baptist. He currently resides in Melbourne, Florida, with his wife, Dr. Stephanie Haridopolos. They have three adult children; Alexis, Hayden, and Reagan Brooke.
