Mike Haridopolos
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Mike Haridopolos (born March 15, 1970) served in the Florida Senate (2003–2012) and was elected President of the
Florida Senate The Florida Senate is the upper house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida, the Florida House of Representatives being the lower house. Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution of Florida, adopted ...
from 2010 to 2012. He presided over the largest
Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
Republican Senate majority (28-12) since Reconstruction. He also served in the
Florida House of Representatives The Florida House of Representatives is the lower house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida, the Florida Senate being the upper house. Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution of Florida, adopted ...
from 2000 to 2003. He now operates MJH Consulting, a leading business and political consulting firm in Florida. He is also a regular news contributor for Fox 35 Orlando on political for both national and state political matters.


Education

Haridopolos received his Bachelor of Arts degree from
Stetson University Stetson University is a private university with four colleges and schools located across the I–4 corridor in Central Florida with the primary undergraduate campus in DeLand. The university was founded in 1883 and was later established in 1887 ...
in History and his Master of Arts degree in History from the
University of Arkansas The University of Arkansas (U of A, UArk, or UA) is a public land-grant research university in Fayetteville, Arkansas. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and the largest university in the state. Founded as Arkansas ...
.


Teaching career

Haridopolos taught United States History and Political Science at
Brevard Community College Eastern Florida State College, formerly Brevard Community College, is a public college in Brevard County, Florida. It is a member of the Florida College System and has campuses in Cocoa, Melbourne, Palm Bay, and Titusville, as well as a Virtu ...
—now
Eastern Florida State College Eastern Florida State College, formerly Brevard Community College, is a public college in Brevard County, Florida. It is a member of the Florida College System and has campuses in Cocoa, Melbourne, Palm Bay, and Titusville, as well as a Virtu ...
—starting in 1993. In 1998, he co-authored the book ''10 Big Issues Facing Our Generation'' with fellow instructor Dr. Amy Hendricks. The book includes liberal and conservative viewpoints, and discusses issues such as Medicare,
Medicaid Medicaid in the United States is a federal and state program that helps with healthcare costs for some people with limited income and resources. Medicaid also offers benefits not normally covered by Medicare, including nursing home care and pers ...
, education, taxes, national defense and
Social Security Welfare, or commonly social welfare, is a type of government support intended to ensure that members of a society can meet basic human needs such as food and shelter. Social security may either be synonymous with welfare, or refer specificall ...
. Beginning in 2007, Haridopolos taught classes as an instructor at the Bob Graham Center at the
University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...
. He created an internship program for university students to work in the legislative process at the
Florida State Capitol The Florida State Capitol in Tallahassee, Florida, is an architecturally and historically significant building listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Capitol is at the intersection of Apalachee Parkway and South ...
in
Tallahassee Tallahassee ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2020, the population ...
. Students took classes early in the morning then worked in the Governor's office, legislative offices and in different agencies or consulting firms. Students who participated in the program now work in the legislative process in
Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
and around the nation.


Political career

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%. As a House freshman, he was recognized as an early leader. 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. In January 2003, State Senator Howard Futch passed away and special election was called in order to elect a new senator.  Haridopolos won the Republican Party primary with 84% of the vote and won 63% of the vote in the general election to win the remainder of the four-year senate term. By 2006 many predicted he would be the
Lieutenant Governor of Florida The lieutenant governor of Florida is a statewide elected office in the government of the U.S. state of Florida. According to the Florida Constitution, the lieutenant governor is elected to a four-year term congruent with that of the governor of ...
as the
running mate A running mate is a person running together with another person on a joint Ticket (election), ticket during an election. The term is most often used in reference to the person in the subordinate position (such as the vice presidential candidate ...
of Republican nominee
Charlie Crist Charles Joseph Crist Jr. (; born July 24, 1956) is an American attorney and politician who served as the 44th governor of Florida from 2007 to 2011 and as the U.S. representative for from 2017 to 2022. Crist has been a member of the Democratic ...
. In 2008 Haridopolos turned down higher office when he 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 William Joseph Posey (born December 18, 1947) is an American businessman and politician serving as the U.S. representative for , in Congress since 2009. A member of the Republican Party, he formerly served in the Florida Senate and the Florida ...
. Posey stated he would have endorsed Haridopolos if he had sought the seat. Haridopolos endorsed Posey, and Posey went on to easily win both the Republican primary and General Election in 2008. Haridopolos said 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. In the Florida Senate Haridopolos served as Majority Whip from 2006–2008 and by 2009 was elected to be President of the Senate by his senate colleagues. 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. 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. Haridopolos is a co-founder of the
Freedom Caucus The Freedom Caucus, also known as the House Freedom Caucus, is a congressional caucus consisting of conservative Republican members of the United States House of Representatives. It is generally considered to be the most conservative and farth ...
that signs
Americans for Tax Reform Americans for Tax Reform (ATR) is a politically conservative U.S. advocacy group whose stated goal is "a system in which taxes are simpler, flatter, more visible, and lower than they are today." According to ATR, "The government's power to control ...
's Taxpayer Protection Pledge to "oppose and vote against any and all efforts to increase taxes" every year before the Legislature goes into session. Haridopolos has appeared on Fox News' ''
Huckabee ''Huckabee'', formerly on Fox News, is a TV political commentary program, following the basic format of a late-night talk variety show, on TBN hosted by former Republican Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee. It premiered on Fox News on September ...
'' to discuss Transparency Florida, an initiative he led to put the state budget online. He has also appeared on
CNN CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by the M ...
as a guest of Lou Dobbs and has been featured in ''
Florida Trend ''Florida Trend'' is a media company delivering business news and information across print and digital platforms. Florida Trend reports on all industry sectors, including health care, education, research and technology, finance, law, transporta ...
'' magazine as a legislator "...who could shape Florida politics". He was also recently named by the
Hotline A hotline is a point-to-point communications link in which a call is automatically directed to the preselected destination without any additional action by the user when the end instrument goes off-hook. An example would be a phone that automat ...
as one of six "rising stars" among Republican state legislators. Haridopolos sought the Republican nomination to challenge incumbent U.S. Senator
Bill Nelson Clarence William Nelson II (born September 29, 1942) is an American politician and attorney serving as the administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Nelson previously served as a United States Senator from Flor ...
in
2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
. The ''
Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' has identified Haridopolos as "one of the state Republican Party's rising stars." The ''Sunshine State News'' called him "Telegenic and energetic,…a rising star in the party, a relentless campaigner and a bona fide conservative who would draw a sharp philosophical contrast to Nelson." 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. During his six month campaign for U.S. Senate, Haridopolos out-fundraised his Republican opponents, raising a total of $3.6 million. His candidacy received a number of endorsements, including former
Arkansas Governor The governor of Arkansas is the head of government of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The governor is the head of the executive branch of the Arkansas government and is charged with enforcing state laws. They have the power to either approve or v ...
Mike Huckabee Michael Dale Huckabee (born August 24, 1955) is an American politician, Baptist minister, and political commentator who served as the 44th governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007. He was a candidate for the Republican Party presidential nomina ...
,
US Congressman The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
Connie Mack Cornelius McGillicuddy (December 22, 1862 – February 8, 1956), better known as Connie Mack, was an American professional baseball catcher, manager, and team owner. The longest-serving manager in Major League Baseball history, he holds untoucha ...
,
CFO The chief financial officer (CFO) is an officer of a company or organization that is assigned the primary responsibility for managing the company's finances, including financial planning, management of financial risks, record-keeping, and financ ...
Jeff Atwater Jeffrey Hardee Atwater (born April 8, 1958) is an American financier who served as the 3rd Chief Financial Officer of Florida from 2011 to 2017, and currently serves as Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and Chief Financial Officer at Flor ...
, and Agriculture Commissioner
Adam Putnam Adam Hughes Putnam (born July 31, 1974) is an American politician who served as the 11th Commissioner of Agriculture of Florida from 2011 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives for fi ...
. He dropped out of the campaign in July 2011 in order to focus on his position as President of the Florida Senate. He continued to teach at the University of Florida after he left the Florida Senate.


Conservative agenda

Haridopolos became Senate President with the largest Republican majority since reconstruction. During his first term as Senate President, he oversaw the balancing of the state's budget which suffered a $4 billion shortfall, without raising taxes or fees. Beyond that the Senate also authorized SmartCap, a constitutional amendment that, if adopted, will place strict caps on government spending, as well as the Health Care Freedom Amendment which fights back against the government takeover of health care. 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. The ''
Orlando Sentinel The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is the primary newspaper of Orlando, Florida, and the Central Florida region. It was founded in 1876 and is currently owned by Tribune Publishing Company. The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is owned by parent company, '' Tribune P ...
'' called the passage of these various measures "…some of the most conservative legislation ever passed out of the state Senate..." During the 2012 Legislative Session, Haridopolos enumerated his goals. The News Service of Florida reported that "…he aridopolossaid the three things he wanted to pass, aside from the two claims bills, were the governor's three big priorities: the increased K-12 education spending, the PIP auto insurance reform, and the tax cut and economic development package. Adding those three to the claims bills, he was five-for-five.


Defending the innocent

In 2010, Haridopolos began to pursue the creation of an innocence commission. The ''Orlando Sentinel'' reported that the commission "would study Florida's disturbing practice of imprisoning innocent people." The same article noted that "…few awmakers however, make lasting impacts — and life-changing differences. Right now, State Sen. Mike Haridopolos is leading a charge to make such a difference." Haridopolos did ultimately secure funding for the creation of the Innocence Commission. 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 Genetic testing, also known as DNA testing, is used to identify changes in DNA sequence or chromosome structure. Genetic testing can also include measuring the results of genetic changes, such as RNA analysis as an output of gene expression, or ...
in August 2004. The claim bill, which awarded Dedge $2 million in compensation, passed in the Florida Legislature during a special session in 2005. In 2012, Haridopolos helped pass two claims bills to compensate victims of government negligence. 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. 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. 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."


Jim Greer controversy

left, Senate President Mike HaridopolosIn 2010, Haridopolos received criticism for the sudden resignation of then
Republican Party of Florida The Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) is the affiliate of the Republican Party in the U.S. state of Florida. It is currently the state's favored party, controlling the majority of Florida's U.S. House seats, both U.S. Senate seats, supermajori ...
Chairman
Jim Greer James A Greer (born June 8, 1962) is an American former politician and businessman, serving from 2006 to 2010 as the chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, and senior political and campaign adviser to the governor. Career Politics ...
. Haridopolos was later validated when Greer was found guilty and sentenced to eighteen months in prison for theft and money-laundering charges.


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.  The academic book published by the University of Florida Press. He owns and operates MJH Consulting. He has been recognized as a leading lobbyist in Florida. He is also active in both the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the
Republican Governors Association The Republican Governors Association (RGA) is a Washington, D.C.-based 527 organization founded in 1961, consisting of U.S. state and territorial Republican governors. The Republican Governors Association is dedicated to one primary objective: ele ...
.


Family

Haridopolos is married to Dr. Stephanie Haridopolos; they have three children, Alexis, Hayden and Reagan Brooke.


References


External links


U.S. Senate Campaign Website

State Senate Website

Project Vote Smart - Senator Mike Haridopolos (FL)
Profile * ''Follow the Money'' - Mike Haridopolos *
200620022000
Campaign Contributions , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Haridopolos, Mike 1970 births American politicians of Greek descent Republican Party Florida state senators Living people Republican Party members of the Florida House of Representatives People from Huntington, New York Presidents of the Florida Senate Stetson University alumni University of Arkansas alumni University of Florida faculty