Mike Haridopolos
Encyclopedia
Mike Haridopolos is a Republican Party
(GOP) politician from the U.S. state of Florida
. He is president of the Florida Senate
, a body in which he represents the 26th District. He was a candidate for the United States Senate
in the 2012 election
until he withdrew on July 18, 2011. His district of almost 500,000 residents includes parts of Brevard
, Indian River
, St. Lucie
and Osceola
Counties in Eastern Florida
. Haridopolos was sworn in as the 84th President of the Florida Senate on November 16, 2010 and presides over the largest GOP majority since Reconstruction.
. He graduated from Stetson University
in 1992 with a B.A. in History, and in 1993 earned a Masters in History at the University of Arkansas
. Later that year, at the age of twenty-three, he became a history instructor at Brevard Community College
(BCC), and within three years he was named the Department Chair of Social Behavioral Sciences. In 1997, he was promoted to the Chair of the Liberal Arts Department at BCC.
from 2001 through 2003. In 2006, he was on the shortlist to run for Lieutenant Governor of Florida
as the running mate
of Republican nominee Charlie Crist
.
In 2008, Haridopolos declined to run for the U.S. House of Representatives in Florida's 15th congressional district
in order to focus on his coming role as Senate President and his goal to make the Florida Senate more conservative. Republicans gained control of the Senate in 1994. Haridopolos actively supported conservative candidates throughout the state over the last three election cycles.
Haridopolos was sworn-in as Senate President on November 16, 2010 for a two-year term. He presides over the largest Republican majority 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 that signs 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.
Haridopolos has appeared on Fox News’ Huckabee
to discuss Transparency Florida, an initiative he led to put the state budget online. He has also appeared on CNN
as a guest of Lou Dobbs
and has been featured in Florida Trend magazine as a legislator “...who could shape Florida politics.” He was also recently named by the Hotline
as one of six “rising stars” among Republican state legislators.
Haridopolos was seeking the Republican nomination to challenge incumbent U.S. Senator Bill Nelson
in 2012
. The Washington Post 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.” Haridopolos has sought to tie Nelson to President Barack Obama
, saying, “Up to this point, he [Nelson] has been lock-step with President Obama. He voted for the stimulus, he voted for the health-care bill … his actions show that he is tied to President Obama at the hip.” On July 18, 2011, Haridopolos released a campaign video stating he would no longer seek the nominiation for the 2012 U.S. Senate seat, effectively ending his campaign.
From 2004 to 2008, Haridopolos accepted $150,000 from Brevard Community College to write a book. Critics complained that the book was never published. The archived 175 page manuscript was available at the Brevard Community College. The book was published online in 2011 for $9.99 each.
In 2009 he was employed as a lecturer by the Bob Graham Center at the University of Florida, but left that position the following year. In 2010 he was employed as a general education lecturer by the University of Florida.
In 2010, Haridopolos pleaded guilty/no contest to ethics violation charges. He admitted to not disclosing a $400,000 investment home and did not disclose the names of consulting firms from which he received a combined $100,000.
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
(GOP) politician from the U.S. state of Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. He is president of the Florida Senate
Florida Senate
The Florida Senate is the upper house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. The Senate is composed of 40 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 470,032....
, a body in which he represents the 26th District. He was a candidate for the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
in the 2012 election
United States Senate election in Florida, 2012
The 2012 United States Senate election in Florida will be held on November 6, 2012 alongside a presidential election, other elections to the United States Congress, as well as various state and local elections. Incumbent Democratic U.S...
until he withdrew on July 18, 2011. His district of almost 500,000 residents includes parts of Brevard
Brevard County, Florida
Brevard County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida, along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2007 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the population is 536,521, making it the 10th most populous county in the state. Influenced by the presence of the John F. Kennedy Space Center, Brevard...
, Indian River
Indian River County, Florida
Indian River County is a county located in the Treasure Coast region in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 112,947. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county is 128,594...
, St. Lucie
St. Lucie County, Florida
St. Lucie County is a county located in the state of Florida. The county seat is the city of Fort Pierce. In the year 2000, the population was 192,695. As of the year 2010, the United States Census Bureau sets the population at 277,789.- History :...
and Osceola
Osceola County, Florida
Osceola County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 172,493. The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimate for the county is 244,045, making it the 17th fastest-growing county in the United States. Its county seat is Kissimmee.- History :Osceola County was...
Counties in Eastern Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. Haridopolos was sworn in as the 84th President of the Florida Senate on November 16, 2010 and presides over the largest GOP majority since Reconstruction.
Early Life and Education
Haridopolos was born in Huntington, New YorkHuntington, New York
The Town of Huntington is one of ten towns in Suffolk County, New York, USA. Founded in 1653, it is located on the north shore of Long Island in northwestern Suffolk County, with Long Island Sound to its north and Nassau County adjacent to the west. Huntington is part of the New York metropolitan...
. He graduated from Stetson University
Stetson University
Stetson University is a private university with four colleges and schools located across the I-4 corridor in Central Florida. The primary undergraduate campus is located in DeLand, Florida, USA. In the 2012 U.S...
in 1992 with a B.A. in History, and in 1993 earned a Masters in History at the University of Arkansas
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
. Later that year, at the age of twenty-three, he became a history instructor at Brevard Community College
Brevard Community College
Brevard Community College, founded in 1960, is a community college on Florida's Space Coast, in Brevard County, Florida. It has four campuses in Cocoa, Melbourne, Palm Bay, and Titusville, as well as an Aerospace program at Kennedy Space Center and a Virtual Campus...
(BCC), and within three years he was named the Department Chair of Social Behavioral Sciences. In 1997, he was promoted to the Chair of the Liberal Arts Department at BCC.
Political career
Before being elected to the Senate, Haridopolos was a member of the Florida House of RepresentativesFlorida 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 House is composed of 120 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 156,677.The House convenes at...
from 2001 through 2003. In 2006, he was on the shortlist to run for Lieutenant Governor of Florida
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 Florida, and succeeds to the office of Governor if it...
as the running mate
Running mate
A running mate is a person running together with another person on a joint ticket during an election. The term is most often used in reference to the person in the subordinate position but can also properly be used when referring to both candidates, such as "Michael Dukakis and Lloyd Bentsen were...
of Republican nominee Charlie Crist
Charlie Crist
Charles Joseph "Charlie" Crist, Jr. is an American politician who was the 44th Governor of Florida. Prior to his election as governor, Crist previously served as Florida State Senator, Education Commissioner, and Attorney General...
.
In 2008, Haridopolos declined to run for the U.S. House of Representatives in Florida's 15th congressional district
Florida's 15th congressional district
Florida's 15th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Florida. The district contains most of Brevard County south of the city of Cocoa, all of Indian River County, most of Osceola County, and a very small portion of Polk County...
in order to focus on his coming role as Senate President and his goal to make the Florida Senate more conservative. Republicans gained control of the Senate in 1994. Haridopolos actively supported conservative candidates throughout the state over the last three election cycles.
Haridopolos was sworn-in as Senate President on November 16, 2010 for a two-year term. He presides over the largest Republican majority 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 that signs Americans for Tax Reform
Americans for Tax Reform
Americans for Tax Reform is an advocacy group and taxpayer group whose stated goal is "a system in which taxes are simpler, flatter, more visible, and lower than they are today. The government's power to control one's life derives from its power to tax...
'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
Huckabee is a TV political commentary program on Fox News hosted by former Republican Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee. It premiered September 27, 2008, at 8 PM EDT.- Schedule :...
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 U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
as a guest of Lou Dobbs
Lou Dobbs
Louis Carl "Lou" Dobbs is an American journalist, radio host, television host on the Fox Business Network, and author. He anchored CNN's Lou Dobbs Tonight until November 2009 when he announced on the air that he would leave the 24-hour cable news television network.He was born in Texas and lived...
and has been featured in Florida Trend magazine as a legislator “...who could shape Florida politics.” He was also recently named by the Hotline
Hotline
In telecommunication, 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...
as one of six “rising stars” among Republican state legislators.
Haridopolos was seeking the Republican nomination to challenge incumbent U.S. Senator Bill Nelson
Bill Nelson
Clarence William "Bill" Nelson is the senior United States Senator from the state of Florida and a member of the Democratic Party. He is a former U.S. Representative and former Treasurer and Insurance Commissioner of Florida...
in 2012
United States Senate election in Florida, 2012
The 2012 United States Senate election in Florida will be held on November 6, 2012 alongside a presidential election, other elections to the United States Congress, as well as various state and local elections. Incumbent Democratic U.S...
. The Washington Post 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.” Haridopolos has sought to tie Nelson to President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, saying, “Up to this point, he [Nelson] has been lock-step with President Obama. He voted for the stimulus, he voted for the health-care bill … his actions show that he is tied to President Obama at the hip.” On July 18, 2011, Haridopolos released a campaign video stating he would no longer seek the nominiation for the 2012 U.S. Senate seat, effectively ending his campaign.
Ethics violation charges
In 2008, Haridopolos accepted $75,000 for a nine-month lecturer appointment at the University of Florida department of political science, during which time he taught one class and spent half the appointment period in session. He was criticized for accepting this salary, the highest salary paid to a lecturer in the political science department, and because department faculty were not consulted. He was criticized for claiming that he was working on his PhD at the University of Arkansas, though public records show that he had not been enrolled in a doctoral program since 2000.From 2004 to 2008, Haridopolos accepted $150,000 from Brevard Community College to write a book. Critics complained that the book was never published. The archived 175 page manuscript was available at the Brevard Community College. The book was published online in 2011 for $9.99 each.
In 2009 he was employed as a lecturer by the Bob Graham Center at the University of Florida, but left that position the following year. In 2010 he was employed as a general education lecturer by the University of Florida.
In 2010, Haridopolos pleaded guilty/no contest to ethics violation charges. He admitted to not disclosing a $400,000 investment home and did not disclose the names of consulting firms from which he received a combined $100,000.
Family
Sen. Haridopolos is married to Dr. Stephanie Haridopolos and they have three children – Alexis, Hayden and Reagan Brooke.External links
- U.S. Senate Campaign Website
- State Senate Website
- Florida State Legislature - Senator Mike Haridopolos Official Florida Senate Biography
- Project Vote Smart - Senator Mike Haridopolos (FL) Profile
- Follow the Money - Mike Haridopolos