Preceded by Clay Ford Name Mike Hill Religion Christian | Profession Insurance agent Political party Republican Party Republican Party | |
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Full Name Walter Bryan Hill Born June 2, 1958 (age 65)
Scott Air Force Base, Illinois ( 1958-06-02 ) Alma mater United States Air Force Academy (B.S.)
University of West Florida (M.B.A.) Role Member of Florida House of Representatives Office Member of Florida House of Representatives since 2013 Education United States Air Force Academy, University of West Florida | ||
Mike hill for florida state senate district 1
Walter Bryan "Mike" Hill (born June 2, 1958) is a Republican member of the Florida House of Representatives, representing the 2nd District, which includes southern Escambia County and parts of Gulf Breeze in Santa Rosa County, since 2013.
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History
Hill was born at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois, and attended the United States Air Force Academy, from which he graduated in 1980. Following graduation, he joined the United States Air Force, serving from 1980 to 1990. While serving, Hill received the Air Force Achievement Medal, the Air Force Commendation Medal, the Air Force Organizational Excellence Award, and was named the Armament Division Company Grade Officer of the Year in 1988. He moved to Florida in 1985 and attended the University of West Florida, graduating with his Master of Business Administration in 1988. He then worked as an insurance agent for State Farm Insurance, while serving as a board member for Okaloosa Walton Community College from 1991 to 1996 and West Florida Hospital from 2003 to 2009. Hill also served as the President of the Northwest Florida Tea Party movement from 2010 to 2013.
Florida House of Representatives
Following the death on March 18, 2013, of Republican State Representative Clay Ford, who had represented the 2nd District since 2007, Hill ran in the special election and defeated Scott Miller, Ed Gray, Mark Taylor, Jack Nobles and David Radcliffe in the Republican primary with 42 percent of the vote. He was endorsed in his primary campaign by the Pensacola News Journal, which declared that his "military experience, passion for open government, and business experience" made him the best candidate. In the general election, he faced Jeremy Lau, the Democratic nominee and a labor union official. Lau received the support of Ed Gray, whom Hill had defeated in the primary, and attacked Hill for not living in the district. However, owing to the district's strong partisan lean, Hill defeated Lau comfortably, having won 58 percent of the vote, which enabled him to become the legislature's only African-American Republican member.
In his campaign for re-election in 2014, Hill faced Lau once again. Hill campaigned for re-election with the full support of the Republican Party of Florida, which declared, "Mike Hill knows what his constituents want. They want someone who will fight for increased spending in education, for reduced taxes, and regulations and that is what Mike Hill represents." He ended up defeating Lau in a landslide once again, winning 65% of the vote to Lau's 35%.