Former Florida Rep. Mike Hill files to run against Michelle Salzman in Republican primary

Jim Little, Pensacola News Journal
·2 min read
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Former Rep. Mike Hill has filed last-minute paperwork to challenge current District 1 Rep. Michelle Salzman in the Republican primary.

Hill's last-minute filing comes during Florida's qualifying week for the August 2022 primary.

Salzman unseated Hill as the District 1 representative in 2020 when she won the GOP primary by more than 1,000 votes, a 5-point margin of victory.

Hill's previous terms as a legislator have been filled with controversy, and he often filed bills designed to appeal to the Republican base without much chance of passing. Hill never passed a bill directly or an appropriation during his five years in the Florida Legislature.

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State Rep. Mike Hill, R-Pensacola, speaks to a small group of protesters at the "Save Pensacola History" rally in downtown Pensacola on Friday, July 3, 2020. Hill filed last-minute paperwork this week to challenge current District 1 Rep. Michelle Salzman in the Republican primary.
State Rep. Mike Hill, R-Pensacola, speaks to a small group of protesters at the "Save Pensacola History" rally in downtown Pensacola on Friday, July 3, 2020. Hill filed last-minute paperwork this week to challenge current District 1 Rep. Michelle Salzman in the Republican primary.

Hill was first elected in 2013 to District 2, sparking concerns he did not actually live in the district, but Hill claimed a condo he owned at Pensacola Beach was his primary residence at the time. Hill lost a bid for state senate in 2016 and sought the District 1 seat in 2018.

In 2019, Hill drew statewide condemnation from both sides of the political aisle when he laughed at the suggestion from an audience member that gay people should face the death penalty. Hill first refused to apologize, but then issued an apology when Gov. Ron DeSantis backed House leadership in considering a possible censure of Hill.

Michelle Salzman, Florida 1st District representative and Army veteran, speaks during a roundtable with veterans and community leaders to discuss current issues facing veterans at Navy Federal Credit Union in Pensacola on Tuesday, May 31, 2022.
Michelle Salzman, Florida 1st District representative and Army veteran, speaks during a roundtable with veterans and community leaders to discuss current issues facing veterans at Navy Federal Credit Union in Pensacola on Tuesday, May 31, 2022.

In 2020, Salzman ran against Hill's record of failing to get anything done for the district and the message pushed Salzman to victory.

In the latest legislative session, Salzman passed two bills directly and successfully appropriated $12.1 million in projects.

Statehouse candidates have until noon on Friday to either pay the $1,782 fee or turn in 599 petitions signed by Florida voters.

Salzman qualified for the ballot on Monday with petitions, according to the Florida Division of Elections.

The News Journal will have a full list of qualifying state and local candidates at noon on Friday.

Jim Little can be reached at jwlittle@pnj.com and 850-208-9827.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Mike Hill files to run against Michelle Salzman in Republican primary