Mike Miller (Florida politician)
| Mike Miller | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Florida House of Representatives from the 47th district | |
|
Assumed office November 18, 2014 | |
| Preceded by | Linda Stewart |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
May 18, 1968 Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Nora |
| Children | Jack, Katie |
| Alma mater |
University of Florida (B.A.) Rollins College (M.B.A.) |
| Profession | Fundraising and development |
| Religion | Catholicism |
Michael Joseph "Mike" Miller (born May 18, 1968) is a Republican politician who currently serves as a member of the Florida House of Representatives, representing the 47th District, which includes Belle Isle, Edgewood, Orlando, and Winter Park in central Orange County, since 2014.
History
Miller was born in Washington, D.C., and later moved to the state of Florida, attending the University of Florida on a baseball scholarship. After graduating from college, he worked for United States Senator Connie Mack III as a staff assistant. In 2000, when Ric Keller was elected to the United States House of Representatives, Miller was selected as his district director, a position that he held for three years. He worked on Bill McCollum's 2004 United States Senate campaign, which was ultimately unsuccessful, as his finance director. After leaving the McCollum campaign, Miller worked as a consultant in business development, serving as the Business Development Officer at CNLBank and becoming the Director of Development and the Director of Marketing and Corporate Sponsorship of Athletics at Rollins College. While working as a consultant, he attended Rollins, receiving his Master of Business Administration in 2008.
Florida House of Representatives
In 2014, incumbent State Representative Linda Stewart, a Democrat, ran for re-election in the 47th District, so Miller ran against her. He faced environmental consultant Mo Pearson in the Republican primary, and despite the fact that the Orlando Sentinel endorsed Pearson over him,[1] Miller won the primary overwhelmingly with 74% of the vote. Advancing to the general election, a contentious campaign took place between Miller and Stewart. He campaigned on his ability to be effective as a Republican in a Republican-dominated House and his support of protecting water resources and diversifying the economy.[2] Miller was attacked during the campaign for allegedly lying about his employment status at Rollins during the campaign, and returned by attacking Stewart for failing to report income from a rental property.[3] The Sentinel, though praising both candidates as "well-qualified," endorsed Stewart, praising her for her ability to "work effectively in the minority" and for her "compassionate and common-sense approach to public policy."[4] Ultimately, Miller ended up narrowly defeating Stewart, winning his first term in the legislature with 52% of the vote.
References
- ↑ "Sen. Dist. 12, House Dist. 47: Editorial". Orlando Sentinel. August 7, 2014. Retrieved December 11, 2014.
- ↑ Kunerth, Jeff (October 7, 2014). "District 47 candidates spar over marijuana, conservation amendments". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved December 11, 2014.
- ↑ Kunerth, Jeff (October 29, 2014). "Miller's employment claim, Stewart's land become issues in District 47 race". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved December 11, 2014.
- ↑ "Our picks for Legislature, part 1: Editorial". Orlando Sentinel. October 8, 2014. Retrieved December 11, 2014.
