Michelle Salzman
Member of the Florida House of Representatives
from the 1st district
Assumed office
November 3, 2020
Preceded byMike Hill
Personal details
Born (1977-07-05) July 5, 1977
Texas, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpousePhillip Salzman
Children3
Alma materPensacola State College (AAS)
University of West Florida (BSBA)
OccupationSmall business owner
WebsiteCampaign website
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service United States Army

Michelle Salzman (née Hisle,[1] born July 5, 1977)[2] is a Republican member of the Florida House of Representatives representing the state's 1st District, which includes the northern portion of Escambia County.[2] She was elected to the seat in November 2020, after she defeated Democratic candidate Franscine Mathis in the general election.[3][4] Prior to that she defeated incumbent Mike Hill in the Republican primary in August 2020.[5]

Early life and career

Salzman was raised in Pensacola, Florida. After graduating high school in 1995, she says she joined the Army when she was 17 to escape an abusive home.[6][1] Salzman states that her father was an abusive alcoholic and her mother became addicted to opioids when she was in middle school; Salzman has stated that both of her parents died at an early age from opioid addiction.[7] On February 16, 2022, Salzman stated, while debating in support of an anti-abortion bill, that as a child, her uncle regularly sexually abused her and her sister.[8] She served as part of the NATO forces in Bosnia where she says she was raped by her commanding officer while deployed.[9] She got married in the Army, but separated after they had two children. She returned to Pensacola where she became an exotic dancer. She obtained an Associate of Applied Science degree from Pensacola State College[10]

Salzman earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of West Florida.[2]

Volunteering and politics

Salzman worked as an education chair for Pensacola Mayor Grover Robinson's transition team and is a former County PTA President and member of the Florida PTA Board of Directors.[10] Salzman served as a "Safe Schools Equality Index Advisory Member" through Equality Florida. The "Safe School Equality Index" is a comprehensive tool designed to assist Florida's Department of Education, District Superintendents , School Board Members, PTA Leaders, District staff and partnering youth centered organizations to meet the rising needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender non-binary and questioning students in Florida's K-12 schools.[11]

Florida House of Representatives

Salzman was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2020 after defeating incumbent Republican Mike Hill in the primary. She was subsequently re-elected in 2022, defeating Hill in a primary rematch.[12][13]

In March 2021, Salzman was accused by Representative Omari Hardy of calling Representative Webster Barnaby the chamber's "token Black Republican."[14] Salzman vehemently denied making the remark stating "It's an absolute lie,".[14]

In February 2022, Salzman was recorded explaining why she would not co-sponsor a Constitutional Carry bill in the Florida Legislature. The bill, HB 103 (2022), was not assigned to be heard in any committees or voted on.[15] In the video, Representative Salzman stated the bill would pass during the 2023 Legislative Session. On January 30, 2023 HB-543 was filed with Salzman as a co-sponsor. The bill passed the Florida House and Senate and was signed into law on April 3, 2023.[16]She was accused of threatening the group that published the recording by asking for the name of the person who recorded it for Florida Capitol Police.[17]

In April 2021, Salzman was quoted as saying that the issue holding her back from prioritizing the cleanup of a toxic landfill in her district was that the surrounding residents were Democrats.[18]

In October 2021, Salzman publicly supported the City of Pensacola's decision to celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day, and attended the City's ceremony in lieu of celebrating Columbus Day.[19]

Salzman condemned Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel and expressed her support for Israel and its right to self-defense.[20]

Controversy

On November 9, 2023, Democratic state Rep. Angie Nixon, who introduced a resolution calling for a ceasefire in the 2023 Israel–Hamas war and the release of hostages by Hamas, broke out in tears amid mounting civilian casualties in Gaza. Nixon asked those present in the Florida House, "We are at 10,000 dead Palestinians, how many will be enough?". Salzman then interrupted, saying, "All of them." Nixon responded by mentioning her comment, saying "One of my colleagues just said all of them, wow."[21][22][23] Salzman initially called the controversy "fake", but then said in a statement: "I am so incredibly sorry for even the slightest of suggestions that I would want an entire community erased. My comments were unapologetically towards the Hamas regime- I never said Palestine."[24]

Committees

(2023)[25]

  • Appropriations Committee
    • Health Care Appropriations Subcommittee, Vice Chair
  • Health & Human Services Committee, Republican Committee Whip
    • Healthcare Regulation Subcommittee
  • Rules Committee

(2024)[26]

  • Appropriations Committee
    • Health Care Appropriations Subcommittee
  • Health & Human Services Committee
    • Healthcare Regulation Subcommittee, Chair
  • Rules Committee

Electoral history

2022

Florida House 1st district Republican primary election, 2022[27]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Michelle Salzmam (incumbent) 13,713 65.01%
Republican Mike Hill 7,382 34.99%
Total votes 21,095 100%
Florida House 1st district general election, 2022[28]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Michelle Salzman 43,026 69.27%
Democratic Franscine C. Mathis 19,087 30.73%
Total votes 62,113 100%
Republican hold


2020

Florida House 1st district Republican primary election, 2020[29]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Michelle Salzman 11,081 52.48%
Republican Mike Hill (incumbent) 10,032 47.52%
Total votes 21,113 100%
Florida House 1st district general election, 2020[30]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Michelle Salzman 57,363 65.30%
Democratic Franscine C. Mathis 30,485 34.70%
Total votes 87,848 100%
Republican hold

Personal life

Salzman has three children, two from her previous marriage[10] and one with her husband Phil, with whom she lives in Escambia County.[2]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Representative Michelle Salzman". Florida Veterans Foundation. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Michelle Salzman – District 1: Republican". Florida House of Representatives. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  3. ↑ Newby, Jake (November 3, 2020). "Election 2020: Salzman wins Florida House District 1 seat, knocks off Mathis". Pensacola News Journal.
  4. ↑ "Michelle Salzman wins race for Florida House Dist. 1 Representative". WEAR-TV. November 3, 2020.
  5. ↑ Little, Jim (August 18, 2020). "Michelle Salzman upsets Mike Hill in Florida House District 1 race, secures Republican nomination". Pensacola News Journal.
  6. ↑ "Michelle Salzman for Florida House D1 | About Michelle". Michelle Salzman for Florida House District 1.
  7. ↑ "House Video Player: House Civil Justice and Property Rights Subcommittee - April 6, 2021". Florida House of Representatives. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  8. ↑ "2/16/22 House Session - The Florida Channel". thefloridachannel.org. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  9. ↑ Johnson, Amanda (January 28, 2022). "Florida Rep. Salzman makes case in support of House Bill 5 by sharing personal experience". WEAR. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  10. 1 2 3 Little, Jim (June 26, 2019). "Former Escambia County PTA president challenging Rep. Mike Hill in 2020 Republican primary". Pensacola News Journal.
  11. ↑ "Equality Index | Equality Florida". eqfl.org. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  12. ↑ "There's a rematch in the Florida House-1 GOP primary". WUWF. August 8, 2022. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
  13. ↑ "Our Campaigns - FL State House 001 - R Primary Race - Aug 23, 2022". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
  14. 1 2 "Florida House Republicans vote to pass controversial 'anti-rioting' legislation". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  15. ↑ "HB 103 (2022)". Florida House of Representatives. February 18, 2022. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  16. ↑ "Florida Senate Bill CS/HB 543". Florida Senate. April 3, 2023. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  17. ↑ "Rep. Salzman Under Fire for Opposing A Vote for Constitutional Carry". The Floridian. February 18, 2022. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  18. ↑ admin (April 21, 2021). "Never Free". Inweekly. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  19. ↑ "Indigenous Peoples' Day Joins Columbus Day". WUWF. October 11, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  20. ↑ "Rep. Michelle Salzman gets death threats after Israel-Hamas war remark sparks online fury". Pensacola News Journal. November 10, 2023.
  21. ↑ Mathur, Aneeta (November 10, 2023). "Republican State Representative in Florida Calls for the Death of 'All' Palestinians During a Call for Ceasefire". The Messenger. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  22. ↑ Bicketron, James (November 10, 2023). "Republican Calls for 'All' Palestinians to Die in Viral Video". Newsweek. p. 1. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  23. ↑ Salam, Erum (November 10, 2023). "Outrage grows after 'chilling call for genocide' by Florida Republican". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on November 11, 2023. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  24. ↑ "Florida Republican Under Fire After Calling for Palestinian Deaths". The Daily Beast. November 10, 2023.
  25. ↑ "Michelle Salzman - 2022 - 2024 ( Speaker Renner )". Florida House of Representatives. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
  26. ↑ "Michelle Salzman - 2022 - 2024 ( Speaker Renner )". Florida House of Representatives. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
  27. ↑ "Escambia County Election Night Results - FL State House 001 - R Primary Race - Aug 8, 2023". enr.electionsfl.org.
  28. ↑ "Our Campaigns - FL State House 001 Race - Nov 11, 2022". enr.electionsfl.org.
  29. ↑ "Our Campaigns - FL State House 001 - R Primary Race - Aug 18, 2020". Our Campaigns.
  30. ↑ "Our Campaigns - FL State House 001 Race - Nov 03, 2020". Our Campaigns.
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