Mike Haridopolos
Mike Haridopolos served in the Florida Senate and was Senate President from 2010 to 2012. After a 12-year absence from elected office he won the open 8th District seat in 2024 with about 62% of the vote. In Congress he sits on committees dealing with space policy and has sponsored the LEARN AI Act (July 2026). He was endorsed by Donald Trump and advanced from the Aug. 18, 2026 Republican primary; Inside Elections lists him as the Republican nominee for the redrawn district.
How they got on the ballot: Republican nominee; Inside Elections' primary-results page lists the Trump-endorsed incumbent as advancing to November (percentage not confirmed; a '58%' figure in the snippet may refer to Trump's 2024 share in the district) (https://insideelections.com/2026-florida-primary-results/ ; Ballotpedia: https://ballotpedia.org/Florida's_8th_Congressional_District_election,_2026)
Campaign finance (FEC filings through 10/14/2026): raised $2,049,237, spent $1,825,050, cash on hand $482,350; $943,081 from individual donors, $842,750 from PACs. FEC filings ↗
Sources last checked 2026-08. Report an error ↗
Positions on the major issues
Compare with opponents →Each entry describes what the candidate has said or done, and what they say they will do, in neutral terms with sources. The chip shows how that relates to the statement voters rate in the matching tool.
Taxes & spending Leans agree· based on record
Haridopolos voted for H.R. 1 (the 2025 reconciliation law), which extended the 2017 individual tax cuts and added new deductions while reducing projected federal spending on Medicaid and SNAP. No separate statement on the tradeoff was found.
Immigration Strongly agrees· stated position
His House website says the situation at the southern border 'threatened public safety and strained local communities' and that he is committed to securing the border and strengthening immigration enforcement, describing himself as a strong supporter of President Trump's measures to secure the border and remove 'dangerous illegal aliens.' He voted for the Laken Riley Act (every House Republican voted yes).
Abortion Leans disagree· based on record
Reproductive Freedom for All's congressional scorecard gives Haridopolos a 0 percent 2025 rating: he voted for final passage of H.R. 21, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, and for H.R. 1, which disqualified Planned Parenthood from Medicaid funding. He has no published position on Florida's six-week ban itself, so this is coded from the federal votes rather than from a statement about state law.
Health care Leans disagree· based on record
Haridopolos voted for H.R. 1, which reduced projected federal Medicaid spending (including new work requirements) and did not extend the enhanced ACA premium subsidies. No statement supporting Medicaid expansion in Florida was found.
Social Security & Medicare Leans agree· stated position
In an op-ed posted on his House site he wrote that he does not support cuts to Social Security or Medicare and that he will 'fight the Democrats' reckless tax and spending agenda' to preserve the programs; he has not said he would raise revenue to do so.
"I do not support cuts to Social Security or Medicare."
Elections & voting Strongly disagrees· based on record
Voted for the SAVE Act (H.R. 22), the 2025 bill requiring documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote.
Crime & policing Leans agree· based on record
Voted for the Protecting Our Nation's Capital Emergency Act (H.R. 2096), the 2025 bill repealing parts of the District of Columbia police-accountability law; a vote for it is coded as leaning toward tougher policing.
Gender identity laws Leans agree· based on record
Voted for the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act (H.R. 28), the 2025 bill barring transgender girls and women from female school sports under Title IX; a vote for it is coded as leaning toward keeping restrictions in place.
Energy & utilities Leans disagree· based on record
Voted for the Protecting American Energy Production Act (H.R. 26), the 2025 bill barring a presidential moratorium on hydraulic fracturing without an act of Congress; a vote for it is coded as leaning toward fossil-fuel production.
Tariffs & trade Leans agree· stated position
In a 2026 podcast interview he defended reciprocal tariffs, saying every country should compete on a level playing field; separately his office says he secured federal intervention to shield about 1,000 Piper Aircraft jobs in Vero Beach from tariff effects.
"All Trump has said is whatever you tax us, we're going to tax you."
Trump administration Strongly agrees· stated position
Haridopolos is endorsed by Donald Trump, describes himself as a strong supporter of the President's immigration measures, and in a 2026 interview praised the administration's foreign policy and 'America First' agenda.
No public position found on 6 issues
We searched campaign sites, questionnaires, interviews, votes and official actions and did not find a clear stance on: Housing affordability, Guns, Education & school choice, Environment & water, Ukraine, Veterans. This is reported as unknown rather than guessed from party affiliation; these issues are excluded from this candidate's match score.
Ukraine: No clear public position found as of Sept 2026. In a 2026 podcast interview he described the Ukraine situation as a difficult diplomatic one and asked why Ukraine would not give the United States the same economic terms it offered European countries that helped it.
Other issues this candidate has raised
- Space program and NASA — Maintains a dedicated space-policy page; says he supports NASA's moon mission and the Space Coast launch industry.
- Federal funding for Space Coast projects — His office reports securing federal funding for local Brevard projects in the appropriations process.
- Piper Aircraft tariff relief — Says he secured federal intervention to protect about 1,000 Piper Aircraft jobs in Vero Beach from the effect of international tariffs.
- LEARN AI Act — Sponsored the LEARN AI Act (July 2026), referred to the House Education and Workforce Committee.
Record: votes, actions and documented facts
- Voted for H.R. 1, the 2025 reconciliation law (final passage 218-214, July 3, 2025).
- Voted for the Laken Riley Act (H.R. 29, Jan. 7, 2025; every House Republican voted yes).
- Endorsed Dan Green in the 2026 CD 9 Republican primary.
- Elected to the House in 2024 with about 62% of the vote after serving as Florida Senate President (2010-2012).Sources: Mike Haridopolos - Wikipedia
- Voted for the Laken Riley Act (S. 5), the 2025 law requiring federal detention of unauthorized immigrants charged with theft or violent crimes and letting states sue over immigration enforcement.
- Voted for the SAVE Act (H.R. 22), the 2025 bill requiring documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote.
- Voted for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1), the July 2025 budget law that made the 2017 tax cuts permanent and added new deductions while cutting Medicaid and food-assistance spending.
- Voted for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1), the July 2025 budget law that added Medicaid work requirements and eligibility checks projected to reduce coverage.
- Voted for the Protecting American Energy Production Act (H.R. 26), the 2025 bill barring a presidential moratorium on hydraulic fracturing without an act of Congress; a vote for it is coded as leaning toward fossil-fuel production.
- Voted for the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act (H.R. 28), the 2025 bill barring transgender girls and women from female school sports under Title IX; a vote for it is coded as leaning toward keeping restrictions in place.
- Voted for the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act (H.R. 21), the 2025 bill setting criminal penalties for providers who fail to care for an infant born alive after an attempted abortion; a vote for it is coded as leaning toward more abortion restrictions.
- Voted for the Protecting Our Nation's Capital Emergency Act (H.R. 2096), the 2025 bill repealing parts of the District of Columbia police-accountability law; a vote for it is coded as leaning toward tougher policing.
- Voted Nay on H.Con.Res. 93, a War Powers Resolution directing the President to remove U.S. armed forces from hostilities with Iran (Roll Call 307, Sept. 15, 2026; agreed to 220-204).
- Voted Yea on the motion to table H.Res. 1486, a resolution impeaching President Trump (Roll Call 298, Sept. 15, 2026; tabled 232-147 with 47 voting present). A Yea vote set the resolution aside; a Nay vote would have kept it before the House.
- Voted Yea on H.J.Res. 210 and Yea on H.J.Res. 213, Congressional Review Act resolutions disapproving EPA authorizations of California's at-berth ocean-going vessel and commercial harbor craft diesel-emission rules (Roll Calls 306 and 311, Sept. 15-16, 2026; passed 216-211 and 214-208).
- Co-signed the Moody-Buchanan letter asking the Department of War to increase Florida's National Guard allocation after Hurricane Isaias.
- Voted for H.R. 1 (2025), the budget reconciliation law that extended the 2017 tax cuts, added Medicaid work requirements, reduced clean-energy tax credits and funded expanded immigration enforcement.
Endorsements (as reported)
- Donald Trump
- Orange County Fire Fighters Association (IAFF Local 2057)
- Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board