Michael Huffington | |
|---|---|
 Huffingtonc. 1987 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromCalifornia's22nd district | |
| In office January 3, 1993 – January 3, 1995 | |
| Preceded by | Bob Lagomarsino (redistricted) |
| Succeeded by | Andrea Seastrand |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Roy Michael Huffington Jr. (1947-09-03)September 3, 1947 (age 78) |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Roy M. Huffington (father) |
| Education | Stanford University (BA,BS) Harvard University (MBA) |
Michael Huffington (born September 3, 1947) is an Americanpolitician,LGBTQ activist,[1] and film producer. He was a member of theRepublican Party, and a congressman for one term, 1993–1995, fromCalifornia. Huffington was married toArianna Huffington, theGreek-born co-founder ofHuffPost, from 1986 to 1997.
Huffington was born inDallas,Texas, to Celeste Phyllis (Gough) andRoy Michael Huffington, the founder of the natural gas exploration company, Roy M. Huffington, Inc. (HUFFCO).
In 1965, Huffington graduated fromCulver Military Academy inCulver, Indiana, where he received the Central States Amateur Rowing Association Medal when he rowed on the light weight crew. After graduation, he was elected to the Culver Chapter of theCum Laude Society. In 1970, he received aBS degree in engineering and aBA degree in economics concurrently fromStanford University. Huffington was a member of the varsity crew, student senator, and co-president of his senior class. In 1972, he received anMBA in finance fromHarvard University inCambridge, Massachusetts.
Huffington's wealth is derived from a merchant bank he started and his share of the family's Houston oil, gas and real estate firm that was sold to Taiwan interests in 1990. His father, Roy M. Huffington, made a fortune through natural gas interests in Indonesia.[2]
Huffington's interest in politics began in 1968, when he was a summer intern inWashington, D.C. for freshman CongressmanGeorge H. W. Bush.
In 1986, President Ronald Reagan appointed Huffington as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Negotiations Policy, with responsibility for conventionalarms control negotiations. He was awarded theSecretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service.
In 1992, Huffington was elected to theHouse of Representatives from California's 22nd District (Santa Barbara andSan Luis Obispo counties). He spent a record $5.4 million on his campaign, 95% of it his own money. He spent about $3.5 million in theRepublicanprimary, in which he defeated veteran incumbentRobert J. Lagomarsino.[2][3] Huffington later defeated then-Santa Barbara County Supervisor Gloria Ochoa in thegeneral election. He donated his entire congressional salary to the Partnership for Children of Santa Barbara County in 1993, and to the Partnership for Children of San Luis Obispo County in 1994.
In 1994, Huffington did not seek re-election to the House but spent $28 million in a bid for the seat in theUnited States Senate held byDianne Feinstein. She had won the seat ina special election two years earlier againstJohn F. Seymour, who had been appointed in 1991 to fill the vacancy caused by the retirement ofGovernor-electPete Wilson. In the Republicanprimary, Huffington defeatedWilliam E. Dannemeyer. At the time, Huffington's campaign was the most expensive in a non-presidential election in American history. He lost to Feinstein in the general election by 1.9 percent of the vote.[4]
During 1998, Huffington was co-chairman (with actor and directorRob Reiner) ofProposition 10 in California, which increased the stateexcise tax oncigarettes by 50 cents per pack. The resulting multi-hundred million dollars of tax revenue was used forprenatal care and for thehealth care and education of children under six years of age.[citation needed]
In the2003 California gubernatorial recall election, Huffington endorsed RepublicanArnold Schwarzenegger. His ex-wife,Arianna Huffington, was an opposing candidate. She withdrew before the election, although her name remained on the ballot.
On June 29, 2006, Huffington co-chaired theLog Cabin Republicans "The Courage To Lead: An Evening With The Governor" dinner that honored California governorArnold Schwarzenegger. Huffington also personally contributed $1 for every $2 contributed to the Log Cabin Republicans (a501(c)(4) tax designated organization) for that dinner.
In 2006, Huffington became the director ofIt's My Party Too,[5] a group founded by former New Jersey GovernorChristine Todd Whitman. Amoderate Republican organization withlibertarian leanings, it advocatedfiscal conservatism,social progressivism,environmental protection andlimited government interference in personal matters. In 2007, It's My Party Too evolved into theRepublican Leadership Council.[6]
In 2013, Huffington was a signatory to anamicus curiae brief in support of same-sex marriage, submitted to the Supreme Court during theHollingsworth v. Perry case.[7]
Huffington marriedArianna Huffington, a Greek-born writer and lecturer, on April 12, 1986.[8] They had two daughters[9] and divorced in 1997.[10] In December 2006, he became ablogger forThe Huffington Post,[11] which was co-founded by his ex-wife in 2005.[12]
Huffington publiclydisclosed that he isbisexual in 1998.[1] Since that time, Huffington has made a number of contributions to LGBTQ causes. Later that year, he provided the initial grant that launched SOIN (Sexual Orientation Issues in the News)[13] at theUniversity of Southern California'sAnnenberg School for Communication. Then in 2005, Huffington helped to establish a summer fellowship program forLGBTQ students atStanford University.[14] He also spoke at theNational Equality March rally at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on October 11, 2009.[15]
Huffington was raisedPresbyterian, becameEpiscopalian at age 38,[citation needed] and ultimately joined theGreek Orthodox Church during his marriage to Arianna.[16] Between 2007 and 2021, Huffington gave $3.5 million to establish the Huffington Ecumenical Institute atLoyola Marymount University inLos Angeles, in order to promote dialogue between theRoman Catholic andEastern Orthodox churches.[17][18] Concerning the institute's mission, Huffington said, "My dream is that someday I'll get to see members of the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church be able to takecommunion in each other's churches."[19] In 2021 he contributed another $2.5 million to Hellenic College Holy Cross in Brookline, Massachusetts to establish another Huffington Ecumenical Institute.
Huffington found a post-political career as a film producer.[20] From 1991 to 2000, he was co-owner of Crest Films Limited.
Among his other production credits:
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Dianne Feinstein (incumbent) | 3,979,152 | 46.7 | −7.6 | |
| Republican | Michael Huffington | 3,817,025 | 44.8 | +6.8 | |
| Peace and Freedom | Elizabeth Cervantes Barron | 255,301 | 3.0 | +0.2 | |
| Libertarian | Richard Benjamin Boddie | 179,100 | 2.1 | −0.6 | |
| American Independent | Paul Meeuwenberg | 142,771 | 1.7 | −0.9 | |
| Green | Barbara Blong | 140,567 | 1.7 | +1.7 | |
| Total votes | 8,513,916 | ||||
| Majority | 162,127 | 1.9 | −14.4 | ||
| Turnout | |||||
| Democratichold | Swing | −14.4 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Michael Huffington | 131,242 | 52.5 | |
| Democratic | Gloria Ochoa | 87,328 | 34.9 | |
| Green | Mindy Lorenz | 23,699 | 9.5 | |
| Libertarian | William Howard Dilbeck | 7,553 | 3.0 | |
| No party | Richard Bialosky (write-in) | 104 | 0.1 | |
| Total votes | 249,926 | 100.0 | ||
| Turnout | ||||
| Republicanhold | ||||
During this time, he fell in love and married Arianna Stassinopoulos in 1986, and he joined the Greek Orthodox Church during their marriage
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromCalifornia's 22nd congressional district 1993–1995 | Succeeded by |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Republican nominee forU.S. Senator fromCalifornia (Class 1) 1994 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded byas Former U.S. Representative | Order of precedence of the United States as Former U.S. Representative | Succeeded byas Former U.S. Representative |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
