Rep. Dennis Baxley Endorses Tea Party Leader Mike Hill for HD 2

Rep. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, one of the Sunshine State's most staunchly conservative legislators, has endorsed Northwest Florida Tea Party presidentMike Hill for state representative in the District 2 Special Election.

"Mike Hill has the core convictions needed to meet the moral imperative we have to protect faith, family, freedom, and opportunity for the next generation," Baxley said in a statement Tuesday announcing his endorsement. "We need him in the Florida House."

Baxley, a formerexecutive director of the Christian Coalition of Florida, served as House speaker pro tempore under Marco Rubio and is the father of Florida's"Stand Your Ground" law.

"It's an honor to have Representative Baxley stand with our campaign," Hill responded to the endorsement. "Representative Baxley has been a true champion of conservative principles in the Florida House and embodies the same commitment to good public policy that I will take with me to Tallahassee."

Hill, an insurance agent, is a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy and served 10 years on active duty in the Air Force. He sits on the executive council of the Florida chapter of theNational Federation of Independent Business.