Santa Rosa County Tea Party Leader Endorses Mike Hill for HD 2 Race

In an exclusive interview with Sunshine State News, the de facto head of the Santa Rosa County Tea Party has endorsed Mike Hill to replace the late Rep. Clay Ford of Florida House District 2:

"He's a very conservative man, a family man, he has been involved with the tea party. ... He's an outstanding person," Sharon Gloss, "public awareness coordinator" of the conservative grassroots organization (which does not have a formal "president") tells SSN. "I dobelievethat he is the real thing, not just somebody who's putting [a label] on the back of his name. ... If I could mark that ballot, I would mark it for Mike Hill."

Though HD 2 includes parts of Santa Rosa County, Gloss herself does not reside in the district. She emphasizes that her endorsement is a personal one, and not one made on behalf of her organization, which is nonpartisan and counts Republicans, Democrats, and independents among its members.

Hill is president of the Northwest Florida Tea Party; Gloss's endorsement is the latest in a series from prominent local and statewide conservative stalwarts, including Rep. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala (the legislative father of Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law and former head of the Christian Coalition of Florida); Bill Herrle, Florida executive director of National Federation of Independent Business, and Escambia CountySheriffDavidMorgan.