Michelle Salzman

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. 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. 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. She served as part of the NATO forces in Bosnia where she says she was raped by her commanding officer while deployed. 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

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

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.

In March 2021, Salzman was accused by Representative Omari Hardy of calling Representative Webster Barnaby the chamber's "token Black Republican." Salzman vehemently denied making the remark stating "It's an absolute lie,". 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. She was accused of threatening the group that published the recording.

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.

In October 2021, Salzman publicly supported the City of Pensacola's decision to celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day, and attended the city's ceremony. Salzman is a member of the Santa Rosa Band of the Lower Muskogee.

Salzman faced backlash in 2023 after saying "all of them" on the House floor, in response to a question from Angie Nixon "how many [dead Palestinians] will be enough?" Salzman initially denied saying "all of them" before claiming that her comment was simply support for Israel and its right to self-defense.

In 2024, Salzman was notified by the Florida Department of State that her campaign expenditures were being audited for several thousand dollars in irregularities. The audit raised additional criticism of Salzman's record of campaign contributions, including $47,500 from the law firm founded by Fred Levin, and contributions totaling $20,890.25 from the Lewis Bear Company alcohol distributorship. She proceeded to officially announce her candidacy on the morning of November 19. She withdrew on November 25, after Donald Trump endorsed Florida chief financial officer Jimmy Patronis.

Committees

(2023)

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

(2024) 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."

Electoral history

2024

2022

2020

Personal life Salzman has three children, two from her previous marriage and one with her husband Phil, with whom she lives in Escambia County. Salzman is a Baptist.