Mike Caruso (politician)

Mike Caruso (born September 14, 1958) is a Republican member of the Florida Legislature representing the state's 87th House district, which includes part of Palm Beach County.

History
A native of Washington, D.C., Caruso moved to Florida in 1986.

Florida House of Representatives
Caruso defeated Matt Spritz in the August 28, 2018 Republican primary, winning 56.2% of the vote.

In the November 6, 2018 general election, Caruso was narrowly elected with 50.02% of the vote, defeating Democrat Jim Bonfiglio. Caruso's margin of victory — just 32 votes — triggered both a machine and manual recount under Florida law.

Endorsement controversy
In the 2022 Election, Caruso endorsed Katherine Waldron in the Democratic primary for an open Florida House seat. This move drew criticism from local Republicans. In response to the endorsement, the Palm Beach County Republican Executive Committee voted to censure him. In his defense, Caruso argued that his endorsement only applied to the primary election and that he felt compelled to do so because of the work they did together to help bring hurricane relief to the Bahamas.