Michael Huffington Michael Huffington ( born September 3 , 1947 ) is an American politician , LGBT activist , and film producer . He was a member of the Republican Party , and a member of the United States House of Representatives for one term , 1993 – 1995 , from California . Huffington was married to Arianna Huffington , the Greek - born co - founder of " The Huffington Post " , from 1986 to 1997 . Early years . Huffington was born on September 3 , 1947 to Celeste Phyllis and Roy Michael Huffington , the founder of the natural gas exploration company , Roy M . Huffington , Inc . ( HUFFCO ) . Huffington graduated from Culver Military Academy in Culver , Indiana , in 1965 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 the Cum Laude Society . He received a BS degree in engineering and a BA degree in economics concurrently from Stanford University in 1970 . Huffington was a member of the varsity crew , student senator , and co - president of his senior class . After Stanford , he received an MBA in finance from Harvard University in Cambridge , Massachusetts in 1972 . In 1972 , Huffington started work for The First National Bank of Chicago , and in 1974 he co - founded Simmons & Huffington , Inc . From 1976 to 1990 , he served as vice chairman of Huffco , the family - owned energy business founded by his father Roy M . Huffington . Politics . Huffington ' s interest in politics began in 1968 , when he was a summer intern for freshman Congressman George H . W . Bush in Washington , D . C . In 1986 , President Ronald Reagan appointed Huffington as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Negotiations Policy with responsibility for conventional arms control negotiations . He was awarded the Secretary of Defense Medal for outstanding public service . In 1992 , Huffington was elected to the House of Representatives from California ' s 22nd District ( Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties ) . He spent $ 5 . 4 million on his campaign . He defeated veteran incumbent Bob Lagomarsino in the Republican primary election , then Santa Barbara County Supervisor Gloria Ochoa in the general election . Huffington 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 . After one term in the House , Huffington spent $ 28 million in a bid for a seat in the United States Senate in 1994 . In the Republican primary , he defeated William E . Dannemeyer . At the time , Huffington ' s was the most expensive campaign in a non - presidential election in American history . Huffington lost in the general election by 1 . 9 percent of the vote to Dianne Feinstein . During 1998 , Huffington was co - chairman ( along with actor and director Rob Reiner ) of Proposition 10 in California , which increased the state excise tax on cigarettes by 50 cents per pack . The resulting multi - hundred million dollars of tax revenue is being used for prenatal care and for the health care and education of children under six years of age . In the 2003 California recall election , Huffington endorsed Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger . His ex - wife , Arianna Huffington , was an opposing candidate . She withdrew before the election even though her name remained on the ballot . In 2013 , Huffington was a signatory to an amicus curiae brief submitted to the Supreme Court in support of same - sex marriage during the Hollingsworth v . Perry case . Personal life . On April 12 , 1986 Huffington married Arianna Stassinopoulos , a Greek - born writer and lecturer . They had two daughters and divorced in 1997 . In 1998 Huffington disclosed that he is bisexual . In 1998 Huffington provided the initial grant that launched SOIN ( Sexual Orientation Issues in the News ) at the University of Southern California ' s Annenberg School of Communication . In 2005 Huffington helped to establish a summer fellowship program for LGBT students at Stanford University . In 2006 , Huffington co - chaired the Log Cabin Republicans " The Courage To Lead : An Evening With The Governor " dinner that honored California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on June 29 , 2006 . Huffington also personally contributed $ 1 for every $ 2 contributed to the Log Cabin Republicans ( a 501 ( c ) ( 4 ) tax designated organization ) for that dinner . In 2006 , Huffington became a the director of It ' s My Party Too . The group was founded by former Governor Christine Todd Whitman . A moderate Republican organization with libertarian leanings , it advocated fiscal conservatism , social progressivism , environmental protection and limited government interference in personal matters . In 2007 , It ' s My Party Too evolved into the Republican Leadership Council . In December 2006 , he became a blogger on the Huffington Post on a variety of subjects . On October 11 , 2009 he spoke at the National Equality March rally at the U . S . Capitol in Washington , D . C . Film production . Huffington found a post - political career as a film producer . From 1991 to 2000 , he was co - owner of Crest Films Limited . Among his other production credits :