Republican Joe Strada wins Florida’s 11th Congressional District

Republican Joe Strada is projected to win the race for Florida’s 11th Congressional District, according to Decision Desk HQ (DDHQ).

Strada, a small-business owner from Lake Mary, beat Democrat James Pericola to succeed retiring Rep. Daniel Webster (R-Fla.). Cook Political Report rated this race “solid Republican.”

Strada led Pericola by nearly four percentage points — 51.5 to 47.6 percent — with 51 percent of the vote reported by DDHQ as of 7:13 p.m. EST Tuesday.

Strada started working as a handyman during high school and went directly into the trades after graduation. Through his HVAC, plumbing and electric company, he claims to have created thousands of jobs for his Florida community.

“Joe is not seeking a career in politics,” his campaign website reads. “He is running because Congress needs more people who have signed the front of a paycheck, built something real, and lived with the consequences of policies written far from the job site.”

Strada’s campaign website lists priorities that include investigating Congressional stock trading, enacting Congressional term limits and balancing the federal government’s budget. The site says Strada supports the Make America Healthy Again movement, finishing President Trump’s border wall and passing election integrity legislation.

Strada is a husband, father and grandfather. The Florida Republican was endorsed by GOP Reps. Randy Fine (Fla.), Jim Jordan (Ohio), Steve Scalise (La.) and Tom Emmer (Minn.) and Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.).