Soto, Darren

Darren Soto is a Democratic representative from Florida's 9th Congressional District, which encompasses all of Osceola County and parts of Orange and Polk Counties in Central Florida. He was first elected to Congress in 2016 and took office on January 3, 2017. Before his election to the House, Soto served five years in the Florida House of Representatives and four years in the Florida Senate, representing parts of central Florida. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Rutgers University and a Juris Doctor from George Washington University, and practiced commercial, real estate, family, and civil rights law in Orlando before entering Congress. Soto is the first congressman of Puerto Rican descent elected to represent Florida.

Soto serves on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, where he participates in subcommittees on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade; Communications and Technology; and Environment. He also serves on the House Committee on Natural Resources, focusing on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries. His committee work reflects his legislative priorities in healthcare access, environmental protection, and emerging technologies. On the Energy and Commerce Committee, he directly contributed to major pandemic relief legislation including the CARES Act and American Rescue Plan, as well as the Infrastructure Law.

Throughout his congressional career, Soto has established a strong environmental record and passed significant legislation. He secured a perfect environmental voting score from the National League of Conservation Voters in 2017. Notable bills he has passed include the Foreign Spill Protection Act to protect Florida's coasts from offshore oil drilling, the Shark and Billfish Protection Act, the SMASH Act to combat Zika outbreaks, and legislation designating the Pulse National Memorial. He also championed the Venezuela TPS Act to grant Temporary Protective Status to Venezuelan refugees and worked on legislation providing Medicaid parity to Puerto Rico. In his first term, he tied for the most laws passed by any freshman member of Congress.

Beyond legislation, Soto has secured substantial federal funding for his district, including over one billion dollars in pandemic relief, hundreds of millions for infrastructure projects like SunRail and I-4 expansion, and funding for education and economic development initiatives. He serves in leadership roles within the Democratic caucus, including as Vice Chair of Policy of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and Co-Chair of Policy of the Future Forum Caucus. Soto is also an accomplished musician who performs with the Orlando folk rock band Orange Creek Riders and hosts a political podcast called Rock and Politics.