Florida's First Ever Puerto Rican Congressman has Been Re Elected for a Fifth Term

Democratic U.S. Rep. Darren Soto, Florida's first Puerto Rican member of Congress, won reelection Tuesday and secured a fifth term in the Lower House. Soto, representing Central Florida's 9th Congressional District, held onto his seat with 55.05% of the vote, fending off a challenge from former Osceola County School Board member Thomas Chalifoux, who had the backing of the National Republican Congressional Committee.

"We work every day to deliver for Central Florida," Soto said on a post on his X account. "Thank you to the voters of #FL9 for your continued support! #UnitedWeStand"

Leading up to the election, Soto emphasized his party's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and economic stability as motivating factors for his constituents:

"There's no question we're better off compared to four years ago. Is it that long ago that we forget we were hunkered down in our homes facing a 100-year pandemic, the economy was in free fall, and we kicked Donald Trump out of office because of his incompetence, his inability to handle a major crisis. And then when we got President (Joe) Biden and Vice President Harris in office."

He also cited accomplishments during his previous term, such as securing funding for SunRail expansions and water projects, including a $188 million Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act loan for the Toho Water Authority, according to Florida Politics.

Soto's victory preserved a Democratic stronghold in an area with a significant Hispanic population, although recent voter registration trends have shown a narrowing gap between registered Democrats and Republicans.

Chalifoux's campaign focused on tackling inflation, reducing crime, and supporting working families. He argued that under Soto's leadership, local families faced economic challenges and security issues. Chalifoux reported almost $1.5 million in spending through October 16. By comparison, Soto raised more than $1.9 million this election cycle, and closed the period with about $185,000.

Soto, who has represented the district since 2016, saw narrower victory margins in past elections, especially during the 2022 midterms. He first won the seat back in 2016 when he defeated Republican nominee Wayne Liebnitzky, 57%–43%