Daniel Perez | |
Office: | Speaker-designate of the Florida House of Representatives |
Term Start: | November 19, 2024 |
Succeeding: | Paul Renner |
Predecessor: | Paul Renner |
Successor: | --> |
State House1: | Florida |
District1: | 116th |
Term Start1: | November 6, 2018 |
Predecessor1: | Jose Felix Diaz |
Birth Name: | Daniel Anthony Perez |
Birth Date: | 22 June 1987 |
Birth Place: | New York City, New York, U.S. |
Party: | Republican |
Spouse: | Stephanie Perez |
Children: | 2 |
Education: | Florida State University (BA) Loyola University New Orleans (JD) |
Daniel Anthony Perez is a Republican member of the Florida Legislature representing the state's 116th House district, which includes part of Miami-Dade County.
Perez defeated Jose Mallea in a special Republican primary held on July 25, 2017, winning 54.8% of the vote.[1] In the September 26, 2017 special general election, Perez won 65.8% of the vote, defeating Democrat Gabriela Mayaudon.[2]
Seeking election to his first full term in 2018, Perez defeated Frank Polo in the August 28, 2018 Republican primary, winning 80.5% of the vote.[3] In the November 6, 2018 general election, Perez won 57.32% of the vote, defeating Democrat James Harden.[4]
In 2022, Perez defended Republican efforts to add elaborate requirements for voters to vote by mail. These included forcing voters to put their double-enveloped ballots inside a third envelope and to mark the last four letters of their identity numbers. Election officials characterized the requirements as a "recipe for disaster" while voting rights advocates characterized the efforts as voter suppression. Perez defended the measures, saying "the process is actually going to be simpler... and at the same time it would be safer."[5]
In September 2023, Perez was nominated Speaker-designate of the Florida House of Representatives by his caucus. Assuming Republicans hold the state house in the 2024 elections, he will assume the Speakership in November 2024, and succeed Paul Renner.[6]