Darren Soto
Encyclopedia
Darren Soto is an Orlando
-based attorney and Democratic
politician who serves the member of the Florida House of Representatives
for District 49. He was first elected to the Florida House in April 2007 and was re-elected in 2008 and 2010.
Representative Soto was born in Ringwood, New Jersey
to a Puerto Rican
father and an Italian-American mother. From 1998 to 2001, he worked for Prudential Insurance. He received a Bachelor of Arts
degree from Rutgers College in 2000 and a Juris Doctor
from George Washington University
in 2004 and opened his law practice in the following year. In 2006, he made an unsuccessful bid for the Florida House. In April 2007, he won a special election to replace John Quinones
, who had resigned to run for the Osceola County
commission and was re-elected in 2008.
In his first two terms, Soto passed legislation in several areas including curbing illegal street racing, protecting families of fallen firefighters, and maintaining school safety. He also fought to protect homeowners' access to the courts in foreclosure proceedings as well as assured adequately funded courts to deal with this unprecedented housing crisis in the State of Florida.
On November 2, 2010, Soto won his third consecutive election to represent District 49 in the Florida House of Representatives with an overwhelming 75% of the vote. He has two legislative offices, one in Orlando, and the other in Kissimmee
.
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
-based attorney and Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
politician who serves the member of the Florida House of Representatives
Florida House of Representatives
The Florida House of Representatives is the lower house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. The House is composed of 120 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 156,677.The House convenes at...
for District 49. He was first elected to the Florida House in April 2007 and was re-elected in 2008 and 2010.
Representative Soto was born in Ringwood, New Jersey
Ringwood, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there are 12,396 people, 4,108 households, and 3,446 families residing in the borough. The population density is 491.0 people per square mile . There are 4,221 housing units at an average density of 167.2 per square mile...
to a Puerto Rican
Puerto Rican people
A Puerto Rican is a person who was born in Puerto Rico.Puerto Ricans born and raised in the continental United States are also sometimes referred to as Puerto Ricans, although they were not born in Puerto Rico...
father and an Italian-American mother. From 1998 to 2001, he worked for Prudential Insurance. He received a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree from Rutgers College in 2000 and a Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
from George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
in 2004 and opened his law practice in the following year. In 2006, he made an unsuccessful bid for the Florida House. In April 2007, he won a special election to replace John Quinones
John Quiñones (politician)
John P. Quiñones IV was the first Republican of Puerto Rican ancestry elected to the Florida House of Representatives. Quiñones, who was elected in 2002, represented the 49th District of the state, which stretches between Osceola and Orange counties...
, who had resigned to run for the Osceola County
Osceola County, Florida
Osceola County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 172,493. The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimate for the county is 244,045, making it the 17th fastest-growing county in the United States. Its county seat is Kissimmee.- History :Osceola County was...
commission and was re-elected in 2008.
In his first two terms, Soto passed legislation in several areas including curbing illegal street racing, protecting families of fallen firefighters, and maintaining school safety. He also fought to protect homeowners' access to the courts in foreclosure proceedings as well as assured adequately funded courts to deal with this unprecedented housing crisis in the State of Florida.
On November 2, 2010, Soto won his third consecutive election to represent District 49 in the Florida House of Representatives with an overwhelming 75% of the vote. He has two legislative offices, one in Orlando, and the other in Kissimmee
Kissimmee
Kissimmee is the name of several things in the U.S. state of Florida:*Kissimmee, Florida *Kissimmee City Street Railway*Kissimmee Kreatures *Kissimmee Utility Authority...
.