Representative Daniel Perez Contact information

Daniel Anthony Perez, born on June 22, 1987, in New York City, is a Republican member of the Florida Legislature representing the state’s 116th House district, which includes part of Miami-Dade County. He assumed office on November 6, 2018, succeeding Jose Felix Diaz.

Perez’s journey into politics began with a special Republican primary held on July 25, 2017, where he defeated Jose Mallea, winning 54.8% of the vote. In the September 26, 2017 special general election, Perez won 65.8% of the vote, defeating Democrat Gabriela Mayaudon. 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. In the November 6, 2018 general election, Perez won 57.32% of the vote, defeating Democrat James Harden.

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.”

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.

Perez was born in New York, New York. As of January 2020, he lived in Miami, Florida. He received his bachelor’s degree from Florida State University and his law degree from Loyola University New Orleans College. His career experience includes working as an attorney. He has served as the vice-chair for the Gaming Control Subcommittee. He was first elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2017.

Originally from New York City, NY, Perez and his family moved to Florida in 1993. They settled in the densely vibrant and cultural suburb of Westchester in Miami Dade County, which Perez represents today. As a first-generation Cuban-American, Perez learned hard work, optimism, and the importance of public service and leadership at a young age.