Representative Trey Radel

Henry Jude “Trey” Radel III (born April 20, 1976) is an American radio personality, political commentator, author, actor, and former member of the United States House of Representatives from Florida. A member of the Republican Party, he served one term in Congress from 2013 to 2014, representing Florida’s 19th Congressional District during a significant period in American political history. Following his congressional service, he returned to broadcasting, hosting a talk show on WFSX-FM, a Florida-based Fox News Radio affiliate, and later expanded his work as an author and commentator.

Radel was born on April 20, 1976, and grew up in the Midwest before building his professional and political career in Southwest Florida, particularly in Lee County. Details of his early life prior to college are less extensively documented in public sources, but his later political success in Lee County underscored his long-standing ties to the region. His early interests in media and communication would shape his initial professional path and later inform his public persona as both a broadcaster and a politician.

Radel pursued higher education at Loyola University Chicago, where he studied communications and media. After college, he embarked on a career in journalism and broadcasting, working as a television reporter and anchor before transitioning into radio. Settling in Southwest Florida, he became a well-known local media figure, eventually hosting a conservative-leaning radio program. His work in media, combined with his interest in politics and public policy, helped build a public profile that would later support his entry into electoral politics.

Radel’s political career began in earnest when incumbent Republican Representative Connie Mack IV decided not to seek reelection to his House seat in order to challenge Democratic U.S. Senator Bill Nelson. The open seat, renumbered as Florida’s 19th Congressional District, attracted significant interest, and Radel entered the 2012 Republican primary in a crowded field of six candidates. His campaign committee, “Friends of Trey Radel, Inc.,” drew controversy when it was revealed that it had purchased his opponents’ domain names nearly a year before he announced his candidacy. After this became public, the campaign attached websites to those domain names, stating that the purpose was to disseminate the voting records of his opponents, which were posted on the sites. Radel ran on a conservative, “Tea Party-tinged” message, emphasizing limited government and fiscal conservatism, while also stating that he supported the principles of the DREAM Act. He received endorsements from incumbent Representative Connie Mack IV, former U.S. Senator Connie Mack III, and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. His chief primary rival, Chauncey Goss, was endorsed by U.S. Representative Paul Ryan. Radel won the Republican primary with 30 percent of the vote, drawing particular strength from his native Lee County.

In the 2012 general election, Radel faced Democrat Jim Roach of Cape Coral, a retired General Motors research engineer and Vietnam War veteran. The 19th District, encompassing much of Southwest Florida, had long been considered one of the most Republican-leaning districts in the state, and Radel entered the race as a heavy favorite. He won the November 2012 election decisively, receiving 63 percent of the vote and securing a seat in the 113th Congress. Taking office on January 3, 2013, he participated in the legislative process as a freshman Republican representative, aligning with conservative positions and representing the interests of his constituents in a period marked by debates over federal spending, health care, and immigration. His tenure contributed to the broader work of the House Republican Conference during a time of divided government and heightened partisan conflict.

Radel’s service in Congress was abruptly curtailed by a personal and legal crisis. On October 29, 2013, he was arrested in Washington, D.C., and later convicted of possession of cocaine. The conviction, which became public in November 2013, led to intense media scrutiny and calls for his resignation from both parties. Radel took a leave of absence from Congress and sought treatment, but the controversy continued to overshadow his legislative work. On January 27, 2014, three months after his conviction, he resigned from the House of Representatives. His departure triggered a special election in Florida’s 19th District, in which Republican Curt Clawson was elected to succeed him.

After leaving Congress, Radel returned to private life and resumed his career in media and commentary. He reestablished himself as a radio host on WFSX-FM in Southwest Florida, offering political analysis and commentary informed by his experience in Washington. In addition to broadcasting, he turned to writing, drawing on his time in politics and his personal struggles to produce works of political memoir and analysis. On March 28, 2017, Blue Rider Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House, released his book “Democrazy: A True Story of Weird Politics, Money, Madness, and Finger Food.” The volume was described by HuffPost as “a brutally honest, outrageous memoir” that exposes “how the Washington sausage really gets made,” reflecting both his insider perspective and his critical view of contemporary politics. He later co-authored, with former New York Governor George Pataki, the book “Beyond the Great Divide: How a Nation Became a Neighborhood,” published by Post Hill Press, which was described as offering “an unprecedented, insider view into 9/11 and the inner workings of the political climate that emerged after the attacks.” Through his ongoing work as a commentator, author, and media personality, Radel has remained engaged in public discourse while no longer holding elective office.