Daniel Webster (Florida politician)

Webster was born in Charleston, West Virginia, the son of Mildred Rada (Schoolcraft), a nurse, and Dennis Webster. He was raised in Orlando, Florida, where his family moved when Webster was seven, upon a doctor's recommendation that a change of climate might cure Webster's sinus problems. ==Florida House of Representatives==

Elections Webster first ran for the Florida House in 1979 at age 30. He had been working on a project with his church to convert a residential house into a place for Sunday school to be conducted. When the Orange County commissioners rejected the church's request for a zoning exception, Webster investigated and found that the county commission had rejected every zoning exemption request brought before them by a church or religious organization. Seeking to rectify what he thought was an injustice, Webster ran for public office after finding no politician who shared his displeasure with local and statewide government. In the runoff, he defeated Barbara Owens, 54%–46%. In the general election, he defeated Democratic State Representative Henry Swanson 51%–49%, a difference of just 2,070 votes. The race came down to one precinct, Webster's own Pine Hills, which he won. In 1984, he was reelected to a third term over fellow State Representative Dick Batchelor, 54%–46%. ==Florida Senate==

Elections Webster ran unopposed for the Florida Senate in Florida's 12th and 9th Senate Districts. He served until reaching the term limit in 2008. Tenure with the 1838 Florida Constitution in the Senate chamber, March 2004 In 2002, Webster unsuccessfully tried for the position of Senate president. From 2006 to 2008, he served as Senate Majority Leader. In 2006, while Majority Leader of the Florida Senate, he received the Florida Family Policy Council Award (2006). The Florida Department of Transportation Turnpike District Headquarters was named the "Senator Daniel Webster Building" in 2008, and in 2005 State Road 429 was designated the "Daniel Webster Western Beltway". In addition, the largest committee room in the Florida House was named "Speaker Daniel Webster Hall" in his honor in 2008. ;Drugs In 2007, Webster attached an amendment to a bill for steroid testing of high school athletes that would have created an oversight body for private school athletes separate from the Florida High School Athletic Association. He said the provision was in response to complaints from private schools that had been allegedly singled out for recruiting violations. ;Abortion In 2008, Webster sponsored SB 2400 in the Florida Senate, requiring that all women planning to undergo an abortion receive an ultrasound, but giving them a choice of whether to see the live images of the fetus. He argued that it would give women more medical information before receiving an abortion, and said if that changed some women's minds, it would make him happy. Opponents said the measure would be an invasion of privacy. The bill did not pass the Senate then, but later became law. He also sponsored a law that would have required minors to notify their legal guardians before receiving an abortion. It has been alleged that Webster does not believe in the right to have an abortion following rape or incest. When questioned by a reporter on the topic, Webster declines to comment. He eventually said that this was an issue being used to distract from the real problem, which was that "Washington is broken." ;Schiavo case Webster was a central figure in the Terri Schiavo case, which involved a dispute between relatives on whether to remove the feeding tube of an unconscious woman who had been in a persistent vegetative state for years. In March 2005, he introduced SB 804, which would have prohibited such patients from being denied food and water if family members disagreed with the patient's wishes and if the patient had not expressed their wishes in writing when competent. The bill failed to pass the Senate by three votes. Committee assignments He also chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee. ==U.S. House of Representatives==

Elections 2010 Webster rejected early suggestions by several leaders in the Republican Party of Florida that he run to represent Florida's 8th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives. Still, in April 2010, he changed his mind and entered the race. On November 2, 2010, Webster won the seat, 56% to 38%. 2016 . Due to a series of court-ordered re-drawings that made the 10th substantially more Democratic, Webster announced he would run in the 11th district instead. The district's incumbent, fellow Republican Rich Nugent, was retiring. Webster had previously represented much of the redrawn 11th's eastern portion, around Ocala and the Villages. He opted to maintain his residence in Clermont, within the borders of the 10th; members of Congress are required only to live in the state they wish to represent. Webster won the Republican primary 60%–40% over Justin Grabelle. He defeated Democratic nominee Dave Koller, 65%–32%. 2018 Webster ran for reelection in 2018 for the 11th District. No Republican candidates opposed Webster, so he advanced to the general election. Webster defeated Democratic nominee Dana Cottrell, 65%–35%. 2020 Webster ran for reelection in 2020 for the 11th District. No Republican candidates opposed Webster, so he advanced to the general election, again defeating Cottrell by a similar margin (67%–33%). 2022 Webster ran for reelection in 2022 for the 11th District. The boundaries of the district were redrawn by the 2020 redistricting cycle. The 11th was pushed to the east to grab part of Orange County. The reconfigured district included Webster's new home in Winter Garden, and was described as "Safe R" or "Solid R" by numerous outlets. Webster faced a primary challenger in far-right activist Laura Loomer. Webster managed to hold off the challenge and won the nomination by a close margin of 51%–44%. In the general election, Webster easily defeated Democrat Shante Munns by 63%–35%. Missed votes Webster has missed 5.2% of roll-call votes during his tenure in Congress, which is worse than the median of 1.9% for members serving in Congress, according to GovTrack, a nonpartisan government watchdog group. Webster did not vote on President Donald Trump's second impeachment. Webster did not vote on H.Res 503, the measure that established the January 6 Select Committee. Tenure Webster's main platform in the 2010 election was a call for smaller, streamlined government, spending cuts, budget roll backs, and tax cuts. He also said he would increase the protection of personal rights and encourage financial responsibility in the federal government. On September 28, 2015, Webster announced that he was running again for Speaker of the House to replace John Boehner. He received 43 votes in the House GOP Conference. Still, most members of the Freedom Caucus who voted for him in conference honored their pledge to support Ryan on the House floor, and Webster received nine votes in the final tally. Despite not being a candidate in the 2017 speakership election, Webster received one vote from Thomas Massie of Kentucky. In April 2026, Webster announced his retirement from Congress following the 2026 United States elections, explaining that "the time has come to pass the torch to the next conservative leader". Committee assignments For the 118th Congress: • Committee on Natural Resources • Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources • Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries • Committee on Science, Space, and Technology • Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics • Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure • Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation (Chairman) • Subcommittee on Highways and Transit • Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment ==2004 U.S. Senate election==

Webster briefly ran for the United States Senate in 2004 when he attempted to collect the 93,000 signatures necessary to place his name on the ballot without paying the filing fee. Webster claimed that he sought to be the first Senate candidate to ever qualify by this method as a symbolic gesture and a way to build an early network of voters. He eventually qualified by paying the fee instead and later dropped out of the race. When Mel Martinez resigned from the United States Senate, it fell upon Governor Charlie Crist to name a replacement to finish out his Senate term. Webster was floated early on as one of seven potential candidates. In the end, George LeMieux was selected for the position. ==Political positions==

Education Webster is an advocate for home schooling. Gun law Webster supports allowing gun owners to carry concealed firearms across state lines where concealed carry is legal. In 2017, he voted for H.J.Res.40, which successfully used the Congressional Review Act to block implementation of an Obama-era amendment to the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007 that was aimed at preventing the mentally impaired from legally purchasing firearms. In 2015–2016, Webster accepted $1,000 in direct campaign contributions from the NRA Political Victory Fund. From 2004 to 2018, he accepted $37,881 from NRA sources. Webster has an "A" rating from the NRA, generally indicating a voting record that supports gun rights. LGBT rights Webster has a "0" rating from the Human Rights Campaign regarding his voting record on LGBT-related matters. He co-sponsored the First Amendment Defense Act. He does not support same-sex marriage. Social issues Abortion Webster opposes abortion under all circumstances. He believes the current tax code is "punishing taxpayers" and is broken. He says the 2017 act "allows Americans to keep more money in their pockets, ends lobbyist loopholes and special-interest exemptions, and makes everyone play by the same rules." He says "the majority" of his constituents will be "among the biggest winners in the nation" due to the new tax policies. Veterans Webster voted against the Honoring our PACT Act of 2022 which expanded VA benefits to veterans exposed to toxic chemicals during their military service. Donald Trump Texas v. Pennsylvania In December 2020, Webster was one of 126 Republican members of the House of Representatives to sign an amicus brief in support of Texas v. Pennsylvania, a lawsuit filed at the United States Supreme Court contesting the results of the 2020 presidential election, in which Joe Biden defeated incumbent Donald Trump. The Supreme Court declined to hear the case on the basis that Texas lacked standing under Article III of the Constitution to challenge the results of an election held by another state. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued a statement that called signing the amicus brief an act of "election subversion." She also reprimanded Webster and the other House members who supported the lawsuit: "The 126 Republican Members that signed onto this lawsuit brought dishonor to the House. Instead of upholding their oath to support and defend the Constitution, they chose to subvert the Constitution and undermine public trust in our sacred democratic institutions." New Jersey Representative Bill Pascrell, citing section three of the 14th Amendment, called for Pelosi to not seat Webster and the other Republicans who signed the brief supporting the suit, arguing that "the text of the 14th Amendment expressly forbids Members of Congress from engaging in rebellion against the United States. Trying to overturn a democratic election and install a dictator seems like a pretty clear example of that." Second impeachment Webster did not cast a vote regarding the second impeachment of Donald Trump on January 13, 2021, due to a "family medical obligation". ==Personal life==

Webster is a Southern Baptist and attends First Baptist Church of Central Florida. He is on the University of Central Florida board of trustees. He and his wife, Sandra E. "Sandy" (Jordan) Webster, have six children. As of 2018, they have 17 grandchildren. The Websters home-schooled their children using the curriculum of the Advanced Training Institute, founded by Bill Gothard. In May 2014, their son John married Alyssa Bates, daughter of Gil and Kelly Bates. The Bates family starred in the reality show Bringing Up Bates and were recurring guests on the show 19 Kids and Counting, which depicted the lives of their friends, Jim Bob Duggar and his wife Michelle. ==References==