Daniel Webster

Florida's Longest-Serving Legislator: Daniel Webster's Journey from Business to Congress

Daniel Alan Webster is an American businessman and politician serving as the U.S. Representative for Florida's 11th congressional district. Born in Charleston, West Virginia, in 1949, Webster moved to Florida at age seven and has called the Sunshine State home ever since. After earning his engineering degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology, he built a successful career in the family air conditioning and heating business, which he continues to own and operate today.

Webster's political career began in 1980 when he was first elected to the Florida House of Representatives. His leadership abilities quickly became apparent, and he made history as the first Republican Speaker of the Florida House since Reconstruction, serving from 1996 to 1998. He later transitioned to the Florida Senate in 1998, where he served as Majority Leader from 2006 to 2008. By the time term limits ended his state legislative career, Webster had become the longest-serving legislator in Florida history.

In 2010, Webster won election to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he has served continuously since 2011. Currently representing Florida's 11th congressional district from his home in Clermont, Webster serves on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials. He also serves on the Committee on Natural Resources and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.

Webster is known for his fiscal conservatism and commitment to reducing government spending. Each year, he personally delivers a check to the Bureau of Fiscal Service at the Treasury Department to return a portion of his salary and office allocation to taxpayers—to date returning over $4.5 million. His dedication to property rights was demonstrated when he led Florida to become the only state to pass a constitutional amendment protecting citizens following the landmark Kelo v. City of New London Supreme Court case in 2005.

A principled conservative with deep roots in both business and public service, Webster brings decades of legislative experience and a proven track record of fiscal responsibility to his work representing the people of Central Florida in Congress.