Election 2022: GOP Rep. Webster heavily favored in race
GOP U.S. Rep. Daniel Webster is expected to retain his seat in Florida’s heavily Republican 11th Congressional District after fending off a closer-than-expected primary challenge from far-right activist Laura Loomer.
Webster, 73, will face Democrat Shante Munns and independent Kevin Porter in the Nov. 8 general election. The 11th Congressional District includes The Villages, most of Lake County, Winter Garden and parts of Apopka.
Webster is promising to reduce government spending and strengthen border security, echoing key talking points for Republicans hoping to take control of Congress.
He has served in the U.S. House since 2011. His political resume also includes a stint as speaker of the Florida House and as a member of the Florida Senate.
“I work hard every day to serve my constituents and am humbled to once again earn their support to serve them in Washington,” Webster said in a statement after his primary win.
Two long-shot candidates are aiming to unseat Webster in the general election. They’ll face a tough path to victory, having raised just over $21,600 in combined campaign cash. Webster has raised nearly $600,000 for his reelection effort, according to the latest campaign finance data.
The district skews Republican with former President Donald Trump winning the territory by 11 percentage points in 2020.
Munns, 42, the Democratic candidate, is an Orlando native and a track-and-field coach at Lake Brantley High School.
Her priorities include lowering the price of prescription drugs, expanding tax breaks for small businesses and investing in clean energy.
Munns was unavailable for an interview, a campaign spokeswoman said.
Kevin Porter, 39, is running his campaign from Denmark, where he said he resides because of issues with his wife’s visa and her COVID-19 vaccination status. A native of Washington State, Porter said he will move to District 11 if he wins, a place he has never lived.
“I chose a district that aligned with my values the most, and the people I identify with the most,” he said. “I come with a clean slate.”
His platform includes promoting “family values,” protecting the Second Amendment, strengthening the military and stopping what he considers to be Big Tech censorship.
Webster survived a primary challenge from Loomer, who has been banned from numerous social media platforms for violating their hate speech policies.
Loomer finished second in a three-person race with just over 44% of the vote. Despite losing to Webster by more than 5,800 votes, Loomer refused to concede and claimed without evidence the election had been stolen from her.
Complete election coverage can be found at OrlandoSentinel.com/election.
