Meet 11th Congressional District democratic candidate James Pericola

BIOGRAPHY INFO

Age: 50

City/town of residence: Winter Garden

Family: Wife, Mathilde, Children, Luca (17), Leo (15), Linnea (6)

Education: B.A. Political Science, The Catholic University of America

J.D., The Catholic University of America

Qualifications: Small business owner, 30 years of advocacy and organizing experience, champion for safe environmental practices and transportation safety, born and raised in Central Florida. 

What makes you the best candidate for Florida’s 11th Congressional District?

I bring more than 30 years of experience in public service, law, government, and legislative advocacy. I served in the Clinton Administration, worked on complex policy issues, and spent my career bringing people together to solve difficult problems. 

That experience matters because we are at a serious moment in this country, with folks facing new and unforeseen challenges. Families are being squeezed by rising costs, seniors are worried about the future of Social Security and Medicare, and too much of Washington is focused on political theater instead of getting results. Central Florida needs a representative who understands the stakes, is prepared to do the work, and is ready to hit the ground running on Day One.

What are the key differences between you and your opponents?

I have spent more than three decades working in public service, law, government, and advocacy, and I understand how to move legislation, build coalitions, and get things done. I have also learned that lasting progress starts with listening and working with people who may not always agree with you.

I’m not running to be a partisan voice or a political celebrity. I am running to represent the folks who call District 11 home. That means being present, accessible, and focused on the issues people talk about at their kitchen tables—lowering costs, protecting Social Security and Medicare, improving healthcare, and strengthening our economy. Voters are looking for serious, experienced leadership that puts results ahead of politics, and that’s what I will bring to Congress.

Evaluate outgoing U.S. Rep. Daniel Webster’s performance over his tenure in Congress. What did he do well? What would you do differently?

Congressman Webster represented this district for many years, but his tenure fell short of the active, effective representation Central Florida deserved. While he spoke often about fiscal responsibility, he failed to pass substantive legislation that meaningfully improved life in this district. Too many constituents were also left without a representative who was consistently present, accessible, and engaged in their communities.

I will take a different approach both in the priorities I bring to Congress and in how I serve the district. Families are worried about the cost of groceries, housing, insurance, and healthcare. Seniors want to know that Social Security and Medicare will be there when they need them, and I’ll focus my attention there. I will work to lower costs, protect the benefits people have earned, and focus on solving problems rather than scoring political points. I will also maintain an active presence throughout the district, regularly meeting with residents, local leaders, businesses, and community organizations. 

Give the current U.S. House a letter grade — A-F — and share how your presence would change that grade.

I would give the current House of Representatives a D-. Congress recently showed that bipartisan progress is still possible by passing meaningful legislation to address the affordable housing crisis, and that deserves recognition. But one significant accomplishment does not make up for a Congress that has largely ceded its role as a co-equal branch of government.

Representatives spend too much time on political theater and too little time confronting the problems families face every day. Congress should be conducting vigorous oversight, defending its constitutional authority, and holding any administration accountable when it oversteps.

One member of Congress will not change the grade overnight, but I will do my part to improve it. I will show up, work across the aisle when it serves this district, and stay focused on delivering results instead of headlines. That is what the people of Central Florida should expect from their representative.

Discuss three tangible ways constituents will experience your presence as their representative in the U.S. House.

My mentor, Senator Bob Graham, taught me that public service comes down to three things: show up, listen, and do the work. That is how I intend to represent this district.

I will be present throughout District 11, holding regular town halls and meeting with residents, local leaders, businesses, and community organizations in every part of the district—not just during election season. My office will be accessible and responsive when constituents need help navigating Social Security, Medicare, veterans’ benefits, or another federal agency. And people will always know where I stand. I will explain my votes, provide regular updates on the work we are doing, and follow through on the concerns constituents bring to me.

District 11 is a diverse district with many needs. What are the district’s three most pressing issues?

The three most pressing issues facing District 11 are protecting Social Security and Medicare, making healthcare more affordable, and reducing the financial pressure on working and middle-class families.

This district is home to many seniors who spent their lives paying into Social Security and Medicare. They deserve to know those benefits will be protected and available when they need them, not cut, privatized, or weakened.

Healthcare costs are placing enormous strain on families. We need to restore Medicaid funding, protect the Affordable Care Act, and lower the cost of prescription drugs and medical care. Helping my aging mother navigate the healthcare system showed me how quickly an illness, insurance denial, or unexpected bill can overwhelm a family.

Finally, families across Central Florida are struggling with the cost of housing, insurance, groceries, and utilities. Congress must focus on lowering costs and cutting taxes for working and middle-class families, not rewarding large corporations.

Discuss the impending Social Security shortfall and your solutions. 

Social Security is a promise we have made to generations of Americans who paid into the system throughout their working lives. It must be funded, and seniors should never be used as bargaining chips as Congress waits until the last minute to act.

There are ultimately two ways to address the shortfall: bring more money into the system or reduce what Americans receive. I do not support cutting the benefits people have earned. We need to reprioritize our spending and ask why Washington can find trillions of dollars for endless wars and billions for wasteful projects, but treats protecting Social Security as an impossible expense.

I will support responsible steps to strengthen the program, including raising the taxable earnings cap so the wealthiest Americans contribute more of their income. We should make Social Security funding fairer, protect every dollar people have earned, and act now instead of forcing seniors to live with continued uncertainty.

Discuss the current state of health care in the United States and your solutions.

The United States has some of the best doctors, hospitals, and medical innovation in the world, which doesn’t matter if our families can’t access the care they need. Families are facing high premiums, deductibles, prescription drug costs, and surprise bills, while doctors and patients alike are forced to spend too much time dealing with insurance companies instead of focusing on care.

We need to lower costs, expand access, and make the system easier to navigate. I support stronger limits on prescription drug prices, greater transparency from hospitals and insurers, expanded access to primary and preventive care, protections for people with preexisting conditions, and restoring Medicaid funding. We also need more mental health providers, stronger rural healthcare systems, and tougher oversight of insurance companies that delay or deny necessary treatment.

Do you support term limits for Congress? Why or why not?

We have term limits here in Florida and what we’ve seen is that it doesn’t actually fix our problems. Instead it creates a political class that hops from local seats to state seats to local again. I believe voters offer the ultimate term limits and if we are serious about reform, we should look at campaign finance reform.

I support comprehensive campaign finance reform, stronger transparency requirements, and fair elections that give voters meaningful choices. If members of Congress are not effectively serving their constituents, the voters—not an arbitrary time limit—should decide when it is time for new leadership.

Discuss how you plan to work with your fellow representatives, the U.S. Senate and President Trump.

My responsibility will be to the people of Florida’s 11th Congressional District. I will work with members of both parties, the Senate, and President Trump when we can make progress on the issues that matter here at home. When I believe a proposal will hurt Central Florida families, weaken Social Security or Medicare, or raise costs, I will say so clearly and oppose it.

I have spent my career working with people who do not always agree with me. That does not mean abandoning your principles. It means listening, finding common ground where it exists, and doing the work necessary to get results. Congress needs less political theater and more serious people focused on solving problems. I look forward to earning each constituent’s vote and to the sacred responsibility of elected office.