José 'Che' Pérez, chairman of the Puerto Rico House Judicial Committee, traveled to Florida to campaign for Democratic U.S. Representative Darren Soto, who has served in Congress since 2017 representing Florida's 9th Congressional District, covering eastern Orlando, Kissimmee, all of Osceola County, and parts of Orange and Polk counties. Pérez, who led a group of island legislators supporting Soto, said Soto has consistently backed statehood so that American citizens living in Puerto Rico gain the same rights as state residents.
Also participating were Representative Alex 'Chino' Roque and Puerto Rico Democratic Party President Luis Dávila Pernas. The group urged Puerto Ricans in District 9 to vote for Soto on November 3, expressing confidence in his re-election. Soto faces Republican challenger Dan Green in the midterm elections set for November 3.
The delegation's activities included a gathering with citizens in Winter Park, a tertulia in Kissimmee, and tours of Orlando. According to the latest available data (circa 2022), about 1,187,437 Puerto Ricans live in Florida, representing nearly 29% of the state's Hispanic population and 5.6% of its total population.