U.S. House, District 11
Represents Florida's 11th Congressional District, which includes all of Sumter County and The Villages plus parts of Lake, Marion, Orange and Polk counties, in the U.S. House of Representatives. Votes on federal laws and spending. This is an open seat: Rep. Daniel Webster is retiring. Term: 2 years.
How we verified who is on the ballot
Third pass (Sept 17, 2026): verified against the Sumter County Supervisor of Elections' official 2026 General Election sample ballot, which lists Joe Strada (REP), James Pericola (DEM) and Ralph Groves (LPF, Libertarian Party of Florida) for Representative in Congress, District 11, with no write-in line.
Sources: elections.sumtercountyfl.gov · files.floridados.gov
Candidates
Joe Strada
Joseph Horatio Strada Jr. was born in Chicago and graduated from Lyman High School; he has said he never attended college. He began working in the trades at 14, took his first air-conditioning job at 19, earned state contractor licenses in five trades, and in 2003 founded the Sanford-based company now called Strada Se…
James Pericola
Pericola describes more than 30 years in public service, law, government and legislative advocacy: he started as a staff assistant to U.S. Sen. Bob Graham, was a Presidential appointee in the Clinton administration (Special Assistant to the Chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, where he worked with Congre…
Ralph Groves
Groves holds a Doctor of Arts degree in history from St. John's University. He is a U.S. Army veteran who served in Germany and in the Iraq War and retired at the rank of major, then worked as a Department of Defense analyst in the United Kingdom and at the Pentagon; he is now retired. He says he has been active in th…
Side-by-side on the major issues
AgreeDiffer a littleDiffer stronglyNot enough data· hover for details, click to jump to the row
Taxes & spendingHousing affordabilityImmigrationAbortionGunsHealth careSocial Security & MedicareEducation & school choiceEnvironment & waterElections & votingCrime & policingGender identity lawsEnergy & utilitiesTariffs & tradeUkraineTrump administrationVeterans
Where the candidates in this race split, issue by issue.
Strongly agreesLeans agreeMixed / neutralLeans disagreeStrongly disagreesNo public position found
Each row is a statement. The chips show how each candidate's stated positions or record relate to that statement. Expand a row to read the evidence and sources. "No public position found" means we could not find a statement or record on the topic, not that the candidate has none.
| Issue | Joe Strada Republican | James Pericola Democratic | Ralph Groves Libertarian |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taxes & spendingCutting taxes should be a top priority, even if it means less government spending on services. | Leans agree· stated position Strada campaigns on a balanced-budget requirement and says Congress should focus on fiscal responsibility and reducing regulations on businesses; his primary ad criticized opponent Carey Baker for voting for tax increases as a state legislator. He has not laid out a specific federal tax-cut plan in sources found. | Leans agree· stated position Pericola says he will work to eliminate federal income taxes for people earning less than $100,000 a year and cut taxes for middle-class families. He pairs this with calls to restore Medicaid funding and protect Social Security and Medicare, so he does not frame tax cuts as coming at the expense of services. | Strongly agrees· stated position Groves calls for reducing federal taxes to stimulate the economy, saying lower taxes will increase spending power, spur competition and eventually reduce prices, and that lower taxes and decreased regulation will spur job growth in Florida. |
| Housing affordabilityGovernment should do more to make housing affordable (subsidies, zoning changes, rent measures). | No public position found | Strongly agrees· stated position His platform calls for securing federal funding to combat the housing crisis. | No public position found |
| ImmigrationImmigration enforcement should be stricter, including large-scale deportation of people in the country illegally. | Leans agree· stated position Strada says immigration enforcement is one of his general-election priorities and pledges to help President Trump 'get criminal illegals out of here.' His explicit statements focus on deporting people in the country illegally who have committed crimes; no statement was found on broader mass deportation. | No public position found | Mixed / neutral· stated position Groves advocates legal, regulated immigration from Latin America and elsewhere (noting his mother was a legal immigrant from Lebanon), saying it boosts the economy and population, while 'illegal and unregulated migration stresses our communities, hospitals, and schools.' He wants simplified, reasonable immigration processes. No statement on deportation or enforcement levels was found, so this is coded as mixed. |
| AbortionAbortion should be legal in most cases (Florida's six-week ban should be repealed or loosened). | Strongly disagrees· stated position In his iVoterGuide survey Strada said human life deserves legal protection from conception until natural death, that embryos created through artificial methods should be protected from purposeful destruction, that abortion providers such as Planned Parenthood should not receive taxpayer funds (including Title X), and that the Comstock Act's ban on interstate shipment of abortion-inducing drugs should be enforced. | No public position found | Leans disagree· stated position Groves identifies as pro-life and says he has been active in the right-to-life movement since before Roe v. Wade; in 1982 he ran for Congress in New York with the Right to Life Party's endorsement. He says that 'in extreme cases' abortion should be decided by women and their doctors rather than government, and that government should be excluded from abortion, including no government funding for Planned Parenthood. He applauds President Trump's pardons of jailed anti-abortion protesters. No statement on Florida's six-week law was found. |
| GunsGun laws should be stricter (keep the red-flag law and the age-21 purchase rule; expand background checks) rather than looser (permitless or open carry, lower purchase age). | Strongly disagrees· stated position Strada received an 'AQ' grade from the NRA Political Victory Fund, a pro-gun rating based on his questionnaire answers (he has no voting record). President Trump's endorsement says he will 'Defend our always under siege Second Amendment.' No specific statement on red-flag laws or the purchase age was found. | No public position found | Leans disagree· stated position Groves is a gun owner and a member of Gun Owners of America and says self-defense is a natural right. He argues gun confiscation cannot be accomplished because it would provoke civil disobedience and police would refuse to carry it out. No statement on red-flag laws, the purchase age or background checks was found. |
| Health careGovernment should expand its role in health coverage (expand Medicaid in Florida, extend Affordable Care Act subsidies). | Strongly disagrees· stated position In his iVoterGuide survey Strada indicated Medicaid and Medicare should remain available but that no other taxpayer-funded health programs are necessary. No statement on ACA subsidies specifically was found. | Strongly agrees· stated position Pericola lists making health care more affordable among the three most pressing issues for the district. He says he will work to restore Medicaid funding, protect the Affordable Care Act, and lower the cost of prescription drugs and medical care. Sources: Meet 11th Congressional District Democratic candidate James… (2026-08-05) · James Pericola: Dems need to 'give people something to vote… (2026-08) · James Pericola for Congress (campaign site) (2026) · James Pericola About | Local Candidates (2026) · 2026 Voter's Guide - US House District 11, Democratic prima… (2026-07-31) · Q&A: Democratic candidates for U.S. House District 11 discu… (2026-07-28) | No public position found |
| Social Security & MedicareSocial Security and Medicare benefits must be protected from any cuts, even if that requires more revenue. | Leans agree· stated position Priorities page says 'Keep the promises made to seniors and protect earned benefits'; it does not address how to fund them or whether he would accept new revenue. | Strongly agrees· stated position He names protecting Social Security and Medicare as the district's top issue, opposes any cuts to or privatization of either program, and wants to let Medicare negotiate lower prescription-drug prices. He has not specified in sources found how he would finance the programs. Sources: Meet 11th Congressional District Democratic candidate James… (2026-08-05) · James Pericola for Congress (campaign site) (2026) · James Pericola About | Local Candidates (2026) · Q&A: Democratic candidates for U.S. House District 11 discu… (2026-08) · 2026 Voter's Guide - US House District 11, Democratic prima… (2026-07-31) | Leans agree· stated position He says that in Washington he 'will uphold Social Security and Medicare.' He simultaneously calls for lower federal taxes and does not say how the programs would be financed. |
| Education & school choicePublic money should follow students to private, charter or home schools (universal school vouchers). | Strongly agrees· stated position Says families should have 'the freedom to choose the school, public, charter, private, or homeschool, that fits their child best,' and that parents, not bureaucrats, should make education decisions. | No public position found | Strongly agrees· stated position Groves applauds the abolition of the federal Department of Education, says each state should manage education without federal regulation, and says parents should have a broad range of options including a voucher system and homeschooling. |
| Environment & waterProtecting water quality, conservation land and climate resilience should take priority even if it slows development or raises costs. | No public position found | Strongly agrees· stated position In ClickOrlando's questionnaire he named 'protecting our water while building resilience against extreme weather and climate' as Florida's main environmental challenge and supports federal investment in water quality and Everglades restoration. | Leans agree· stated position Groves says he would advocate for more Environmental Protection Agency safe-drinking-water grants. No statement on conservation land or development trade-offs was found. |
| Elections & votingVoting should be made easier (mail voting, drop boxes, restoring voting rights) rather than adding new restrictions. | Strongly disagrees· stated position Supports 'voter ID, clean voter rolls, paper ballot accountability, and election integrity.' | Strongly agrees· stated position He says he will fight to end gerrymandering and pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, which would restore federal preclearance of voting-law changes. | No public position found |
| Crime & policingCriminal penalties should be tougher and police funding increased, rather than emphasizing reform and rehabilitation. | Strongly agrees· stated position Priorities page: 'Back law enforcement, punish violent offenders, and make communities safe again,' and treat cartel violence, human trafficking and fentanyl 'as national security threats.' | No public position found | No public position found |
| Gender identity lawsFlorida's laws restricting gender-affirming care for minors and classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity should remain in place. | Leans agree· stated position Priorities page: 'Keep men out of women's sports and protect fairness for girls and women' and 'stop taxpayer-funded indoctrination'; no statement found on Florida's gender-affirming-care or classroom-instruction laws specifically. | No public position found | No public position found |
| Energy & utilitiesGovernment should promote renewable energy and tighten oversight of utility rate increases, even at the expense of fossil-fuel production. | Leans disagree· stated position Calls for restoring 'energy independence' and lowering costs by not 'punishing American workers and families'; no statement on renewables or utility regulation. | No public position found | Leans disagree· stated position He says the U.S. will depend on fossil fuels for the proximate future and that increasing fossil-fuel output will lower transport costs and the prices of petrochemical-based products. No statement on renewable energy or utility-rate oversight was found. |
| Tariffs & tradeTariffs on imported goods are good for the American economy. | Leans agree· stated position On trade he would 'reward companies that invest in American workers, not foreign outsourcing' and protect against China's threats to jobs, supply chains and farmland; he has not stated a position on specific tariff levels. | Leans disagree· stated position Pericola opposes broad tariffs, which he describes as functioning as a tax on many of the goods people buy every day. No statement on targeted or sector-specific tariffs was found. | No public position found |
| UkraineThe U.S. should continue military aid to Ukraine. | No public position found | No public position found | Leans disagree· stated position Groves calls for an immediate cease-fire with mediated peace talks and opposes deepening U.S. support for Ukraine, preferring that European allies do more to counter Russian aggression. He backs 'Defend the Guard' efforts to keep the Florida National Guard from being deployed overseas, but supports increased funding for U.S. defense industries to restock the military equipment sent to Ukraine. |
| Trump administrationI approve of the direction of the Trump administration. | Strongly agrees· stated position Strada describes himself as a Trump ally, said he would 'stand with' President Trump in Congress, and received Trump's 'Complete and Total Endorsement' in September 2026. | Strongly disagrees· stated position Pericola's platform says he will 'defend democracy from MAGA attacks,' and he calls for restoring Medicaid funding reduced by the 2025 federal reconciliation law. He is running to flip the seat from Republican control while saying Democrats must 'give people something to vote for, not just someone to vote against.' | No public position found |
| VeteransExpanding VA services and veterans' benefits should be a top priority. | Leans agree· stated position Pledges to 'ensure veterans receive the care, respect, and benefits they earned through service.' | No public position found | Leans agree· stated position As an Iraq War veteran, Groves says he is dedicated to ensuring military personnel's needs are met through the Veterans Administration. He also supports increased Coast Guard funding. No specific VA expansion proposal was found. |
Where they sit on the map
Each candidate is placed by the average of their documented stances. It is a summary of the table above, not an extra judgment.
RepublicanDemocraticLibertarian· photo or initials inside each bubble · hover or tap for details
How the axes are computed
Each axis is the average of a candidate's coded stances (+2 to −2) on a fixed set of statements, so it comes straight from the documented positions and nothing else. A candidate needs at least three documented statements on an axis to be placed.
Economic issues (toward "Smaller government (lower taxes, less spending)"): Taxes & spending (agree), Property taxes (agree), Health care (disagree), Housing affordability (disagree), Property insurance (disagree), Energy & utilities (disagree), Social Security & Medicare (disagree).
Social & legal issues (toward "Conservative side of the statements"): Immigration (agree), Abortion (disagree), Guns (disagree), Education & school choice (agree), Elections & voting (disagree), Crime & policing (agree), Gender identity laws (agree), Marijuana (disagree), Environment & water (disagree), Trump administration (agree).
| Candidate | Economic issues | Social & legal issues |
|---|---|---|
| Joe Strada | 0.75 (4 statements) | 1.75 (8 statements) |
| James Pericola | -1.20 (5 statements) | -2.00 (3 statements) |
| Ralph Groves | 0.67 (3 statements) | 0.60 (5 statements) |
Other issues the candidates have raised
Priorities each candidate has brought up on their own, beyond the major-issue list above.
Joe Strada
- Investigate congressional insider trading — Strada says his first priority in Congress is to investigate and ban stock trading by members of Congress, to make Congress 'less profitable.'
- Term limits for Congress — He pledges to push for term limits so Congress is 'less permanent.'
- Balanced federal budget — He wants to require a balanced budget and says Congress should be accountable for the money it spends.
- Skilled-trades workforce shortage — Strada cites the shortage of skilled workers as a general-election priority and points to the training program his company built that graduates students directly into the workforce.
- Government accountability / reducing regulation — He describes himself as a 'conservative outsider' who will take on 'career politicians' and reduce regulations on businesses.
- Support for seniors, veterans, workers and small businesses — The campaign site says he will 'stand up for Central Florida families, seniors, veterans, workers, and small businesses,' without detailed proposals in sources found.
- Line-item veto and balanced-budget amendment — Would 'give the President a tool to strike wasteful spending from bloated bills' and supports a balanced-budget amendment.
- Manufacturing and China — Wants to 'bring supply chains, factories, and good-paying jobs back to the United States' and counter China's 'threats to jobs, supply chains, farmland, technology, and national security.'
- Infrastructure that keeps pace with growth — Pledges to 'fight for infrastructure that keeps pace with growth, improves mobility, and respects taxpayers.'
James Pericola
- Affordability for working and middle-class families — He lists reducing the financial pressure on working and middle-class families as one of the district's three most pressing issues.
- Lower prescription drug costs — He says he will work to lower the cost of prescription drugs and medical care.
- Restore Medicaid funding — He calls for restoring Medicaid funding reduced by recent federal legislation.
- Transportation safety background — He cites his NTSB and White House experience coordinating responses to aviation incidents as preparation for federal office.
- Eliminate federal income tax under $100,000 — He proposes eliminating federal income taxes for people earning less than $100,000 a year and cutting taxes for middle-class families.
- Let Medicare negotiate drug prices — He wants Medicare to negotiate lower prescription-drug costs for seniors and opposes privatization of Social Security and Medicare.
- End gerrymandering / John Lewis Voting Rights Act — He says he will fight to end gerrymandering and pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act.
- Constituent services — He pledges an accessible, responsive district office to help constituents with Social Security, Medicare, veterans' benefits and other federal agencies.
Ralph Groves
- Prevent future vaccine mandates — He says he would work to prevent any future vaccine mandates.
- Increase Coast Guard funding — He supports increased funding for the U.S. Coast Guard.
- EPA safe-drinking-water grants — He would advocate for more EPA safe-drinking-water grants for communities.
- More personal freedom, less government — His campaign message is that voters want more personal freedom and a smaller government and deserve a viable third option.
- 'Defend the Guard' / no overseas Guard deployments — He supports keeping the Florida National Guard at home rather than allowing federal deployment to Ukraine or other overseas locations, while backing more funding for defense industries to restock U.S. military equipment.
- Abolish federal Department of Education — He applauds abolition of the federal Department of Education and wants states to run education without federal regulation.
- No government funding for Planned Parenthood — He says government should be excluded from abortion, which he says means no government funding for Planned Parenthood.
- Reduce federal regulation — He says decreased regulation, along with lower taxes, will spur job growth and economic development in Florida.