Darren Michael Soto (born February 25, 1978) is an American attorney and politician from Orlando, Florida, who is the U.S. Representative for Florida's 9th district. He defeated Republican Wayne Liebnitzky in the 2016 general election, 57-43%. Prior to being elected to Congress, Soto served for four years in the Florida Senate and five in the Florida House of Representatives, representing parts of the Orlando area.Soto was born in the borough of Ringwood, New Jersey to a Puerto Rican father, O. Lou Soto, and an Italian-American mother, Jean Soto. From 1998 to 2001, he worked for Prudential Insurance in finance while he attended college. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Rutgers University in 2000, a Juris Doctor from George Washington University in 2004, and opened his law practice the following year. Wikipedia