Republican Joe Strada is campaigning for Florida’s 11th Congressional District, highlighting his experience building a multistate heating, ventilation, air conditioning, electrical and plumbing company and his support for trade education. Fox News Digital reported that Strada’s company employs about 4,000 people across 13 states. He is running against Democrat James Pericola, identified in the report as a Clinton administration official.
The source said the general election was three weeks away, but did not specify its date or year. It also said Strada could become the wealthiest person to serve in the U.S. House if elected. That projection is conditional on his winning and is presented without a supporting comparison or methodology in the material provided.
Strada described his start as a handyman repairing equipment at a bowling alley. He told Fox News Digital that his business grew despite challenges he attributed to federal rules and regulations. He said he believes Washington needs more people with business experience and problem-solving skills, rather than additional lobbyists, politicians and attorneys. Those statements reflect Strada’s views as a candidate and business owner.
A central part of his campaign message is that skilled trades offer young people a route to employment without taking on large student loans. Strada said his company hires and trains people who have little or no experience with HVAC work, pays them from their first day, and offers a path to a career. He said he is working with trade schools and high schools and speaking to young people about entering the trades.
Strada said a shortage of workers threatened his company’s ability to grow, prompting him to develop an internal training program. He argued that creating the program allowed the business to expand and said he did not wait for government to address the labor gap. The account does not provide additional details about the program, such as its cost, enrollment or completion rates.
He also argued that more Americans could be encouraged to enter the workforce through trade training. In discussing potential workers receiving government assistance, Strada said some need an opportunity and encouragement to learn a trade, while others do not want to work. The source does not provide independent data on the size of this potential workforce or on Strada’s characterization of people receiving assistance.
Strada recounted growing up with limited means and credited hard work and persistence for his success. He also said he wants his employees, customers and company to benefit from business decisions, and described helping some workers become entrepreneurs who start their own businesses.
He connected his personal motivations to the death of his son, Joe Strada, whom the source says was killed in 2018 by a stray bullet during a gunfight outside a shopping center in Lake Mary, Florida. Strada said his son’s memory influences his decisions and that character matters more to him than wealth. The supplied account offers no further details about the shooting.
If elected, Strada said he would support the SAVE Act and seek greater government support and recognition for trade schools. He argued that trade schools should be treated more like universities, which he said receive substantial funding. His comparison and criticism of university graduates were campaign arguments; the material does not supply supporting funding figures or evidence about graduates’ employment outcomes.
