TAMPA, FL — Democratic presidential nominee Paletuatoa Peniamina today released the following statement thanking U.S. Senator Jonathan "Jon" Steele of Florida for his service to the nation and for running a spirited, issues-focused campaign:

"I want to thank Senator Jon Steele for his decades of dedicated service to the people of Florida and to the United States Senate.

Jon is the kind of public servant that restores faith in what government can do. Born and raised in Orlando, he never forgot where he came from. As mayor of Orlando, he built affordable housing, strengthened infrastructure, and prepared his community for the storms that we all know are coming. As a United States Senator, he authored bipartisan legislation on clean water, hurricane mitigation, and healthcare for rural communities — not because it was politically popular, but because it was the right thing to do.

We ran against each other. We fought hard. We disagreed on fundamental issues. But never once did Jon Steele make it personal. Never once did he question my character or my love for this country. He ran a campaign rooted in the issues that matter — climate, voting rights, disaster resiliency — and he did it with dignity, with grace, and with an unwavering commitment to the people he serves.

That is rare in politics today. It should not be. But Jon Steele showed us what leadership looks like when it's driven by conviction, not calculation.

I know that this was not an easy decision for him. Jon loves Florida. He loves the Senate. He loves the work of public service. His narrow re-election in 2025 — 50.2% of the vote — only deepened his resolve to work harder, to listen more, to never take a single vote for granted. That is the mark of a true public servant.

I am grateful for his service. I am grateful for the campaign he ran. And I am grateful that, even in our disagreements, we were able to remind the American people that democracy is not about tearing each other down — it is about buildi