"Public service and a commitment to make a better life for the people of Florida has been my mission. I've given Florida a strong voice on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee and was appointed by the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives to the House Leadership," said Congressman Kendrick Meek. "But never in my lifetime, have the people of Florida been faced with so many big problems. Our state needs bold leadership at every level, and that and it is why I've made the decision to run as a candidate for the United States Senate. This race is not about me -- it is about Floridians. I am running for Florida, and I am asking Floridians to run with us in this race."

Meek was first elected to public office at the age of 27. He is currently serving in his fourth term in the U.S. House of Representatives. Congressman Meek is the lone Democratic Floridian sitting on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, is a member of the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee, and also serves on the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. Congressman Meek is the Co-Chair of Speaker Pelosi's "30-Something" Working Group, which articulates Democratic positions to the public on critical issues before the U.S. Congress.

Prior to his election to the U.S. Congress, Congressman Meek served eight years in the Florida House and Senate and was a captain in the Florida Highway Patrol. He graduated from the Miami-Dade Public School System and received his bachelor's degree from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University.