Election Day 2010 wasn't just a big day for Republicans — it was also a day of victory for small-business candidates who celebrated big gains across the nation.
Steve Southerland, co-owner of Southerland Family Funeral Homes in Panama City, and Daniel Webster, who runs Webster Air Conditioning & Heating in Orlando, were among the 33 small-business owners — all Republican — elected to Congress. Meanwhile, at least 11 small-business owners were elected to serve in the Florida Legislature.
Here, three of them talk about how they got their start, the biggest challenges they've faced and the unique perspective they bring to a Legislature populated mostly by lawyers, retirees and full-time politicians.