"I’LL BE AN ADVOCATE FOR HUMAN & CIVIL RIGHTS, AS WE FIGHT TOGETHER TO END SYSTEMIC INJUSTICE."

Antonio is a lifelong advocate for justice, and got his start as a young political activist in his home country of Venezuela, where he lived with his mom, dad, and sister. Shortly after his father passed away, his sister Elyn moved to the United States to be able to provide for the Daza family back in Venezuela. Around the same time, Antonio became more involved with politics in his home country, working at a political newspaper and protesting the corruption and political turmoil under former leader Hugo Chavez.

His mom, Martha, was able to gain citizenship with the help of her daughter Elyn’s status, but Antonio’s immigration journey was much longer. Eventually, he was able to come to the United States as one of the first Venezuelan refugees protected under political asylum, and he has lived and thrived in District 11 since 2007. Antonio’s immigration process was a 12 year journey, but in 2015 he was thrilled to finally become an American citizen. 

After moving to the United States, Antonio pursued the American dream and followed his passion for the arts by becoming a professional ballroom dancer. Eventually, Antonio went on to become a ballroom dance teacher and finally opened his own dance studio, Daza Dance, which is now located in Buckhead, Georgia. The studio is now incredibly successful, and Antonio is proud to be a small business owner and share his love of dance with the community. 

Antonio graduated in May 2021 from Oglethorpe University, with an IPM in Women’s and Gender Studies, the first of its kind in the school’s history, and a double minor in Communications and Art History. He is a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community and is recently engaged to his partner, Bill. They share one dog, Tovar, and Antonio is honored to be a step-father to Bill’s two daughters, Emily and Elizabeth, and step-grandfather to the newest member of their family, Mila.