Ryan NicolDemocratic congressional candidate Jared Moskowitz said Wednesday that he raised more than $100,000 in just the first 24 hours after announcing his bid to replace the retiring U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch.
Deutch declared his decision to step down on Monday, Feb. 28. At the time, Moskowitz praised Deutch’s record in Congress and floated his own desire to possibly run for the seat.
Moskowitz made that move official this past Friday. And in just 24 hours, his team says he pulled in more than $100,000.
“I deeply appreciate the people who believe in my ability to fight for our community,” Moskowitz said in a statement on the fundraising numbers. “I’m proud of this testament to my long record of success in fighting for our Democratic priorities as a legislator and my work ethic as Florida’s Director of Emergency Management.”
Moskowitz is the only person to officially declare his intention to run as Deutch’s successor, though several other potential candidates are said to be eyeing the seat. Those include Republican state Rep. Chip LaMarca, Democratic state Sen. Gary Farmer and Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis.
Still, Moskowitz is looking to cement himself as the frontrunner in the race. In addition to quickly pulling in cash, Moskowitz also announced earlier this week that 50 current and former elected officials were backing his bid.
Included in that list was Senate Democratic Leader Lauren Book, state Sen. Shevrin Jones, Democratic House Co-Leader Evan Jenne and state Reps. Dan Daley, Anna Eskamani, Michael Gottlieb, Christine Hunschofsky, Carlos Guillermo Smith and Marie Woodson.
“Jared Moskowitz is a dedicated, battle-proven public servant whose experience over the last two decades has prepared him to represent our community in Congress,” Book said. “After the tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Jared and I worked closely on the first gun safety legislation our state had seen in more than 20 years.”
Moskowitz formerly served as a state Representative in House District 97, serving parts of northwest Broward County, including those affected by the 2018 Parkland shooting. Gun rights advocate Fred Guttenberg — whose daughter, Jaime, died in the attack — has also endorsed Moskowitz.
Moskowitz’s old House district overlaps in part with Deutch’s seat in Florida’s 22nd Congressional District, though the decennial redistricting process could still change those congressional boundaries.
Moskowitz left that seat when Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, reached across party lines and selected Moskowitz to lead the Division of Emergency Management (DEM). Moskowitz helmed the agency during the COVID-19 pandemic and oversaw several hurricane strikes and near misses. After stepping down from DEM, DeSantis appointed Moskowitz to fill an open seat on the Broward County Commission.
