More endorsements roll in for Jared Moskowitz’s bid for Congress

So far, Broward County Commissioner Jared Moskowitz is the only major name to announce his bid for U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch’s seat, and endorsements have kept rolling in.

Thirteen elected officials from Broward and Palm Beach counties and beyond on Sunday became the latest to announce support for Moskowitz. That’s in addition to 50 current and former elected officials from the Broward County School Board on up to Congress who agreed that there’s nobody better than Moskowitz to represent Florida’s 22^nd Congressional District, which straddles Broward and Palm Beach counties.

The Democrats in Sunday’s list of endorsers cited Moskowitz’s positions on criminal justice, women’s reproductive rights, and the preservation of democracy itself as the reasons for their endorsements.

” … Florida needs strong Democrats who can fight against malicious attacks on our rights and on our democracy,” said Democratic Sen. Janet Cruz of Tampa. “Jared grew up in Democratic politics and served our Democratic Caucus well in Tallahassee while I was the House Democratic Leader. When he’s elected, I know that he’ll continue his work to help Democrats win elections across our state.”

Statewide women’s rights advocate and Broward County Soil and Water Commissioner Emma Collum says Moskowitz’s election is urgent, given how abortion rights are rolling back state by state.

“Roe v. Wade must be codified into federal law, and I know that Jared will join that fight,” Collum said, citing the court ruling now getting challenged by new state laws. “Women, people of color, and the LGBTQ+ community face too many injustices in Florida, and I’m supporting Jared’s campaign because of his lifelong commitment to defending marginalized communities.”

Others announcing their endorsement Sunday, according to the Moskowitz campaign, are:

Democratic state lawmakers Sen. Loranne Ausley of North Florida and Rep. David Silvers of Lake Clarke Shores; (former) Rep. Richard Stark of Weston;

Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw;

Broward County State Attorney Harold Pryor;

Broward County Clark of Courts Brenda Forman;

City officials Coral Springs Mayor Scott Brook, Margate Mayor Antonio Arserio, (former) Cooper City Mayor Debbie Eisinger, Plantation Council Member Denise Horland;

Former U.S. Rep. Larry Smith, who represented Florida’s 16^th Congressional District from 1983 to 1992.

Broward County State Attorney Pryor said Moskowitz understands how destructive mandatory minimum sentences are.

“We need partners at every level of government to work toward criminal justice reform,” Pryor said. “Jared understands these issues and I’m endorsing him because I believe he’ll do important work to improve the justice system.”

These endorsers joined a list of those who announced their support for Moskowitz when his campaign was less than a week old; some were among the flurry of names that were considered candidates to succeed Deutch. The seven-term Congressman stunned the South Florida political world when he announced his congressional retirement to become the American Jewish Committee CEO.

Moskowitz graduated from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and campaigned to update school safety rules when the state’s worst school shooting ripped apart his alma mater. High-profile survivors of those killed in that shooting have also endorsed Moskowitz.

Moskowitz, who resigned from his seat representing northwest Broward to become Director of the state’s Division of Emergency Management, holds an undergraduate degree from George Washington University and a law degree from Nova Southeastern University. His early career is a who’s who for career building in the Democratic Party. Early on, he worked as an intern for Vice President Al Gore and as an assistant on the presidential campaign of Sen. Joe Lieberman.

Others considering a run for the seat include Republican state Rep. Chip LaMarca of Lighthouse Point, Democratic state Sen. Gary Farmer, Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis, and Broward County Commissioner Mark Bogen.

Moskowitz and his wife of 11 years, Leah, have two children.