Congressional Candidate Jared Moskowitz. {Jared4Florida.com}
By Bryan Boggiano
Parkland resident and former Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Jared Moskowitz is projected to win the election to Florida’s 23rd Congressional District, according to the Associated Press.
Moskowitz defeated businessman and Club 45 USA founder Joe Budd (R) to succeed Former Rep. Ted Deutch in the House of Representatives.
As of 8:45 p.m., Moskowitz led Budd with 125,568 votes or about 53 percent of the vote. Budd had 107,646 votes or about 45.5 percent.
Prior to redistricting, congressman-elect Moskowitz’s seat was in the 22nd District.
The new district includes Coral Springs, Parkland, Margate, Coconut Creek, Wilton Manors, and Boca Raton.
Before running for Congress, in 2006, he was elected to the Parkland city commission.
In 2012, Moskowitz was elected to the Florida House of Representatives, and in 2018, he helped draft the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Safety Act. The legislation focused on gun safety, school safety, and mental health reform.
In 2019, Governor Ron DeSantis appointed Moskowitz as director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management. In this role, he oversaw the state’s COVID response and became known as the Master of Disaster.
In January 2022, DeSantis appointed Moskowitz to the Broward County Commission, and he was sworn in later that month.
In March, Moskowitz announced his run for Congress after Deutch announced his retirement.
Moskowitz emerged as the frontrunner in a six-way primary, garnering endorsements from the entire Coral Springs city commission, Parkland Mayor Rich Walker, the Sierra Club, gun control activist Fred Guttenberg, House Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
In the Aug. 23 primary, Moskowitz received 61.1 percent of the vote.
Throughout the campaign, Moskowitz raised over $1 million, while Budd’s campaign raised just over $100,000.
Moskowitz is scheduled to be sworn in on Jan. 3, 2023, along with other members of the 118th United States Congress.
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