In November, Jared Moskowitz celebrates after he wins the election for Florida’s 23rd Congressional District.
By Bryan Boggiano
After four days of voting and a contentious race for the Speaker of the House, Representative Jared Moskowitz (D-Fl) was finally sworn in as the new congressman for Florida’s 23rd congressional District.
His District includes Parkland, Coral Springs, Coconut Creek, and Wilton Manors. It also includes parts of Margate, Oakland Park, Pompano Beach, Deerfield Beach, and the Boca Raton area, including Florida Atlantic and Lynn University.
Moskowitz’s swearing-in came after the house members failed to elect a Speaker of the House on 14 different ballots, falling short of the required majority to elect a speaker. Members-elect needed to select a speaker before being sworn in.
The narrow Republican majority ultimately elected Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Ca) from California, giving him more than the 50 percent of votes needed to secure the speakership.
Even though Republicans reclaimed control of The House following the midterm elections, they control only 222 out of 435 seats.
While roughly 90 percent of House Republicans, or slightly more than 200, consistently voted for McCarthy, about 20 holdouts voted for other people. The narrow Republican majority meant no more than four representatives could vote against McCarthy.
Throughout history, only 15 House Speaker elections went to multiple ballots. The most recent was in 1923. Only four elections took more ballots.
On Jan. 3, Moskowitz’s scheduled swearing-in day, his wife, Leah, and their two sons joined him on Capitol Hill.
Instead, Moskowitz was sworn in shortly after midnight on Saturday, according to a press release.
Speaking on the voting process and multiple proposals by House Republicans, Moskowitz expressed apprehension.
“I must admit I am concerned about the dysfunction we’ve witnessed from House Republicans and all the promises made that are going to lead to more extreme policies in order to secure the Speakership for Kevin McCarthy,” he said in a statement.
Despite the week’s proceedings, Moskowitz expressed optimism about serving his districts and working with his Democratic and Republican colleagues.
“I will not let what we witnessed deter me from trying to find bipartisan solutions to our nation’s biggest problems,” he said. “During my first term, I will work on initiatives to create jobs, improve schools, protect our democracy, strengthen support for Israel, and enact meaningful gun violence prevention legislation.”
Moskowitz was elected to the Parkland City Commission in 2006. He served in that capacity in 2012 when he was elected to the Florida House of Representatives 97th District.
As a state representative, he helped draft and advance the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Safety Act, which addressed gun safety, mental health, and school security reform.
In 2019, Governor Ron DeSantis appointed him as Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management. He oversaw the state’s response to COVID-19 by establishing testing programs, vaccine rollout, and the distribution of personal protective equipment. He also coordinated the state response to Hurricane Michael.
In January 2022, DeSantis appointed him to the Broward County Commission’s 8th District. In that capacity, he worked to improve critical infrastructure, affordable housing, public transportation, and public safety.
Moskowitz announced his candidacy for Florida’s then-22nd District in March 2022 following Rep. Ted Deutch’s retirement. Following redistricting, it became the 23rd District.
He garnered endorsements from all members of the Coral Springs and Parkland city commissions, State Rep. Dan Daley, State Sen. Tina Polsky, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, among others.
He won his election on Nov. 8, where he faced Republican Joe Budd. Moskowitz won with 51.6 percent of the vote.
Author Profile
- A University of Florida journalism graduate, Bryan plans to pursue geosciences at Florida International University for his master's. He has a strong interest in weather, entertainment, and journalism.
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