Palm Beach Post Editorial Board endorsement: Democrat Jared Moskowitz for US House District 23
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Six candidates want to be the Democratic Party nominee to replace U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, who is leaving Congress in October. The Palm Beach Post Editorial Board recommends primary voters choose Jared Moskowitz.
Florida's 23rd congressional district starts in Boca Raton and stretches south into Broward County, encompassing Coral Springs, Parkland and Margate and portions of Deerfield Beach, Pompano Beach and Fort Lauderdale. The Aug. 23 primaries for the district are closed primaries, which mean only registered Democrats can vote in their party's primary and only registered Republicans can vote in their party's primary.
More: Elections 2022: Qualified candidates on the ballot for federal and state government posts
Moskowitz should be an easy choice. He is familiar with the district, its residents and their needs. The 41-year-old manager of a consultant firm and current Broward County commissioner was born in Coral Springs, earned a law degree at Nova Southeastern University and lives in Parkland, where he was a city commissioner.
His career choices in government have also prepared Moskowitz for Congress. He served in the Florida House of Representatives, where in 2018, after the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, he helped lead efforts to pass school safety, mental health and gun violence bills.
In a surprise move, Moskowitz left the Legislature when Gov. Ron DeSantis asked him to be the director of Florida's Division of Emergency Management, where he led the agency during a devastating Category 5 hurricane and the early stages of the COVID pandemic. The appointment has become a campaign issue in the primary but it would be foolish to think the position altered Moskowitz's core values. In fact, it will likely help the candidate cross party lines to try to get work done in Congress.
Rounding out the field are two political newcomers, Allen Ellison, 41, a small business owner from Sebring and Michaelangelo Hamilton, 22, self-employed in real estate services, who lives in Davie. Ben Sorenson, Hava Holzhauer and W. Michael Trout are also seeking the nomination but did not to participate in the paper's endorsement process.
Additional Palm Beach Post Editorial Board endorsements
COUNTY JUDGE: Palm Beach Post Editorial Board endorsement: Elect Paul Damico county judge again
US HOUSE DISTRICT 20: Palm Beach Post Editorial Board endorsement: Cherfilus-McCormick
For all Palm Beach Post Editorial Board endorsements, please check our Opinion page.
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This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Elections 2022: Post endorses Democrat Moskowitz for Congress
