Deutch profile goes national

South Florida congressman preparing for more important roles in the House

Congressman Ted Deutch started the year as an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump, denouncing the new president’s ban on travelers from seven predominately Muslim countries as unconstitutional and un-American. He’s ending the year in a critical position, as the top Democrat on the House Ethics Committee, where he will judge colleagues acCongress. cused of sexual misconduct.

In between, his work has raised his national profile — one that’s certain to increase if the Democrats regain control of the House of Representatives in 2018. As long as Deutch can continue to successfully navigate a volatile political landscape, Democratic supporters — and even some Republicans — see him emerging as his party’s most prominent congressman from the region and, ultimately, as an influential leader in This year, the South Florida representative has:

Pushed a range of local issues, such as working for federal reimbursement for local government expenses incurred when Trump spends weekends at his resort properties, including Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach; pushing the Federal Emergency Management Agency to expand its assistance to South Florida while Hurricane Irma’s tropical storm force winds were still battering the region, and maintaining pressure on Iran to free Robert Levinson, the Coral Springs resident who went missing off the coast of Iran a decade ago.

Used his position as a senior member of the Judiciary Committee to pepper Attorney General Jeff Sessions over the investigation into possible collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign, press Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to protect the independence of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation, and castigate the committee’s Republican leaders for refusing to investigate Russian meddling in U.S. elections.

Teamed with Republican colleagues on a range of issues, including foreign policy, climate change and animal cruelty.

Deutch said the political climate energized voters and created a need to become more vocal about the values his constituents care about. And that “includes stepping up and representing those values nationally. I’ve had an opportunity to do that a lot more.”

This year, he’s been up early for appearances on CNN’s “New Day” and MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” up late for “The Last Word,” also on

MSNBC, along with multiple other appearances to express his views on shows seen across the nation, and that are scrutinized by capital insiders. Trump and Russia were dominant topics, along with Hurricane Irma, North Korea, ethics, Obamacare and racial violence in Charlottesville, Va.

Current and former colleagues say mix of style and substance, along with fortunate political timing, are helping propel Deutch upward.

Steve Geller, a Broward County commissioner and former Democratic leader of the Florida Senate, said Deutch has a key asset that sets him apart: his personality. “Don’t ever underestimate likability. I know a lot of people that are really smart, really focused, great speakers. They jab with their elbows. People don’t really like them.”

Nan Rich, also a Broward County commissioner and former Florida Senate Democratic leader, said Deutch has the ability to work with Republicans. “He knows how to have a compromise, and how not to give up on his principles by any means, but to compromise, to get things accomplished.”

U.S. Rep. Ileana RosLehtinen, a Miami-Dade County Republican, cited some of the same attributes. “Ted is a guy who’s willing to sit back and listen to everybody. He doesn’t have to be the loudest talker or the longest talker in the room.” Ros-Lehtinen is chairwoman of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa, where Deutch is the top Democrat.

And former U.S. Rep. Mark Foley, who represented Palm Beach County, said temperament is enormously important. “He’s not shrill, nor is he full of hyperbole,” Foley said, recalling watching a Judiciary Committee hearing featuring the FBI director. “While [Deutch] was passionate, he was reasonable.”

Deutch is one of the most liberal members of the Florida congressional delegation. The liberal Progressive Punch website gives him a lifetime score of 95 percent. The conservative group Heritage Action gave him a score of just 12 percent in the last Congress.

But Deutch recently voted against something sought by the most liberal elements of his party: impeachment of the president. All Republicans and most Democrats voted against the resolution this month. It “listed a whole series of terrible things that have come from the president,” Deutch said, but something so serious needs to be handled deliberately, through Judiciary Committee hearings and findings of clear constitutional violations that would be broadly accepted by the public.

Deutch works with Republicans, partnering with Ros-Lehtinen on foreign affairs, U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith of Texas on outlawing animal cruelty, and U.S. Rep. Carlos Curbelo of MiamiDade County on climate change. “A lot of those same Republicans that I like and work closely with I will passionately and vehemently argue with,” Deutch said.

Local politics

Deutch has been in Congress since a 2010 special election. His current district is mostly in Broward, along the coast north of Interstate 595 and central and western parts of the county north of Atlantic Boulevard. He also represents Boca Raton. The 22nd Congressional District is 42 percent Democratic, 29 percent Republican, and 29 percent independent/no party affiliation. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton won 56.4 percent of the vote in the 22nd district, compared to 47.8 percent statewide.

Deutch won 58.9 percent of the vote last year in his re-election campaign against a little-known Republican challenger, Andrea McGee. Republicans don’t intend to make 2018 easy for Deutch.

Two little-known Republicans, Nicolas Kimaz and Paul Spain, have filed paperwork declaring their intentions to seek the nomination to challenge Deutch. In addition, Javier Manjarres, who operates the conservative political website The Shark Tank, has been raising money to support a likely candidacy for the Republican nomination.

Foley said it’s a tactic employed by both parties: tie up an incumbent in his district with an election challenger, making it harder for him to travel the country raising money and helping other candidates.

Washington politics

Andrew Weinstein, of Coral Springs, a prominent national Democratic Party fundraiser, said Deutch’s future is “extraordinarily bright.”

If the Democrats win control of the House in 2018, Deutch likely becomes chairman of the Ethics Committee and chairman of the foreign affairs subcommittee that Ros-Lehtinen now leads, said former U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy. Committee chairmen have extra influence and are in a position to help the legislation they’re sponsoring and their districts, said Murphy, who represented northern Palm Beach, Martin and St. Lucie counties.

After that, Murphy said, “the sky’s the limit.”

Deutch said he isn’t looking past 2018. “I am not plotting out the rest of my political career. I am just focused on the work that I have been doing,” he said.

Some suggest Deutch, 51, could someday become a top national leader. “I’d like him to be speaker of the House,” Rich said. RosLehtinen, who is retiring at the end of her current term, said that’s a realistic possibility.

Joe Budd agrees. Now the elected state Republican committeeman from Palm Beach County, Budd lost to Deutch in November 2010 and disagrees with him on virtually every policy issues.

“Ted can go, probably, as far as Ted wants to go,” Budd said. “It’s just a matter of his desires.”

Deutch