Congressional candidate Jared Moskowitz tops 100 endorsements with his latest round of supporters

A new round of announcements from major public sector unions — including those representing police and firefighters — and South Florida elected officials has just put congressional candidate Jared Moskowitz over the 100-endorsement mark.

The official count is 101 from multiple organizations, current and former elected officials, and civic leaders. The Democratic candidate’s endorsers include people from the mainstream establishment wing of the Democratic Party and its progressive wing.

The newest endorsements, which the campaign is announcing on Wednesday, include International Association of Fire Fighters Local 3080 and the Florida State Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police.

“First responders need all the support we can get from our elected leaders, and Jared Moskowitz has always been there for us when we needed him most,” Local 3080, Metro Broward Firefighters and Paramedics, said in a statement.

Florida FOP President Steve Zona said Moskowitz “has repeatedly faced the test of true leadership and he has done it with dedication and grace.”

Currently a Broward County commissioner, Moskowitz is a former state representative from northwest Broward, former Parkland city commissioner and former state emergency management director. In those roles, Zona said, he “supported public safety and represented his community fairly.”

Other new Moskowitz endorsements include Broward County Commissioner Tim Ryan, Hollywood Mayor Josh Levy, and state Rep. Nicholas Duran of Miami-Dade County.

Moskowitz is running for the Democratic nomination to succeed U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, D-West Boca, in the Broward-Palm Beach County 23rd Congressional District.

The Service Employees International Union, one of the state’s largest unions, endorsed Moskowitz last week.

Martha Baker, president of the SEIU State Council, in a statement cited his role in his former job as state emergency management director during the early part of the COVID19 pandemic.

“By accelerating PPE and vaccine distribution, Jared ensured that workers in Florida would be better protected from COVID-19, and our members will forever be thankful for that effort,” Baker said.

SEIU Florida, which represents workers in hospitals, nursing homes, colleges, governments and fast-food restaurants, mobilizes lots of campaign workers, easily recognizable by their trademark purple shirts.

Another new addition to the Moskowitz list is former U.S. Rep. Peter Deutsch of Hollywood.

U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch is leaving the House, and on Oct. 1 becomes CEO of the American Jewish Committee.

Also seeking the Democratic nomination are Hava Holzhauer, a former Florida director of the Anti-Defamation League, and Ben Sorensen, a Fort Lauderdale city commissioner. Allen Ellison, Michelangelo Collins Hamilton, and W. Michael “Mike” Trout, will also be on the Aug. 23 Democratic primary ballot.