Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), a stalwart pro-Israel Jewish Democrat, is reportedly a top contender to lead the Federal Emergency Management Agency under President-elect Donald Trump. If it comes to fruition, that nomination would open up a seat in an increasingly competitive South Florida district with a significant Jewish population.

The position would not be an unfamiliar one for the first-term congressman, who previously served under Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as the director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) from 2019 to 2021.

During his time in Congress, Moskowitz has established himself as a staunch advocate for Israel and against antisemitism, regularly willing to cross the aisle and work with Republicans on those and other issues. But he has also publicly feuded with and mocked prominent Republicans and Trump himself, particularly from his post on the House Oversight Committee.

Moskowitz’s voice at FEMA could be an important one for the Jewish community — FEMA administers the Nonprofit Security Grant Program that helps fund security for synagogues and other Jewish community institutions, and he received plaudits for his work on security funding issues during his time at FDEM and as a state House member.

Moskowitz’s office did not respond to a request for comment

On the Hill, Moskowitz has advocated for increased NSGP funding, as well as served as a sponsor of the Antisemitism Awareness Act and worked with other moderate Democrats and across the aisle on a range of bills and other initiatives related to antisemitism.

Former Rep. Robert Wexler (D-FL), who represented much of what is now Moskowitz’s South Florida district from 1997 to 2010, said Moskowitz would be a “brilliant pick” showing bipartisan outreach on emergency management issues and taking advantage of Moskowitz’s experience responding to the COVID-19 pandemic in Florida.

The pick would “[create] a degree of consensus, bipartisan consensus, that would otherwise most likely be elusive,” Wexler said. “And Jared will bring a degree of experience and confidence in terms of emergency management …  It’s good for the country, I think it’s good for Jared, I know it’s good for President Trump.”

Wexler said that the potential pick would be an “extraordinary display of bipartisan approach on behalf of the president-elect,” and one that “should give Florida Democrats some pride” and serve as a “good lesson for Democrats: moderate, pragmatic, solution-oriented Democrats can prosper and can win.”

Former state Rep. Joesph Geller was enthusiastic about the possibility of Moskowitz getting the FEMA job, saying it “could be the best appointment [Trump] makes” and “leaving aside any political overtones of any kind, if Jared Moskowitz becomes the director of FEMA, a whole lot of people impacted by disasters are going to be very grateful that he’s in the job. That is supposed to come first, that’s the mission of the agency.”

“I’d encourage him to do it,” Geller continued, “and I would tell him, as far as I’m concerned, if he does that, and he does a good job, whenever he’s done, I’m ready to welcome him back to this party because he served this country.”

Mitch Ceasar, a former chair of the Broward County Democratic Party who said he attended Moskowitz’s bar mitzvah, said he has mixed feelings about Moskowitz potentially taking the FEMA job, as he did with the FDEM position: “If he gets the appointment, I’m not thrilled but I know he’ll do a great job, and that, in effect, will benefit everybody. I trust his judgement and he needs to go with his gut, and if this is something he wants and indeed gets it, then I certainly understand.”

Former state Rep. Richard Stark was more skeptical of Moskowitz taking the job, particularly in a Trump administration as opposed to that of a more establishment Republican, adding that he’s heard some concern from fellow Florida Democrats about Moskowitz leaving the seat.

Moskowitz’s departure from Congress would open up what’s likely to be a hotly contested special election in an increasingly competitive district, based largely in Broward and Palm Beach counties, with one of the nation’s largest Jewish constituencies.

Moskowitz won re-election in November by five points, after winning his first congressional election by around 13,000 votes in 2022. Gov. Ron DeSantis won the district when he won a second term in 2022. Republicans would likely make an aggressive play for the seat, especially given the razor-thin margin in the House.

Wexler told JI that “Democrats need to nominate a staunchly pro-Israel Democrat, an unapologetically pro-Israel Democrat” and that they “would be smart not to nominate someone from the left of the party” if they want to hold onto the seat, given the large Jewish population.

“The Democrats can’t play any games,” he reiterated. “This has to be a staunchly pro-Israel Democrat and somebody who is fiscally responsible, and the Democrats should win.”

Stark, currently the chair of the Broward County Democratic Jewish caucus, said that Jewish Democrats would mount an aggressive push against any anti-Israel progressive who attempted to make a bid for the seat. “Whoever’s running in that district is going to have to be strong on Israel,” he said.

Caesar said that Moskowitz likely could hold onto his House seat for as long as he wants it, but said that there are a range of local lawmakers on the Democratic side who would be interested in the spot if it opens up. Congressional candidates are not required to live in the district in which they are running.

Geller said that the seat “is not a gimme for the Democratic Party” but one that the Democrats “should win” as long as they select a strong candidate. To a potential Republican challenge, Geller said, “bring it on.”

He predicted a “spirited primary” with a wide field, given that few in the state were expecting that the seat could open up so quickly. And he said that “anybody representing that district” will be a strong supporter of Israel “because that’s what the people who live in that district feel.”

Caesar predicted that the race would be competitive because Republicans “know they can’t beat Jared in the seat, so they’d look at this as an opportunity. So it’s incumbent upon Democrats to make sure we win the general [election], whoever the nominee is, so we can sustain that seat in a Congress that’s literally dead even.”

Stark emphasized that the race will likely be highly expensive and competitive, noting that Moskowitz lost the Palm Beach County portion of the district. 

Local political observers floated leaders including state Sens. Tina Polsky and Lori Berman, state Reps. Dan Daley and Christine Hunschofsky; former state Sens. Dave Aronberg, and Joseph Abruzzo and Steve Geller; and county commissioners Mark Bogen and Michael Udine as potential candidates. 

Should he get the job, it would likely set Moskowitz up for a future run for statewide office in Florida, burnishing his bipartisan credentials and giving him a link to Trump in an increasingly red state.

“It speaks volumes about Jared, while still staying completely true to his convictions… Jared is not compromising his convictions. He didn’t when he did it under Gov. DeSantis and he’s not going to do that under President Trump,” Wexler said. 

Moskowitz has been floated as a potential gubernatorial candidate in 2026, but Geller argued that would be largely infeasible if Moskowitz gets the FEMA job — he would have to resign after only about a year in office, after giving up what could be a lifetime House seat.

“That doesn’t make any sense at all,” Geller argued. “I don’t see him taking FEMA and turning right around, not just because it was really not a very smart political move, but it kind of defeats the whole purpose of taking the job.”

Moskowitz faced some attacks in his 2022 congressional race over his service in DeSantis’ administration — attacks that could be intensified in any hypothetical future Democratic primary if he joins the Trump administration — but he ultimately won his primary handily.

Geller argued that it’s “difficult to say what the long-term effect would be politically” and that any prognosticating involves “a lot of assumptions there about what Jared would want to do in the future.”

He said that he’s not sure that Moskowitz will eventually seek state office and emphasized that the congressman’s interest in emergency and disaster management issues dates back before his time in public office.

“If you’re in that area, the director of FEMA is pretty much it, the mountaintop,” Geller said. “I’m not sure that some possible speculative … down the road political opening is going to be top of his mind when he makes this decision.”

If anything, Geller added, Moskowitz could see the governor’s office in 2030 — but any number of other developments could happen in the ensuing years.