Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., a self-described moderate, is facing political headwinds in the race for the newly-redrawn 25th Congressional District in South Florida, as Republican nominee Scott Singer sees a path to pick up a House seat in a narrowly divided Congress.
“We’re going to be very prepared to go flip this seat – it is a key targeted seat,” Singer told Fox News Digital in an interview Monday.
“This is a key district that may determine the balance of power in the House.”
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The race is drawing national attention and, potentially, big Democratic dollars to defend the seat in Democrats’ pursuit of the majority to attack what House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries just called the “cartel” of President Donald Trump.
“A lot of people in this district and beyond understand what’s at stake here,” Singer, former Boca Raton mayor, said.
Moskowitz, currently seated in the more Democratic-friendly 23rd District, is – like Singer – Jewish and pro-Israel, but he will have to navigate a tougher Republican-friendly map and fend off the “anti-Israel wing” of the Democratic Party, according to to Singer.
“His voting record speaks volumes,” Singer said. “Since he’s gotten to Congress, he’s been locked up with the Democrats on almost every issue.”
“This is not the sort of record of bipartisanship he once had. He’s been much more partisan because he has to be,” Singer claimed. “He has to appeal to a more far-left socialist led Democratic Party if he’s going to have any influence. And that’s going home to roost in November.”
When reached for comment, the two-term Moskowitz stressed he fought off the Democratic Socialists of America’s maximum pressure campaign in his primary, while keeping $2 million cash on hand for the general election and expecting “we’ll have the national resources” in the fight to keep the seat blue.
“I go after my party all the time and fight within,” Moskowitz, who was twice appointed to positions by Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in a show of bipartisanship, told Fox News Digital, noting Singer has been “awfully silent” on social media amid his own vocal defense against the “anti-Israel” political factions.
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“Scott just has talking points, which is why he’s the masked singer. You hear a voice behind a mask. He says things to all sorts of people, tells people what they want to hear, but nobody really knows where he stands because he never really takes positions.”
The heated rhetoric belies a previously tighter relationship.
“Scott Singer endorsed me when I ran the first time,” Moskowitz claimed.
Singer’s campaign has denied it was anything more than a personal call to generally express support for a fellow Jewish, pro-Israel politician.
Singer, though, says he is well-positioned in the newly redrawn South Florida district, with a growing GOP voter-registration advantage and Democratic division working against the “quasi-incumbent.”
“People are abandoning the Democratic Party because the mainstream Democratic Party of even a few years ago has abandoned them,” Singer said. “It’s now a socialist-led party and it’s sad for America.”
“That’s why we need to band together and make sure independent voters understand what’s at stake,” he added. “We can’t have people talking about communism or new Democrat-incoming members of the House saying horrific things like that they would wipe their hand on the American flag if they didn’t have a napkin. That’s today’s Democratic Party, unfortunately, and it’s not something I want to see.”
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The race is considered to be one of 19 toss-ups in the nation (seats held by four Democrats and 15 Republicans), according to the Cook Political Report.
“It’s now about five points more Republican than Democrat, but even since redistricting, there are Republicans who are registering at a higher rate: People in Florida have seen the success of our state and seen the craziness other places, and they’re voting more conservative,” Singer said.
“And we have a great opportunity to pick off disaffected Democrats who are sick with the socialist lean, especially in our community that has a large number of residents who fled communism, like my family, like wife’s family did,” he continued. “They understand that bringing socialism and communism into the United States is a terrible idea. That’s another reason why we’re optimistic about our chances to flip this must-win seat in November.”
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The race also presents an unusual political dynamic: Singer and Moskowitz are both Jewish candidates competing in a district where roughly a quarter of the electorate is Jewish, one of the highest concentrations in the country.
“The anti-Israel wing, which has taken root in the Democratic Party, is doing the convincing for us,” Singer said. “Because we’ve seen a majority of House members would deny arms sales to Israel, our ally during a time of conflict.
“And that’s the party, where it is. We’ve seen three incumbents in the Democratic Party ousted in recent months solely because Israel was the key issue.
“Anti-Israel is winning. It’s become the mainstream of the Democratic Party. And longtime Democrats are leaving in droves. Another reason why it’s going to be very hard for Democrats in this district to win with 25% Jewish population and people who understand Israel’s close and long-standing alliance with the United States. We’re going to pick off more of those voters.”
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Also, while GOP-leaning, the district is still largely independent. It snakes along South Florida’s Atlantic coast through portions of Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties, encompassing communities around Delray Beach, Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood and Miami Beach.
“I was already running under the prior boundaries when it leaned Democratic, but I’m thrilled with the new boundaries because it runs from Miami Beach, where I was born, through Fort Lauderdale where I grew up, through Boca Raton where I served as mayor for eight years,” Singer said.
“I have deep ties in this district. It’s my whole life. I’ve lived 40-plus years in this District in all three counties. My opponent doesn’t live in the district. I’m not sure he’s ever lived in the district. And I think those community ties help when you’re trying to represent 750,000-plus people.”
Moskowitz lives in nearby Parkland and was born and raised in Coral Springs, which is just west of the newly drawn district, which carved those towns out.
Trump would have carried the territory by roughly nine points in 2024 after Joe Biden would have won it by about five points in 2020, showing just how the district is turning conservative and more favorable to flip.
“Jewish voters don’t just have to vote for a Jewish candidate who may be not terrible on Israel … now you have a pro-Israel, Zionist candidate who’s a strong Republican who will vote for the common sense solutions: We need like less regulation, lower taxes, insurance reform and more.”
“Independent voters have a choice,” he added. “Are we going to continue on tax reform, secure borders, economic improvement… or are we going to go back to what the Democrats would propose, which frankly for the next two years is just impeachment?
“Nothing will get done in Washington,” he concluded.
