Congressman Ted Deutch Hard To Beat Due To Money, Support and Experience
BY BUDDY NEVINS
Is Broward County pol even thinking about running against U. S. Rep. Ted Deutch?
Think again.
Deutch is the Palm Beach County Democratic who swapped congressional districts with U. S. Rep. Lois Frankel due to a Florida Supreme Court ruling on Wednesday. He picked up much of Broward.
Ted Deutch
Deutch is a heavy favorite to win his new seat by any political measure.
First, the money. Deutch has more than $1 million in the bank.
More important, he has already sewed up many of the high rollers.
NorPac (pro-Israel) is with Deutch. So are Southern Wine & Spirits, South Florida’s development industry and the Fanjul (Big Sugar) family. Even Walt Disney Corp., from central Florida, kicked in $7,400 to Deutch.
Then there is the political experience.
Deutch has represented a big hunk of Broward since he was elected a state senator in 2006. Deutch won that senate seat in a big-bucks brawl so nasty he filed a libel suit against his Democratic primary opponent Irv Slosberg.
Slosberg spent roughly $2.9 million in the campaign, including more than $1.3 million of his own. Deutch spent $345.000.
So Deutch knows how to mix it up in a political fight.
His congressional races, however, have been easy.
He virtually walked into Congress in a special election in April, 2010 to replace resigning U. S. Rep. Robert Wexler, beating one-time Broward County Commissioner Ben Graber 85-15 percent. He has waltzed to re-election every since then.
An attorney who is active in South Palm Beach County’s Jewish community, Deutch is youngish (49), telegenic and has already experienced in big issues as a member of the House Foreign Affairs and Judiciary Committees.
With the Democratic primary roughly 9 months way (District 22 remains a Democratic seat. Both President Obama and Charlie Crist won the district handily.), there is very little opportunity for a challenger to catch up.
Take any news that Deutch will have a competitive race with a big, big grain of salt. Realistically, there is very, very high bar for anyone trying to beat Deutch.
Ted Deutch’s statement on the new district:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch Announces
Intention to Run in Florida’s
Newly-Approved 22nd Congressional District
Deutch: “I have devoted my entire career in public life
to serving the people of both Broward and Palm Beach counties.”
(Boca Raton, FL) Congressman Ted Deutch issued this statement following the Florida Supreme Court ruling that finalized congressional districts for the 2016 elections:
Ten years ago, I took a leap and ran for a Florida State Senate seat from Broward and Palm Beach counties. I ran for public office because after years volunteering and working in the community to help those in need, promote tolerance, and strengthen the U.S.-Israel relationship, I saw elected office as a way to have a greater impact on the South Florida that my family and I love to call home.
Today, I am excited to announce that I intend to for re-election to Congress in Florida’s newly-drawn 22nd congressional district. The new 22nd district stretches from Fort Lauderdale in the south to western Broward communities like Margate, Coral Springs, and Parkland and portions of southern Palm Beach County including Boca Raton.
The 22nd district, approved today by the Florida Supreme Court, is home to around 300,000 constituents I am proud to serve today, as well as thousands of Broward and Palm Beach County residents I previously represented in the Florida Senate and in Congress. I am excited to run in the community where my wife and I work, where my daughters graduated and my son attends high school, where my family goes to synagogue, and where I have spent so much time working for and with the people of South Florida.
The residents of Broward and Palm Beach know me for more than the time I’ve spent in their businesses, community centers, schools, retirement communities, and churches. They know me from the years I’ve spent working for Port Everglades expansion and beach renourishment, organizing veterans jobs fairs at the Fort Lauderdale Armory, and hosting community forums on student loans, immigration, and other important issues at Florida Atlantic University and Broward College.
During my time in Tallahassee and my four terms in Congress, I’ve been honored to pass laws that fund cancer research, tighten sanctions on Iran, and award veterans with medals of honor they were wrongfully denied. I also take pride in my work securing federal funding for the roads, ports, and infrastructure that South Florida businesses need to grow and compete, and in these times of global uncertainty, my role as top Democrat on the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa.
South Florida’s economy has come a long way since the financial crisis, with our tourism and real estate sectors back in business and more Floridians back at work. Yet we also face enormous challenges that deserve real solutions, from growing incomes and helping more Americans retire securely to making college more affordable.
The issues that we face in South Florida and as a country, like the deadly mass shooting that struck San Bernardino just hours ago, have no boundaries. Now is the time for us to move forward together as a community and as a country, and I am more committed than ever to delivering progress for the people of South Florida.
I have devoted my entire career in public life to serving the people of both Broward and Palm Beach counties. The new 22nd district offers me the only opportunity to continue working for both of these wonderful communities in Congress, and I am proud to put my record of accomplishment up against anyone.
In the coming months, I’ll be working harder than ever to continue championing the concerns, aspirations, and needs of the people of Broward and Palm Beach counties in Congress.
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December 3rd, 2015 at 9:09 am
Ted Deutch is beatable. With the right candidate, Ted would be in big trouble. He has never had to win a real election!
December 3rd, 2015 at 11:13 am
Buddy,
My special election against Ted was to not allow him to walk into the seat unopposed. I spent very little money and the district was heavily in Palm Beach, not so in this new district. I like Ted but he is heavily tied to President Obama’s failed policies. He only once broke with Obama and that was on the Iran deal, reluctantly however. He would be difficult to beat due to his heavy support within the Obama circuit with present democratic leaders but the public may have some issues with his close relationship to Obama’s poor leadership, especially against Israel. Hillary is facing a similar problem. Just want to set the record clear. Thanks.
December 3rd, 2015 at 11:26 am
Ted Deutch is one of the most useless members of Congress. He does nothing except take a bunch of condo commandos to a free movie. He doesn’t even live in Broward and is running away from his home county cuz he’s scared of Lois Frankel. Just what we need in Broward…another lightweight.
December 3rd, 2015 at 12:35 pm
I am gratefull that Congressman Ted Deutch is still my representative. I will use all the people and resourses I can muster to get him re-elected.
December 3rd, 2015 at 12:43 pm
I will have to repeat I am an observant Jew who strongly supports Israel BUT I AM NOT GOING TO PASSOVER THAT TOO MANY JEWS WHO SUPPORT ISRAEL ARE BORING SCHMUCKS, which is what Congressman Ted Deutch.
That being said, I do NOT believe any candidate is “unbeatable” and Congressman Ted Deutch can be beaten by A BETTER CANDIDATE but NO SUCH CANDIDATE APPEARS TO EXIST either based on
l. Personal Achievements
2. Personality and appearance
3. Huge mountain of personal
Miami-Dade and Palm Beach Counties are full of rich, famous, talented and creative people, BROWARD IS BORING BROWARD! There are some wealthy people WHO LIVE HERE PART TIME but few and far between.
Artistically, Creatively, Intellectually, in all fields, Broward is BORING, its the stepchild of Miami-Dade County and Palm Beach County, its “fly over” county.
Why do both Miami-Dade and Palm Beach Counties have BOTH WORLD FAMOUS ANTIQUE and ART SHOWS and Broward County has NADA?
Personally I’d love to have Stephanie Toothaker run against Ted Deutch in a Democratic Primary so I could put up 20,000 dollars or more as the “CONGRESS DOESNT NEED A TOOTHACHE POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE” so I can expose how the Fort Lauderdale City Commission passes rip off contracts, “landswaps” sleazy privilieges for Bonnet House and wastes millions on have to fail projects like the Sixth Street disaster and the Aquatic Center walk into a wall let alone the 86 Million Dollar Robbery of the Public by the Broward County Commission this week! So, yes, Ted Deutch appears to be a probative favourite, but let’s Stephanie Toothaker think she can beat him so I can have some fun!
December 3rd, 2015 at 12:57 pm
I don’t think that is the correct map
FROM BUDDY:
Correct. Its a map I received from a local consultant. It is in error and I took it down.
December 4th, 2015 at 10:07 am
We beat Slosberg and his $3 million by publishing our four-page newspaper that’s what got him elected
December 4th, 2015 at 11:51 am
The map I provided was correct. It shows where the new CD 22 took from the current congressional districts. I can see how it might confuse people, but I am 100% sure that it is correct. I don’t care if it is published or not, but it does accurately reflect the new district.
December 5th, 2015 at 10:04 am
I apologize for blogging twice on the same subject but if the District is mostly Broward why are both candidates Boca based? Look if this is a Broward based Congessional District why cant the Ft Lauderdale Mayor Jack Seiler run like Clay Shaw did or Commissioner Romney Rogers nephew n grandson of Congressmen run? I am born here n why does my Congressman have to be a leftover from Palm Beach. And why – although I am a strong supporter of Israel – does every account of Ted Deutsh’s running go on n on about strong support for Israel? Can you imagine a Jewish politician in Boca Not supporting Israel? I think as a Broward Jewish Democrat I’d rather gave a Broward Democrat S my Congressman and I dont care what his Faith Color or whatever but some who doesnt even live in the Congressional District? Yeah he’s a true leader like the Potomac Maryland Resident he replaced! Dont ask me to support a foreigner from Boca!
D