WASHINGTON (JTA) — A Jewish Democrat won U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler’s Florida district by a wide margin.
State Sen. Ted Deutch defeated Ed Lynch, a contractor, with 62 percent of the vote in a district that covers parts of Broward and Palm Beach counties.
Deutch’s showing Tuesday matched traditional majorities won by Wexler, who quit Congress in January to run the Center for Middle East Peace and who was the chief Jewish surrogate for the Obama campaign. Deutch will serve out the remaining eight months of Wexler’s term before facing another election in November.
The Lynch campaign sought to link Deutch to negative assessments of the health care plan passed last month by Congress and to tensions between the Obama administration and Israel.
Jewish Democrats said the victory by Deutch was an indication of the party’s continued health in the Jewish community.
"Florida 19 is the most heavily Jewish district in the country," said Carly Lindauer, the spokeswoman for the National Jewish Democratic Council. "Deutch’s win demonstrates that the Jewish community continues to support and vote for Democrats."
As a state senator, Deutch initiated a Florida law that requires state pensions to divest from Iran.
In her congratulatory note, U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, said Deutch "will continue to be a leader in bringing peace to the people of Israel and developing a stronger foreign policy to ensure the safety of every family."
