U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz says he is 'looking at' potential Florida gubernatorial run

Talk about looking ahead. Just over two months into the 2024 presidential election, U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz told a POLITICO reporter Wednesday morning he is "looking at" a potential gubernatorial run — in 2026.

Moskowitz, a Democrat representing Parkland and portions of Palm Beach County, conceded it was early and offered the revelation in response to a reporter's questioning whether he would consider running by saying he isn't "ruling it out."

Dylan Smith, a spokesperson for Moskowitz, said the congressman was only aiming to answer the reporter's question, and that he's focused on re-election this November to his seat in District 23.

Smith pointed out that it's important for Democrats to look at a suitable candidate in 2026 since the Florida landscape is much different than it was a decade ago.

Namely, Republicans hold a sizable plurality among voters. As of Dec. 31, GOP registered voters outnumbered Democrats by more than 779,000. It used to be that Democrats held a solid voter registration edge, but that eroded and flipped on them since the start of this decade.

Smith said a Democrat would need to "show they can work across the aisle" to win in Florida, and that Moskowitz has proven his ability to do so in working to pass the Marjory Stoneman Douglas school safety bill after the 2018 mass shooting, defending Israel and working as Florida's director of emergency management in Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration.

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In 2026, DeSantis will be term-limited, so the competition for the open seat in Florida's Governor's Mansion would be one of the most watched gubernatorial races that year.

Some mentioned Republicans within political circles have been U.S. Reps. Matt Gaetz of Pensacola and Byron Donalds of Naples, as well as Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody.

For Democrats, state Reps. Shevrin Jones and Fentrice Driskell have both been frequently mentioned names as potential contenders for the governorship.

Stephany Matat is a politics reporter for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY-Florida network. Reach her at smatat@pbpost.com. Support local journalism: Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Congressman Jared Moskowitz looking at Florida governor run in 2026