Deutch scored an extremely impressive win in the Democratic primary last month. Facing retired Labor Department official Emmanuel Morel in the primary, Deutch ran off with an astounding 92 percent of the vote. Morel had been trying to outflank Deutch to the left where there is some room since the congressman is a strong friend of Israel and generally a supporter of American military action in the Middle East. After crushing Morel, Deutch has little to fear in November, only facing write-in candidate Mike Trout in the general election.
Only 48, Deutch has had a spectacular rise in Florida politics. First elected to the Florida Senate in 2006 after making a name for himself as an attorney, Deutch went left during his time in Tallahassee with the glaring exception of when the Legislature decided to tackle foreign affairs. Deutch brought out the "Protecting Floridas Investments Act" to ensure state funds were not going to companies working with Iran to obtain nuclear weapons. Leading Florida to become the first state in the nation to support Iran divestment, Deutch made a name for himself at the state and national levels, testifying before Congress on the matter.
By the time Robert Wexler resigned from Congress in 2010, Deutch had a pretty easy time in winning the open seat, cruising in the primary and general elections. Deutch has risen quickly up the Democratic ranks, currently serving as the ranking member from his party on the House Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee. This gives Deutch considerable sway on Middle Eastern issues and he and his chairwoman, Florida Republican Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, often team up to defend Israel.
A proven winner in a solidly Democratic district, Deutch could hold his seat for decades, but theres increasing buzz that he will look at moving higher up the political ladder. Deutch certainly has the legal background to run for state attorney general but its near impossible to imagine such a bid.
With Deutchs passion for foreign policy, moving up to the Senate is a much more likely option and he does make some sense for Democrats. Deutch has never been as gaffe-prone as Debbie Wasserman Schultz and, while he is a liberal on most economic and social issues, he can often come off as more of a moderate due to his positions on international issues.
Deutch could have some opportunities to win a Senate seat in the years to come. Marco Rubio has already said he will not run for the Senate again if he decides to run for the presidency in 2016. Bill Nelson will be 76 come 2018 and might not run for a fourth term.
If he makes a go at the Senate, Deutch will bring some advantages to the table. He is a proven winner and a strong fundraiser. With a pretty weak Democratic bench, Deutch could skate through the primary while potential Republican foes tear each other apart. But Deutch is relatively unknown outside his district and Republicans will have plenty of chances to paint him as a liberal despite his support of Israel. Still, with very few good options, Florida Democrats will be keeping Deutch on their short list for future Senate contests.
Tallahassee-based political writer Jeff Henderson wrote this analysis exclusively for Sunshine State News.
