Ted Deutch

Theodore Eliot Deutch (/dɔɪtʃ/ DOYTCH; born May 7, 1966) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the U.S. representative from Florida's 22nd congressional district from 2010 to 2022. His district, numbered as the 19th district from 2010 to 2013 and as the 21st from 2013 to 2017, included much of northern Broward County and southern Palm Beach County in South Florida. A member of the Democratic Party, he first entered Congress in 2010 after a special election following the resignation of Robert Wexler.

Deutch chaired the House Ethics Committee from 2019 until his resignation, a position in which he succeeded Susan Brooks. He served as the Florida state senator from the 30th district from 2006 to 2010.

On February 28, 2022, Deutch announced he would not seek reelection in the 2022 United States House of Representatives elections, instead taking a job as chief executive officer of the American Jewish Committee by October 1, 2022. On September 30, 2022, Deutch resigned from the House.

Deutch was born in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, the son of Jean (née Mindlin) and the late Bernard Deutch. He is Jewish. His grandparents were Jewish immigrants from Belarus and Russia. A graduate of Liberty High School in Bethlehem, Deutch graduated from the University of Michigan, where he served as editor-in-chief of Consider magazine and was awarded the Harry S. Truman Scholarship. He received his J.D. degree from the University of Michigan Law School.

As a member of the National Young Leadership Cabinet of United Jewish Communities, Deutch organized over 2,500 people to march on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., to pressure Congress on a slate of issues affecting children and the elderly. At the end of his tenure in the state senate, Deutch served as vice chair of the Committee on Regulated Industries and the Policy and Steering Subcommittee of the Ways and Means Committee.

In late 2009, Deutch declared his candidacy in a special election to fill the 19th congressional district seat formerly held by Robert Wexler, who left Congress to lead the Center for Middle East Peace and Economic Cooperation. He won the Democratic primary with 85% of the vote, and on April 13, 2010, won the special election, defeating Republican Edward J. Lynch.

Deutch defeated Republican nominee Joe Budd and write-in candidate Stan Smilan.

After Florida underwent redistricting in 2012, Deutch's district was renumbered as the 21st district. Deutch won the November 6 general election with no major-party opposition.