Ted Deutch Becomes 31st House Democrat to Announce Retirement

Rep. Ted Deutch (D-Fla.) announced his coming retirement Monday.

Deutch's announcement makes him the 31st House Democrat to do so ahead of the 2022 midterms.

Per The Hill:

Deutch will become the CEO of the American Jewish Committee (AJC), and in his statement he highlighted an “unprecedented rise in antisemitism” in the U.S. and around the globe.

Deutch first won election to Congress in 2010. He's the chair of the House Ethics Committee. The Boca Raton Democrat represents South Florida's 22nd Congressional District. In its current form, the seat has a partisan voter index (PVI) of D+6. (RELATED: Senior Democrat Announces They Won't Seek Reelection)

Republicans are now the clear favorites to win the House — and no one likes being in the minority.

Deutch discussed his decision with WPLG Local 10:

Including Deutch, three Democratic incumbents have announced their retirement in Florida. Outside Orlando, Rep. Stephanie Murphy isn't running for a fourth term. Her suburban seat is poised to become extremely favorable to Republicans post-redistricting. (RELATED: Crime Spikes in Vulnerable Democrats' Congressional Districts)

In St. Petersburg, Rep. Charlie Crist is retiring, leaving another competitive district vacant. Although Crist is running for governor, he faces long odds against incumbent Ron DeSantis. The latest poll from the University of North Florida has DeSantis leading Crist by 21 points.

Back to Deutch, Politico reports on the borderline euphoric GOP reaction:

Julia Friedland, a spokesperson for the Republican National Committee, was gleeful that Deutch is leaving.

“Good choice on retirement, Ted Deutch,” Friedland said in a statement. “Don't worry — you'll be joined by more of your Democrat friends soon enough.”

Deutch's seat consists of neighborhoods in Broward and Palm Beach counties and the GOP-controlled Legislature is considering new maps that would keep the district in Democratic hands.