(JTA) — Rep. Ted Deutch, whose district includes Parkland, Florida, will back Mike Bloomberg in the Democratic presidential primary.

Deutch, who is Jewish, also will serve as co-chair of the United for Mike Leadership Council, which does outreach to Jewish voters.

His endorsement of the former New York City mayor and billionaire media mogul stems from their shared opposition to gun violence, according to USA Today. Bloomberg has poured tens of millions of dollars into gun control activism through a nonprofit he founded, Everytown for Gun Safety, and has made it one of his presidential campaign’s signature issues.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Deutch has likewise been a longtime proponent of gun control measures, and has spoken out on the issue repeatedly since the high school shooting in Parkland almost exactly two years ago. Wednesday, he and two colleagues introduced a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives that would require gun owners to report within 48 hours if their guns are lost or stolen.

“While states across the country have taken steps to strengthen gun laws, America continues to fall victim to gun violence,” Deutch said in a statement, according to USA Today. “We need to take immediate action before another mass tragedy unfolds, and tomorrow is too late to start. Mike Bloomberg will make gun safety a national priority and he has a plan that could actually prevent these atrocities from happening.”

The post Ted Deutch, Jewish congressman who represents Parkland, endorses Mike Bloomberg for president appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. We’re near the end of our Passover Fundraising Drive, and we have a very ambitious goal of $127,000 by April 21.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a Passover gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Make a Passover Gift Today!

$90 $180

$360

Other amount