Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla., announced he will not seek another term, becoming the 31st House Democrat to announce they will not run for reelection in November.
"After serving the public for more than 15 years, I have decided I will not seek reelection this November," the congressman said in a statement. "Public service was instilled in me by my father who earned a Purple Heart in the Battle of the Bulge, and it has been a tremendous privilege to serve the people of Palm Beach and Broward Counties in Congress since 2010."
Deutch, 55, said he will serve as the next CEO of the American Jewish Committee (AJC) and pointed to an "unprecedented rise in antisemitism" as the reason he is stepping away from Congress to do "this critical work."
"Since 2013, my colleagues have selected me to lead our critical foreign policy work in the Middle East," Deutch said in his statement. "For me, this foreign policy work has been a natural continuation of my deep ties to the American Jewish community and my long-standing advocacy on behalf of the U.S.-Israel relationship."
Facing an uphill battle ahead of the midterm elections in November, Democrats are widely expected to lose their House majority, a circumstance that is likely contributing to the surge in retirements that have been announced.
To take control of the House, Republicans only need to win five seats in November.
By comparison, only 13 Republicans in the lower chamber have indicated they will not run for reelection in this year's midterms, and two other GOP lawmakers recently resigned for private sector jobs.
Deutch said he plans to stay in Congress until Sept. 30, when the House is set to go on recess.
The Florida Democrat currently serves as the Chair of the House Ethics Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East, North Africa, and Global Counterterrorism. He is also a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee.
CBS Miami reported that Julia Friedland, a spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee, issued a statement in the wake of Deutch's announcement.
"Good choice on retirement, Ted Deutch," Friedland said. "Don't worry – you'll be joined by more of your Democrat friends soon enough!"
The AJC is a global Jewish advocacy organization that seeks to influence policy and opinions for key issues facing Jewish people.
During his time in Congress, Deutch wrote bills that bolstered Israel's security and was a founding co-chair of the House Bipartisan Taskforce for Combating Antisemitism, among other efforts.
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