ORLANDO—Republican George Moraitis, who's running in Florida’s 23rd Congressional District against Democratic incumbent Rep. Jared Moskowitz, relayed his vision for CD 23 at the Republican Party Freedom Forum in Orlando on Saturday.
"I would say that I'm obviously running as a Republican. I want to bring conservative values, help advance President Trump's agenda to keep our taxes low," Moraitis told The Floridian. "Of course, you know Congressman Moskowitz did vote against the tax cuts recently; I obviously would have supported that bill that just passed in Congress, so that's a big one."
Born in Fort Lauderdale, Moraitis graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and served in the United States Navy. The GOP candidate is hoping his military background gives him an edge against Rep. Moskowitz, a popular name in Democratic circles.
"I would say I'm the only veteran running in this race as well, having served in the military. I feel like that brings a unique perspective on national service, and I think our current leadership lacks," Moraitis added.
Moskowitz's district covers parts of Broward County and southern Palm Beach County. While historically Democratic, the area has become more moderate in recent cycles.
In 2024, Moskowitz defeated Republican Joe Kaufman in CD 23 by just under five points. He also won by a similar margin over Republican Joe Budd in 2022.
But Moraitis, who has raised a significant amount of his cash for the race, isn't buying Moskowitz's moderate portrayal.
"I think maybe in some sense, he perhaps wants to be a moderate, but that's not how he votes," Moskowitz said. "If you look at his voting record, it's pretty much straight Democratic Party speaker, budget, tax cuts, all those things he ends up calling down on the side of the left Democrats."
Familiar with the area, Moraitis represented parts of Broward and Palm Beach counties in House District 91 from 2010 to 2012 and House District 93 from 2012 to 2018, but a win against the powerful Moskowitz would certainly be impressive.
Moraitis also hopes that pitching President Trump's policies will help him overcome Moskowitz, potentially offsetting the party's control in areas of Broward and Palm Beach counties.
"I'm running on an American First agenda. Of course, President Trump is our current president. He's the one advancing it right now," Moraitis continued. "He's done a fantastic job as well, brought a lot of energy into the party, in the conservative movement. We're first and foremost Americans, conservatives, patriots, and of course, we are also trying to help advance the Trump agenda."
