FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — In his first four weeks as a candidate in Florida’s most competitive congressional district, Republican George Moraitis raised almost as much as incumbent U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz took in during the first three months of the year.

Moraitis raised $152,369 over 29 days in March, according to his first campaign finance report. That works out to about $5,254 a day.

Moskowitz raised $168,960 during the first quarter, which works out to $1,877 a day.

“That’s strong for the first month and a first-time congressional candidate,” said Sean Foreman, a political scientist at Barry University.

Still, Moraitis has a lot more fundraising ahead to have hope of defeating the Democratic incumbent. And Moskowitz will have to raise much more to fend off the Republican challenge.

The August 2026 primary and November general election in the Broward-Palm Beach county 23rd Congressional District will help determine if Republicans or Democrats control the House of Representatives after the midterm elections.

“I thought we did outstanding,” Moraitis said. “We had lots of support from a lot of good friends and family. We’re very excited to have the kind of support that we did.”

Moskowitz’s campaign pushed for more donations in recent days. In a Wednesday night email blast, the congressman told supporters he’s being kept awake at night by the challenge.

“Republicans have a target on my back because they know that my race is one of the most competitive in the country, and my MAGA opponents are getting ready to spend whatever it takes to defeat me,” he wrote. “But my campaign isn’t propped up by billionaires. It’s powered by folks like you chipping in what you can, when you can.”

The numbers

Raised: Moskowitz raised $123,000 from individual contributors and $46,000 from political action committees and a member of Congress. Moraitis raised $146,800 from individual contributors and $4,000 from one PAC and a member of Congress.

Spending: Moskowitz spent significantly more than Moraitis — just under $111,000 — during the quarter, which is typical for incumbents. His spending included political consulting and political staff, as well as travel and fundraising expenses. Moraitis spent just under $9,000.

Cash on hand: Moskowitz had $392,500 in his campaign account as of March 31, the report showed. Moraitis had $253,400 in the bank.

Moskowitz ended the quarter with more cash on hand than Moraitis because he started the year with $349,000 in the bank after his 2024 campaign. The Republican started with a zero balance when he announced his candidacy on March 3.

Both candidates’ March 31 totals reflect money they’ve lent to their own campaigns. The Moskowitz campaign still owes $100,700 to the candidate for money he put into his first congressional effort in 2022. So far, his campaign has repaid $199,300 of the money Moskowitz lent his campaign in 2022.

Moraitis lent his campaign $111,000 as it got underway last month.

Candidate loans to their campaigns in early stages show potential donors that they are committed to the race, with skin in the game. And it helps show, especially early on, a higher campaign balance, which can act as a deterrent for others to enter the race.

Sometimes the loans stay on the books for years. Sometimes they’re repaid as more campaign donations come in.

Political landscape

Money is only one part of the political calculation in the 23rd District, which takes in northern Broward and much of the coast extending south through most of Fort Lauderdale and a share of southern Palm Beach County.

Foreman said he had no doubt both would have enough money to run credible campaigns.

“I would expect that Moraitis is going to raise a lot more money this summer,” Foreman said. “I don’t think the problem is going to be raising money for Moskowitz. He can raise money. His name recognition has grown in recent years. The concern for him is some Democrats think he’s too cozy with Republicans.”

Moskowitz is seeking a third term. He’s a former Parkland city commissioner and former appointed state emergency management director and appointed Broward County commissioner. Moraitis is different from the previous Republican nominees. He is a former four-term state representative from an East Broward district that includes territory that’s in the congressional district.

Democrats are optimistic partly because the first midterm election after a presidential election is usually good for the party that doesn’t control the White House.

Republicans are optimistic because Florida, including the 23rd Congressional District, has become more Republican. In both the 2022 and 2024 elections, Moskowitz won by the smallest margin of any congressional race in the state.

Just how competitive is the district? The partisan voting index from the Cook Political Report rates the district as D plus 2, which means it performed 2 points more Democratic than the nation during the past two presidential contests.

That represents a shift toward the Republicans as all of Florida, including parts of the traditionally Democratic 23rd District, has moved to the right. After the 2020 presidential election and before last year’s voting, the partisan voting index was D plus 5.

A separate Cook Political Report analysis of the midterm election outlook rates the 23rd District as the only “potentially competitive” Democratic-held district in the state at this point in the election cycle.

National Republicans didn’t devote money or attention to the 23rd District in 2022 or 2024. For 2026, the National Republican Congressional Committee has Moskowitz on its list of 26 Democrats it is targeting for defeat.

“This is the only seat in Florida which is competitive in terms of a chance for Republicans to pick up a seat in the House. There may only be 30 to 40 seats in the House nationwide that may be competitive,” Moraitis said.

And national Republicans are taking Moraitis seriously as a candidate. Earlier this month, he met in Washington, D.C., with members of Congress, including Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Majority Whip Tom Emmer, and political staffers for Speaker Mike Johnson and the White House.

“We’ve had good meetings with leadership in the House, and they’re very enthusiastic about the campaign in terms of this is going to be a strategic race,” Moraitis said. “They’re very excited about how well we started.”

If Moraitis wins the primary, Foreman said, “that’s going to be one of the nationally focused congressional races.”

Other candidates

Three other Republicans, who’ve collectively run for Congress nine times before, have also said they’re running for their party’s nomination in the 23rd District.

Raven Harrison: Raised $7,100 and spent $27,900. She also reported outstanding loans of $270,000. Harrison ended the quarter with $249,300 in cash.

Harrison received 5.5% of the vote in a Texas congressional primary 2022, finishing last in a five-candidate race. She describes herself online as “The Conservative Warrior.”

Joe Kaufman: Raised $40,900 and spent $1,100. He started the quarter with $62,800 in cash on hand and ended the quarter with a cash balance of $102,600. He has debts, including loans to himself, totaling $89,900, from previous candidacies.

Kaufman was the unsuccessful 2024 nominee against Moskowitz and previously ran for Congress in 2018, 2016, 2014 and 2012. He also unsuccessfully ran for state House of Representatives in 1990 and 2000. Kaufman is a counter-terrorism researcher, writer and lecturer.

Darlene Cerezo Swaffar: Raised $3,925 and spent $3,200. Her cash on hand was $907. She reports owing debt of $21,000 to herself from her previous candidacy.

Swaffar lost three Republican primaries for Congress, in 2020, 2022 and 2024. She runs a Medicare health insurance brokerage firm.

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