(CNN) — Democratic Florida Rep. Jared Moskowitz is the frontrunner to lead the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the Donald Trump administration, two people familiar with the president-elect’s considerations tell CNN. Ta.
Another person close to Trump’s transition team confirmed Moskowitz’s participation.
It was not immediately clear whether Mr. Moskowitz and Mr. Trump had yet met to discuss the role, but multiple sources said the congressman was a strong candidate for the post. If he is appointed, he would be the highest-ranking Democratic member of the Trump administration.
Moskowitz did not immediately respond to a voicemail.
Since Trump’s victory in November, Moskowitz, who was first elected in 2022, has taken a significantly friendlier approach to the incoming administration than some Democrats. When President Trump named fellow Floridian Susie Wiles as his chief of staff, she was quick to express her praise on social media. Moskowitz had a close relationship with Wiles from their days in Florida politics, sources told CNN.
He is also the first Democratic lawmaker to join the recently formed Department of Congressional Government Efficiency (DOGE) caucus. The DOGE Caucus is a group formed around billionaires Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy in response to President Trump’s orders to cut government spending and regulation.
Mr. Moskowitz was recently elected to a second term in the United States House of Representatives, representing Broward County. Last year, Moskowitz introduced a bill that would make FEMA a cabinet-level position reporting directly to the president.
This is not the first time Moskowitz has served in a Republican administration in a similar capacity. Under Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Moskowitz spent two years as director of emergency management, helping the state recover from Hurricane Michael, a Category 5 storm that hit the Panhandle in 2018, and the state’s coronavirus pandemic. He led the infectious disease response.
In the private sector, Mr. Moskowitz previously worked as General Counsel and Vice President of Business Development for AshBritt Environmental, a disaster response contractor.
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