Boca Raton, Florida

Florida voters are choosing all 27 U.S. House members under a new GOP-drawn congressional map, enacted this year under outgoing Gov. Ron DeSantis despite ongoing litigation, which could cut the state's Democratic delegation roughly in half from its current 20-8 Republican split.

Key races include Rep. Anna Paulina Luna defending her 13th District seat against Leela Gray, Rep. Kathy Castor facing a competitive 14th District contest against Mike Beltran, and Rep. Lois Frankel running in a redrawn 23rd District. Rep. Jared Moskowitz shifted to the more Republican-leaning 25th District, while Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, who broke publicly with President Trump over immigration, defends her Miami-Dade 27th District seat against Eliott Rodriguez.

In Florida's 25th Congressional District, Democratic Rep. Jared Moskowitz and Republican challenger Scott Singer, both Jewish, debated their pro-Israel credentials at a Boca Raton synagogue forum ahead of the Nov. 3 midterms. The two largely agree on Israel policy — opposing conditions on U.S. military aid and rejecting genocide accusations against Israel — but clashed over Moskowitz's vote for a war powers resolution on Iran and his past vote to keep Rep. Ilhan Omar on the Foreign Affairs Committee. Moskowitz cited his AIPAC endorsement; Singer touted backing from Trump and the RJC. The redrawn district, once Biden-leaning, now favors Trump, making the race a closely watched midterm battleground.

Miami Herald readers are pushing back on proposed Florida property tax cuts, warning of steep funding losses for public health systems. Jackson Health System in Miami-Dade County stands to lose roughly $64 million in annual tax funding, jeopardizing services such as emergency care, behavioral health, organ transplants, and labor and delivery, much of it provided regardless of a patient's insurance status or ability to pay. Broward Health could lose more than $100 million over three years, while Palm Beach County's Health Care District could lose about $66.5 million.

Letter writers argue that lawmakers and voters should demand a concrete replacement funding plan before enacting cuts that could force hospitals to scale back programs and staffing, disproportionately affecting residents with the fewest healthcare alternatives. The debate reflects a broader tension in Florida politics between delivering property tax relief to homeowners and preserving funding for public services, with public hospital systems across South Florida identified as among the most exposed to near-term budget shortfalls if cuts move forward without offsetting revenue measures.

An administrative law judge has recommended that the Florida Department of Health reprimand and fine Lexie Lawler, a Boca Raton labor and delivery nurse who lost her license after posting a TikTok wishing former White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who was pregnant, a painful and traumatic childbirth. The video went viral in January 2026 after being amplified by right-wing commentator Chaya Raichik ("Libs of TikTok"), drawing condemnation from Republican officials including Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, who called for her license to be revoked. The Department of Health had suspended Lawler's license under an emergency order citing unprofessional conduct, and she subsequently lost her job at Baptist Health Boca Raton Regional Hospital.

In a Sept. 1 recommended order, Judge Robert Cohen proposed a reprimand, a $250 fine, continuing education on social media use, and repayment of investigation costs, calling it a low-end penalty given Lawler's clean 12-year record and the loss of her job. Lawler's attorney says she will file exceptions, arguing the misconduct rule requires language directed at or in front of a patient, which did not occur.

Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) will face Republican Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer this fall in a Florida House race now rated a toss-up, according to Decision Desk HQ. Moskowitz secured his primary win over Oliver Larkin, a progressive union organizer backed by the Democratic Socialists of America, marking the final congressional primary test for the DSA-aligned left this cycle. Singer beat out several Republican rivals to win his party's nomination, with backing from House Majority Leader Steve Scalise; President Trump, active in other Florida primaries this cycle, did not weigh in on this contest.

The district, which stretches from South Beach to Delray Beach, was considered solidly Democratic entering the year but became competitive after Florida joined the mid-decade redistricting fight. Decision Desk HQ currently rates the race a toss-up with Democrats holding a narrow edge. The matchup adds another closely watched contest to the battle for control of the House in 2026.