A man accused of threatening the life of Florida Democrat Jared Moskowitz has been arrested in Boca Raton, near the congressman’s home, he said.
Moskowitz said on social media that the suspect was a constituent who had been taken into custody a few miles from his residence and was being held in Palm Beach County jail.
“A constituent of mine has just been arrested in Boca, just a few miles from my house, for threatening my life. He is currently in the Palm Beach County jail,” he wrote.
“I’m grateful to @fdlepio and local law enforcement for acting quickly to keep myself and my family safe,” he added.
The arrest comes as Moskowitz seeks re-election in a closely watched congressional race. An effort to unseat him by the Republican Congressional Leadership Fund political action committee was abandoned this week.
Moskowitz, a Jewish Democrat, has previously been targeted by an armed man who lived less than ten miles from his Florida home.
John Kevin Lapinski Jr was identified as the suspect in that 2024 case and was later sentenced to 25 years over what was described as a suspected assassination plot. Officers found tactical equipment and weapons, including a rifle, suppressor, body armour, smoke grenades and operational maps, along with racist drawings and an antisemitic manifesto.
The latest threat comes amid continuing concern over the safety of elected officials. Moskowitz, who has described himself as a moderate, previously warned that threats against political figures could escalate.
“Someone’s gonna get killed here. It almost was me,” he said last year.
His district, stretching from South Beach to Delray Beach, became more competitive after a Republican-led redrawing of Florida’s congressional map. Moskowitz has been narrowly favoured to defeat Republican nominee Scott Singer in next month’s midterm elections.
He has also faced opposition from within his own party, defeating a primary challenge earlier this year from progressive organiser Oliver Larkin, who was backed by the Democratic Socialists of America.
Moskowitz previously worked with Republicans after being appointed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to lead the state’s Division of Emergency Management in January 2019, while he was serving in the Florida House of Representatives.
