Deutch to succeed Harris as American Jewish Committee CEO
Ted Deutch, a Democratic Representative from Florida, will resign from Congress to succeed David Harris as head of the American Jewish Committee.
“David Harris will remain AJC CEO until Ted formally assumes the role in October, after which he will stay on as a consultant for one year to assist in a seamless transition,” AJC President Harriet P. Schleifer said in a statement. “On behalf of AJC, I would like to thank David for building AJC into the incredible organization it is today, and for his steadfast leadership and support throughout this process,” she added.
Harris, 72, the AJC CEO since 1990, has worked for the advocacy organization for all but three years since 1979. He has steadfastly supported Cyprus’ and Greece’s positions, in an era where both countries’ relations with Israel have improved significantly.
Deutch, 55, has represented the city of Ft. Lauderdale since 2010. His constituency, now Florida’s 22nd, has been twice re-districted and renumbered since he was elected. He is the chairman of the House Ethics Committee and member of the Foreign Affairs and Judiciary committees.
Deutch is the latest in a string of Democrats who have decided not to contest the next election, in November, a sign that they do not feel confident of retaining their majority after the mid-terms. One of the places where they have been losing ground is south Florida; although Deutch was re-elected with 58.6% of the vote in 2020, this was down from the 62% he received in 2018.
