Florida Congressman to Step Down
The congressman represented Palm Beach and Broward Counties for 19 years. He will leave Congress in January 2010.
"I have truly cherished the opportunity to serve my constituents – many of whom make up the generation that sacrificed in World War II and Korea and rebuilt our nation after the Great Depression," he said in a statement.
After the 2000 presidential election, Wexler pushed for a voter-verified paper trail for votes cast in Florida. In the 2008 election, he was an early supporter of President Obama. He served as a Middle East adviser for Mr. Obama during the campaign, and he has advocated for stronger U.S.-Israel relations as a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
"Taking over as president of the Center for Middle East Peace offers me an unparalleled opportunity to work on behalf of Middle East peace for an important and influential non-profit institute," Wexler said. "We are at a unique and critically tense moment in the history of the Middle East with both significant opportunities to succeed in the Arab-Israeli conflict as well as major challenges involving Iran, Hamas, and al Qaeda."
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist will have to call a special election to replace Wexler. Democratic State Sen. Jeremy Ring will run for the seat, the Miami Herald reports, while other potential candidates reportedly include state Sen. Ted Deutch, West Palm Beach Mayor Lois Frankel, Broward County Mayor Stacy Ritter and former Broward County Commissioner Ben Graber.