Parkland dad Max Schachter considering run for state House seat

Dec. 07--Max Schachter, whose son Alex was among the 17 people killed in the Parkland massacre, said Friday he is considering running for the Florida Legislature.

A state House seat is open after Republican Gov.-elect Ron DeSantis tapped Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Coral Springs, to lead the Florida Division of Emergency Management.

Schachter, who lives in Coral Springs, said he could decide whether he'll run as early next week, after some reflection with his family.

"I am just consulting with my family" on the best way "how I can honor my son's memory," he said.

Schachter on Friday got the backing of some other Stoneman Douglas parents. "Run Max Schachter run!" tweeted Ryan Petty, whose daughter Alaina was killed.

Andrew Pollack, whose daughter Meadow was killed, tweeted: "Would be an honor to help Max get elected Run Max Schachter."

Schachter serves on the state commission charged with investigating the mass shooting, which happened Feb. 14 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High. He has urged leaders in government, education and law enforcement to make schools harder for offenders to penetrate by increasing security measures, including bulletproof doors and ballistic-resistant glass, and created a foundation called Safe Schools for Alex.

Schachter, who was an independent life and disability insurance agent, stopped working after the tragedy, saying he "put my insurance career on hold to focus on making our schools safe and being a commissioner on the MSD commission."

His son Alex was a freshman trombone and baritone player who was on the rise in the school's marching band and orchestra, and hoped to go to college at the University of Connecticut, where his mother had attended.

On Thursday, it was announced that Moskowitz will lead the Florida Division of Emergency Management, a department that's largely responsible for the state's hurricane response. Moskowitz is an attorney for Deerfield Beach-based AshBritt Environmental Inc., one of the nation's largest disaster response firms.

Moskowitz, a Stoneman Douglas graduate who lives in Coral Springs, had advocated for gun reform. He'll need to resign his seat, and there will be a special election to replace him.

Coral Springs City Commissioner Dan Daley, who was re-elected last month, announced on Twitter within hours that he would seek Moskowitz's state House position. Daley, too, has urged for gun reform by being part of a lawsuit seeking to overturn Florida's pre-emption laws that prevent cities from passing gun-control ordinances.

lhuriash@sunsentinel.com, 954-572-2008 or Twitter @LisaHuriash

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