Democrat Patrick Murphy switches to District 22, will challenge Rep. Allen West for Congress

Democrat Patrick Murphy, who called U.S. Rep. Allen West, R-Plantation, a "coward" for leaving his Palm Beach-Broward congressional district to run for a more Republican-leaning seat, announced Wednesday that he'll continue challenging West by following him to the new district.

Murphy, an accountant who lives in Fort Lauderdale, defended the "coward" charge today and said his decision to switch districts is different from West's.

"He left his constituents for what he thought was an easier fight for reelection. I'm going to an even harder fight," Murphy said.

Both West and Murphy should see political gains from their decisions to change districts.

The Florida legislature is expected to approve a redistricting plan Thursday that changes West's District 22 from an evenly partisan district to one where Democrats have a 9-point registration advantage and Barack Obama got 57 percent of the vote in the 2008 presidential election. In the new District 18, Republicans have a slender registration edge and Obama got 51 percent.

While Murphy is moving to more difficult terrain for a Democrat, his switch allows him to sidestep a potentially costly Democratic primary against former West Palm Beach Mayor Lois Frankel and Broward County Commissioner Kristin Jacobs.

The maneuver also allows Murphy, a political unknown before launching his congressional bid, to continue raising money from Democratic donors nationally by appealing to their dislike of tea party celebrity West.

Frankel and Murphy raised more than $1.4 million apiece while running in District 22 and Democratic officials grimaced at the prospect of them using their warchests against each other rather than against West, who has raised more than $5.9 million.

Murphy's decision to leave District 22 was praised in statements from Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Steve Israel and Florida Democratic Party Chairman Rod Smith.

West declined comment.

The National Republican Congressional Committee blasted Murphy for criticizing West, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel.

"Patrick Murphy disparaged a decorated war veteran by calling him a coward to get attention, but the real question remains clear – who really is Patrick Murphy?" said NRCC spokesman Nat Sillin. "His sense of entitlement may lead him to believe he deserves a seat in Congress, and that big government knows what is best for Floridians, but that's far from reality."