Florida voters head to the polls Tuesday in the last major state primary of the cycle, with races involving Jewish candidates, antisemitic rhetoric, and a Republican-led redistricting controversy drawing attention from Jewish organizations and political observers.
Florida holds primaries Tuesday with several races drawing Jewish community attention
Florida voters head to the polls Tuesday in the last major state primary of the cycle, with races involving Jewish candidates, antisemitic rhetoric, and a Republican-led redistricting controversy drawing attention from Jewish organizations and political observers.
In the Republican gubernatorial primary, James Fishback, a former investment banker, is trailing US Rep. Byron Donalds, the Trump-endorsed frontrunner, in most polls. Fishback has drawn criticism from Jewish conservatives and party elites for embracing online far-right figures including Nick Fuentes, described in the source as a white nationalist and antisemitic influencer, and for using terms such as 'goyslop' — a phrase referring to low-quality food supposedly promoted by Jewish elites — in campaign speeches. Asked about the term by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency earlier in the campaign, Fishback said he used it 'because it's funny. Get a life.' Fishback is polling in double digits among likely voters in some analyses, including from the polling outlet Cygnal, which also shows him outpacing two other establishment candidates.
In Florida's 6th Congressional District, incumbent US Rep. Randy Fine, who is Jewish and wears a kippah on the House floor, is facing a primary challenge from Dan Bilzerian, a celebrity poker player and social media influencer. Bilzerian has said he wants to 'kill Israelis,' called Fine a 'fat Jew,' described antisemitism as 'a made-up term,' claimed that Israel 'wanted Oct. 7 to happen,' and called reports of Hamas raping victims that day 'bull—t.' He has spent at least $1 million of his own money on the race. Fine drew anger from Armenian-American groups after responding to Bilzerian's entry into the race by stating 'we don't want Armenians to be able to serve in Congress'; Bilzerian is Armenian. Last week a Fine campaign sign was defaced with a swastika, condemned by the Anti-Defamation League and other Jewish groups. Fine's campaign accused Bilzerian's supporters of responsibility; Bilzerian denied the charge and called it 'the most jew move of all time.' On Friday, Fine's campaign said he had referred Bilzerian to federal investigators for allegedly receiving unreported campaign donations from China.
Fine has received support from AIPAC and the Republican Jewish Coalition, whose PAC has given his campaign thousands of dollars this cycle according to federal election filings, though some Jewish groups including the American Jewish Committee have condemned his rhetoric on Gaza. House Speaker Mike Johnson, who had previously declined to condemn Fine's remarks about Muslims, condemned Bilzerian's conduct as antisemitic in recent days. The Republican PAC The Front Line, aligned with Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and formed to combat antisemitism within the party, released an AI-generated advertisement during the World Cup attacking both Fishback and Bilzerian.
In the 25th Congressional District, US Rep. Jared Moskowitz, described as one of the most pro-Israel Democrats in Congress, is seeking the Democratic nomination against activist Oliver Larkin. The district, redrawn this year, is approximately 25% Jewish and is considered a general-election toss-up. Moskowitz has outraised Larkin by 11-to-1 according to local media estimates and has refused to debate him. AIPAC has raised at least $667,000 for Moskowitz according to analyses of federal campaign reports. A poll from a Moskowitz-aligned firm showed him with a considerable lead; a poll from a Larkin-aligned outlet this month put the two in a statistical dead heat. Moskowitz wrote to the South Florida Sun Sentinel editorial board accusing Larkin of antisemitism and claiming Larkin is 'running against me solely on my religion.' The Sun Sentinel board rated the claim 'demonstrably untrue' and said it would not endorse Moskowitz after he declined a joint interview, citing what it described as his 'lack of respect for voters.'
US Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Jewish Democrat who has represented a Florida district since 2004 and formerly chaired the Democratic National Committee, is running in the neighboring 20th District — a heavily Black district represented by a Black lawmaker for three decades — after a Republican-led redistricting push prompted by President Donald Trump reshaped her former district. Critics including 2 Live Crew rapper 'Uncle Luke' Campbell have accused her of carpetbagging and argued her candidacy would harm Black representation. Campbell said her decision would damage Black-Jewish relations. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries withheld an endorsement in the race, citing the 'sensitivities of the moment.' Rep. Lois Frankel, another Jewish Democrat, faces a primary challenge from retired attorney Victoria Doyle in a district whose boundaries closely resemble her previous one. Florida's LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus withheld endorsements in both Wasserman Schultz's and Frankel's races while endorsing Moskowitz.
In the Democratic US Senate primary to fill the seat formerly held by Marco Rubio, retired Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, a Kyiv-born Jewish refugee from the former Soviet Union, leads in fundraising and in limited polling over state Rep. Angie Nixon. Vindman gained national recognition during the first Trump administration when he testified publicly about a phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Nixon recently joined the Democratic Socialists of America and has pushed pro-Palestinian legislation, including a state-level call for 'de-escalation and cease-fire in the state of Israel and occupied Palestine' introduced less than a month after the October 7, 2023, attacks. A July poll from the University of North Florida found that Nixon performs slightly better than Vindman in a hypothetical matchup against appointed Republican Sen. Ashley Moody.
- The source does not state the current polling average or most recent poll figures for the Fishback-Donalds race.
- The source does not state the total amount Fishback has raised or spent in the gubernatorial primary.
- The source does not state whether federal investigators have confirmed receipt of Fine's referral regarding Bilzerian.
- The source does not state which former congresswoman facing a federal fraud trial is running in Wasserman Schultz's district, nor detail the nature of the fraud charges.
- The source does not state what specific redistricting changes affected Wasserman Schultz's original district or Frankel's district.
- The source does not state the current fundraising totals for Alexander Vindman or Angie Nixon in the Senate primary.
- The source does not provide an independent or neutral poll of the Moskowitz-Larkin race separate from the two candidate-aligned polls cited.
Read the original at The Jerusalem Post