Stuck between antisemitism and anti-Zionism, sense wins out in Florida primaries - comment

Florida’s primaries produced plenty of the political chaos for which the state has become famous. Ultimately, antisemitism was rejected, and it was a good night for pro-Israel and Jewish candidates.

Think of Floridian politics, and one does not often evoke the word “sane.” The state, which helped propel George W. Bush to the presidency in 2000 after a major recount dispute, has seen its fair share of political chaos over the years.

Tuesday’s primaries offered plenty of evidence for why. In one congressional district, social-media provocateur Dan Bilzerian ran a campaign in which he spoke openly of a “Jewish problem,” called his Jewish opponent a “fat Jew,” and released a music video invoking Adolf Hitler in approving terms. Elsewhere, Republican Rep. Cory Mills, already facing House ethics investigations and allegations of sexual misconduct that he denies, was thrown out by his own party.

Amid the circus, something rather sensible happened

Then, amid the circus, something rather sensible happened - Bilzerian was crushed in an embarrassing defeat, which hopefully puts an end to any future political aspirations for the social media personality.

Rep. Randy Fine, the Jewish Republican incumbent in Florida’s 6th Congressional District, took nearly 57% of the vote, while Bilzerian managed less than 19%.

Fine is hardly a poster boy for moderation - some of his own rhetoric about Muslims and Palestinians has repeatedly crossed lines and attracted criticism from both parties - but this was not a competition for civility. Voters were given the chance to vote for a candidate who had made unambiguous antisemitism and anti-Israel views a central part of his political identity, and Florida’s voters acted accordingly and rejected him overwhelmingly.

Fine was not the only pro-Israel victor on Tuesday night. Across the state and across the political divide, prominent Jewish incumbents with strong records of support for Israel survived.

Democratic Rep. Lois Frankel took around three-quarters of the vote in her primary for the 23rd congressional district. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Florida’s first Jewish congresswoman, won a difficult race in unfamiliar territory (20th district) after redistricting dismantled her old seat. Her leading ideological challenger, Elijah Manley, had attacked her support for Israel and the backing she has received from AIPAC. Wasserman Schultz won with just under half the vote; Manley finished far behind with less than 15% of the vote.

Jared Moskowitz also survived a challenge from the Democratic Left. His opponent, Oliver Larkin, was backed by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and opposed US military aid to Israel. Moskowitz, a Jewish Democrat and one of Israel’s more outspoken supporters in his party, won with roughly 63% of the vote.

Hostility toward Israel has become a badge of political identity on the Left

These are very different politicians from across the political spectrum campaigning on different platforms, but at a time when antisemitism has become increasingly brazen on parts of the American Right, while hostility toward Israel has become a badge of political identity among parts of the progressive Left, Florida voters were presented with several unusually clear tests. In race after race, candidates who believed attacking Jews, Israel, AIPAC-funding or the pro-Israel establishment would carry them to victory came up short.

The same picture extended to the race for governor.

Florida, the third-most populous state in America with more than 23 million residents, will choose in November between Republican Byron Donalds and Democrat David Jolly. They disagree sharply on Donald Trump, Iran, and much else, but both are supporters of Israel.

In a state whose relationship with Israel has become unusually close under Governor Ron DeSantis, this would be a positive and important continuation. Whoever replaces him will come from a very different political background, but neither major party has nominated a candidate seeking to tear that relationship up.

There were other interesting election results from Tuesday night in Florida too. Democratic socialist Angie Nixon’s surprise victory over Alex Vindman in the Senate primary reminded us that Florida has not suddenly or completely rejected the progressive Left.

But Vindman's defeat had more to do with resources and organizing than with Israel. He sat on a $16 million war chest but spent just $2.2 million on ads, leaving him flat-footed against Nixon's grassroots, DSA-backed campaign — the same playbook that has toppled establishment favorites in Democratic primaries elsewhere this cycle.

On Tuesday, Floridians were offered unequivocal antisemitism on the Right, efforts to turn hostility toward Israel into an electoral weapon on the Left, and scandal and political theater almost everywhere in between. For once, sanity was allowed to reign supreme.