A Republican primary race in Florida has become a focal point for accusations of antisemitism, as one candidate espouses anti-Jewish tropes and makes references to Adolf Hitler while challenging incumbent Rep. Randy Fine, the sole Jewish Republican in Florida's congressional delegation.
Fine is facing a primary challenge in Florida's 6th Congressional District from candidate Dan Bilzerian. Fine described Bilzerian's campaign as an "organized pogrom against the Jews" and a "political pogrom," alleging that Bilzerian relocated to Florida specifically to target him.
Bilzerian's campaign has posted content on X, formerly Twitter, that includes antisemitic imagery. One post from his campaign appeared to refer to a "Jewish problem" in the district. Another AI-generated video alluded to Hitler in a positive manner and depicted Fine with horns, a trope used in Nazi Germany to incite hatred against Jews.
"Dan Bilzerian is running for Congress on a Nazi platform. That’s not hyperbole," said Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J. "His own campaign ad celebrates Hitler, draws horns on Jews, and calls a sitting Jewish Member of Congress a problem to be solved. That’s absolutely insane, disgusting, and the clearest, textbook version of antisemitism."
Gottheimer emphasized that regardless of political affiliation, all elected officials have an obligation to condemn such rhetoric. "I don’t agree with Randy Fine on much, but that’s exactly the point. When someone runs for the United States Congress on Jew-hatred, every one of us, Democrat and Republican, has an obligation to say so out loud, no matter who’s on the other end of it," he stated.
Fine also reported that one of his campaign yard signs was defaced with a swastika, occurring in the same week as the release of the AI-generated video. He also raised concerns about the significant campaign spending by Bilzerian, suggesting millions of dollars have been invested, and questioned the potential influence of foreign investment in political campaigns, though no evidence of foreign funding for Bilzerian's campaign has been presented.
The intensity of the antisemitism in the race has drawn condemnation from national party leaders. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., stated, "The vile attack ads against Congressman Randy Fine in Florida's 6th District are disgusting and should be condemned by all political leaders on the Right and Left." House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., echoed this sentiment, calling Bilzerian's campaign "blatantly antisemitic and shocks the conscience" and urging people of goodwill to reject his attacks on the Jewish community.
Fine is widely expected to win his primary election and is favored to win the general election in November. The primary elections across Florida are setting the stage for key matchups in the upcoming midterm elections. The controversy highlights the increasing presence of antisemitism in political campaigns nationwide.