Dem Senate nominee apologizes to Jewish voters after 'genocide' remark sparked backlash

Troy Jackson, the Democratic nominee challenging Republican Sen. Susan Collins in Maine, is trying to contain fallout from comments about how Jewish Mainers view the word "genocide" in connection with Israel's war in Gaza. He had suggested that Jewish residents resist the label because of their history of persecution in the Holocaust. The remark drew an immediate wave of criticism online on Tuesday, according to Fox News.

Jackson later told Jewish Insider that he had misspoken and was sorry for the hurt. In a written statement he reaffirmed his belief that Gaza is experiencing genocide, while acknowledging that the term carries special weight for many Jewish families because six million Jews were murdered. He said his attempt to recognize that led him to wrongly generalize about the views of Jewish Mainers.

Critics came from several directions. Conservative commentators including Mark Levin, Guy Benson and Hugh Hewitt attacked him on X, as did Dan Senor, who called the statement something that must be a dark parody. Former Republican congressman Joe Walsh and GOP consultant Matt Whitlock also reacted harshly.

Summarized by PolitiKool from Fox News’s reporting. Read the full story at Fox News →