‘They wanted my voice gone’: A swing-seat, pro-Israel Democrat is fending off criticism from both parties

Representative Jared Moskowitz, a Florida Democrat and outspoken supporter of Israel, is defending a heavily Jewish South Florida seat against Scott Singer, a Republican and former Boca Raton mayor. Their race is being read as a test of whether the Democratic Party still has room for someone like him. The two Jewish candidates first met at a Boca Raton synagogue, where attendees went through a body scanner and the first 28 minutes of the hour-long forum dealt with Israel and antisemitism. Interim rabbi Cy Stanway called the contest a bellwether, according to CNN.

The outcome matters beyond Florida, CNN reports, because several Jewish politicians are preparing 2028 presidential bids just as hostility toward Israel becomes a gauge of loyalty in Democratic primaries. Moskowitz, who has AIPAC's endorsement and is progressive on most other issues, says he understands Jewish voters drifting from the party but insists this contest is different.

Police now guard his home. One man was arrested over a plot to assassinate him, and another was arrested last week for threatening his life. Moskowitz says he is not backing down: "They wanted my voice gone."

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