Full Breakdown
Antisemitic Rhetoric Shapes Florida’s 2026 Republican Primaries
8/26/2026, 6:28:27 AM
Core Event: Far-Right Campaigns in the Gubernatorial and Congressional Races
In a January interview on Tucker Carlson’s podcast, James Fishback—who later secured 10 percent of the Republican vote in the Florida governor’s primary—repeated anti-Jewish talking points and aligned with influencers who cast Jews and other faith groups as “outsiders” to a presumed Christian America. In the same primary cycle, far-right influencer Dan Bilzerian entered the race for the state’s Sixth Congressional District, labeling incumbent Rep. Randy Fine a “fat Jew” and capturing nearly 19 percent of the Republican vote.
Jewish Community Response
He recalled his 79-year-old mother’s observation that past elections felt unsafe for expressing such sentiments, whereas the current climate normalizes them.
Data & Statistics
- James Fishback: 10 % of the Republican gubernatorial primary vote.
- Dan Bilzerian: 19 % of the Republican vote in Florida’s Sixth Congressional District primary.
Why It Matters
The emergence of openly antisemitic language in high-profile Republican contests has heightened anxiety among Florida’s roughly 1,000-family modern Orthodox community and signals a broader shift in political discourse that could influence voter alignment and party strategy statewide.
Verbatim Quotes
- “People were very concerned by his campaign, by his campaign rhetoric, the attention that he drew, the support that he had from some of the most nefarious people of our time,” — Rabbi Efrem Goldberg — Rabbi Efrem Goldberg, Boca Raton Synagogue.
