Florida Republicans defeat alt-right candidates in gubernatorial, House primaries

In Florida's recent primary elections, pro-Israel Republican candidates successfully defeated alt-right challengers accused of antisemitism. Rep. Byron Donalds won the GOP gubernatorial primary to succeed Gov. Ron DeSantis, securing 48.3% of the vote. He triumphed over James Fishback, an investor who courted the "groyper" movement and ran a campaign opposing Israel and frequently race-baiting Donalds, who is Black. Donalds is a staunch supporter of Israel, describing it as America's closest ally in the region. In a House race, Jewish Rep. Randy Fine defeated Dan Bilzerian, an influencer who ran an explicitly antisemitic campaign and has previously denied the Holocaust. Bilzerian's campaign included an AI-generated video with an image of Adolf Hitler and footage of Fine with horns. The Republican Jewish Coalition congratulated Fine for defeating a "neo-Nazi" and Donalds for winning against "one of the most openly bigoted campaigns in recent memory." Matt Brooks, CEO of the coalition, stated, "James Fishback spent this race trafficking in vile racism and antisemitic filth." He added, "Dan Bilzerian did not merely flirt with antisemitism. He made Jew-hatred the entire premise of his campaign."