Lois Frankel defeats far-right Laura Loomer in Florida House race
Opponents, both Jewish, represent different poles of the sociopolitical culture wars; Republican describes herself as an ‘Islamophobe,’ was supported by Trump campaign
US Rep. Lois Frankel, D-Fla., speaks as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo appears before a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing on the budget on Capitol Hill, in Washington. March 27, 2019. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)
JTA — Lois Frankel won reelection in her South Florida House district, fending off a challenge by the right-wing, self-described “Islamophobe” Laura Loomer.
The Associated Press called the race shortly after 8 p.m. Tuesday evening.
The race pitted two Jews at different poles of the sociopolitical culture wars against each other — a moderate Democrat in Frankel and a far-right agitator in Loomer, who plays on her Jewish identity in her adamantly anti-Muslim rhetoric.
“We’re putting the Jews on trial here in District 21,” Loomer told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency in September.
Far-right activist Laura Loomer holds up a sign emblazoned with the logo of Jewish terror group Kach, across the street from a rally organized by Women’s March NYC, in New York on January 19, 2019. (AP/Kathy Willens)
“They have a choice between a Republican Jew who is going to advocate for their survival in their best interests, or they can stand with self-hating Jew Lois Frankel, who is doing the bidding for the jihadists in the Democrat Party who are just literally walking Jews to the gas chamber,” she said.
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Loomer, who has been banned from platforms such as Twitter for her rhetoric, was supported by the Trump campaign. US President Donald Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara campaigned for Loomer in Florida in the fall.
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