Daily Kickoff
Good Tuesday morning.
In today’s Daily Kickoff, we profile the NSC’s John Kirby and report on growing opposition in Congress to Rep. Rashida Tlaib’s use of a phrase that calls for Israel’s elimination. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Amb. Eric Garcetti, Pope Francis and Whitney Wolfe Herd.
A 69-year-old Jewish man died on Monday from injuries sustained in a physical confrontation with an anti-Israel activist in Los Angeles. An autopsy concluded that Paul Kessler died from blunt force head trauma and ruled his death a homicide. Witnesses told authorities, who have not ruled out the possibility of a hate crime, that Kessler had been struck by an anti-Israel protester before falling and hitting his head.
Former Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz, who sits in Israel’s war cabinet, said that Kessler’s death is “a warning light that must resonate throughout the world.” Israeli Opposition Leader Yair Lapid posted on X that Kessler was killed “because he was a Jew.”
“It is not because of Gaza, it is because of antisemitism,” Lapid continued. “This is what happens when protesters glorify Hamas and call to ‘globalize the intifada.’”
Today is Election Day: The biggest races we’re tracking are the Kentucky and Mississippi gubernatorial elections, a battle for control of the state legislature in Virginia and a referendum in Ohio that would establish a constitutional right to an abortion, Jewish Insider Editor-in-Chief Josh Kraushaar reports.
In Kentucky, polls suggest Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear is favored to win a second term despite running in a solidly Republican state. He’s running against Republican state Attorney General Daniel Cameron, a protege of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) seeking to become the state’s first Black governor.
Beshear, whose father also served as governor, has benefited from strong marks handling the state’s recent natural disasters. He’s also benefited from a backlash against the GOP legislature’s adoption of strict abortion regulations.
In Mississippi, Republican Gov. Tate Reeves is facing a surprisingly competitive challenge from state utilities regulator Brandon Presley, a second cousin of Elvis. But given Mississippi’s conservative electorate, it would count as a major upset if Presley prevailed.
And in Virginia, Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin has been trying to parlay his political capital to win full control of the state legislature. Republicans currently control the state General Assembly by a narrow margin, while Democrats hold a slim advantage in the state Senate.
Virginia Democrats are running against Youngkin’s proposed 15-week abortion ban, with exceptions (state law currently allows abortion until 26 weeks). But Republicans are betting that President Joe Biden’s low approval and Youngkin’s generally high marks could extend the GOP’s winning streak in the Old Dominion.
And in Ohio, voters will be voting on a ballot measure (Issue 1) that would create a constitutional right to an abortion. While pro-choice advocates have been on a winning streak, this measure would overturn some of the state’s current abortion restrictions — which could be a tougher sell in a GOP-leaning state.
The Israel-Hamas conflict is a top issue shaping one of the most hotly contested New York City Council races — in a moderate district of southern Brooklyn home to a large population of Palestinians and Eastern European Jews. The rival incumbents, Republican Ari Kagan and Democrat Justin Brannan, are each stressing their support for Israel and resisting calls for a cease-fire, even as Brannan has done so a bit less strenuously.
A consultant who conducted polling on the race said it was “neck and neck” a couple of months ago — despite that Democrats outnumber Republicans 3-to-1. In the wake of the Oct. 7 attacks, the war in Gaza could boost turnout among conservative Jewish voters for Kagan, a former Democrat who switched parties last year. As for the Palestinian vote, “the question isn’t whether they’ll vote for Kagan against Brannan,” the consultant told JI. “The question is whether they will come out and vote.”
A handful of other council races in New York are also expected to be competitive, strategists say, particularly as the city shifts in a more politically moderate direction. Democrat Marjorie Velazquez, for instance, is facing a tough challenge from Republican Kristy Marmorato in an East Bronx district that is growing increasingly purple.
And Inna Vernikov, a Jewish Republican councilwoman in southern Brooklyn who has been outspoken against antisemitism, is seeking to defend her seat from an Orthodox Jewish Democrat, Amber Adler, who is putting her faith front and center on the campaign trail. “She’s visibly Orthodox and is running to the left of Inna, which is fascinating,” a Democratic strategist told JI, describing the race as “competitive.”
contentious comments
Democratic criticism of Tlaib continues, amid renewed censure effort

Democratic criticism of Rep. Rashida Tlaib’s (D-MI) latest provocative comments on Israel grew on Monday, as Republicans introduced a pair of new efforts to formally censure the Michigan congresswoman. But among Democrats, there seems to be limited appetite for a formal vote to rebuke the congresswoman, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
Here we go again: The House may be forced to vote twice this week — as soon as Tuesday — on condemning her. Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and Rich McCormick (R-GA) introduced separate censure resolutions on Monday, and both are demanding votes on their resolutions in the next two days.
What they’re saying: McCormick’s legislation is likely to be favored by House leadership and is more likely to pick up Democratic support. Even so, many Democrats sound opposed to the idea of censuring Tlaib. “We’ll see what happens,” Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL), a leading pro-Israel Jewish Democrat, told JI. “What I’m more inclined to do is try to get a security package passed that funds aid to Israel, aid to Ukraine, [and] takes care of the challenges we face.”
In-state: Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) called Tlaib’s posts “very inflammatory language” and told JI he “would hope that in the future, she doesn’t use that type of language.” Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) told JI, “‘From the river to the sea’ cannot be co-opted as anything other than what it is: painful and hateful language for the Jewish community which implies erasure of the State of Israel, home of the Jewish people. I condemn the use of this phrase, which is hurtful, offensive, and promotes anti-Jewish violence.”
Bonus: Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) told JI that Jewish House members are taking steps toward formalizing a House Jewish caucus. The group would “allow us to approach issues and matters before Congress through a Jewish perspective and to help prioritize issues important to the American Jewish community,” she said, adding “we need a seat at the table on matters that are critical to our communities.” Axios reported yesterday that Wasserman Schultz had filed paperwork for the caucus last week. An informal caucus of Jewish Democrats — often fractured over Israel policy — has been led by Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY), who did not comment on the move. Wasserman Schultz said the group would be open to any lawmakers regardless of party; Republican Jewish Reps. David Kustoff (R-TN) and Max Miller (R-OH) did not respond to requests for comment.