Daily Kickoff
Good Tuesday morning.
In today’s Daily Kickoff, we report from yesterday’s White House event on sexual violence in wartime, look at Rep. Jamaal Bowman’s increasingly frayed ties with the Jewish community in his district and have the exclusive on a letter from Maryland Senate candidate Larry Hogan to a group of rabbis who have raised concerns about Sen. Chris Van Hollen’s leftward shift on Israel. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Scooter Braun, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez.
The most high-stakes primaries taking place today will be in Virginia, where Rep. Bob Good (R-VA) is at risk of becoming the first lawmaker this cycle to lose in a contested primary, while Democrats will be choosing nominees for two open seats — including one battleground district — in races where there’s a notable divide between candidates’ views on Israel.
The marquee contest will be in Virginia’s 5th District, covering Charlottesville and rural, conservative-surrounding territory. Good, chair of the right-wing House Freedom Caucus, alienated former President Donald Trump by backing Ron DeSantis’ presidential campaign, and lost his support in the primary.
Last month, Trump endorsed Good’s primary challenger — state Sen. John McGuire — which has given McGuire critical momentum in his campaign. Good also drew the ire of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) since the congressman was one of eight Republican lawmakers who voted to oust him from the speakership.
McGuire has also been endorsed by the Republican Jewish Coalition, a rare instance where the Jewish GOP group has taken sides against an incumbent. The RJC’s engagement is a result of Good’s repeated opposition to U.S funding for Israel — part of the congressman’s overall opposition to spending on foreign aid. He has also backed right-wing candidates opposed to foreign aid across the country.
The two wide-open Democratic primaries are occurring in Northern Virginia. The most competitive one is taking place in Virginia’s 10th District, based in Loudoun County, where Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-VA) is retiring because of serious health issues. There are three Democratic candidates who have emerged as top contenders to succeed her: state Del. Dan Helmer, state Sen. Suhas Subramanyam and former House Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn.
All three have expressed broadly pro-Israel views, though Filler-Corn, who served as the first Jewish speaker in Virginia’s House of Delegates, has been endorsed by Democratic Majority for Israel. Subramanyam has been endorsed by Wexton. Helmer, the top fundraiser, has suggested that the administration has, at times, been insufficiently supportive of Israel.
Several other Democratic candidates in the race — most notably state Sen. Jennifer Boysko and former Virginia Education Secretary Atif Qarni — have been outspoken critics of Israel during the campaign.
The other open-seat race is in Virginia’s 7th District, where Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) is leaving Congress to run for governor. The leading candidate to win the Democratic nomination is former National Security Council official Eugene Vindman, who with his twin brother became famous during Trump’s first impeachment trial as whistleblowers against the former president.
Vindman, who is Jewish, has a pro-Israel record and attended the AIPAC Congressional Summit in March. But he told JI he’d take a critical eye toward Israel’s operations in Gaza using his background investigating war crimes.
While Vindman is favored to emerge as the Democratic nominee, thanks to his prolific fundraising, he’s expected to face a competitive general election — in a swing district that backed Biden by seven points in 2020. On the GOP side, Derrick Anderson faces a right-wing challenge from Navy veteran Cameron Hamilton. Hamilton has waffled on aid to Israel in recent interviews.
In Oklahoma, Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK), who chairs the influential House Appropriations Committee, also faces a primary threat from businessman Paul Bondar, who has spent over $5 million of his own money on the campaign. If Cole doesn’t win 50% in the multi-candidate race, he will be forced into an Aug. 27 runoff.
Today in Washington, business leaders including Palantir CEO Alex Karp, Oracle CEO Safra Catz, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla and Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman will meet with a group of senators led by Sens. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) to discuss continuing arms sales to Israel, Punchbowl News reports.
white house screening
‘We cannot look away and we will not be silent’: Harris addresses Hamas sexual violence

Vice President Kamala Harris, speaking at a White House event on Monday, emphasized the need for continued attention to the plight of victims of sexual violence by Hamas on and since Oct. 7, including those still being held hostage, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
Staying focused: “These testimonies, I fear, will only increase as more hostages are released,” Harris said. “We cannot look away and we will not be silent. My heart breaks for all these survivors and their families, and for all the pain and suffering from the past eight months in Israel and Gaza.”
Other examples: In her speech, Harris also highlighted instances of sexual violence by Russia and ISIS, as well as in Sudan, South Sudan, Haiti, Ethiopia, Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. A fact sheet released by the White House in connection with the event highlighted several of the same hot spots, but did not mention Israel, Hamas or Oct. 7.
Survivor testimony: Harris met shortly before her remarks with Amit Soussana, a former hostage who has recounted being sexually assaulted while she was held in Gaza and also addressed the audience. “I don’t see myself as a victim. I am a strong, independent woman, and no one can change that,” Soussana said. “The sexual assault I experienced should never happen to anyone under any circumstances. No one should ever be sexually violated. And there are no justifying circumstances for these crimes.”