Florida state Sen. Randy Fine, an outspoken Jewish Republican and staunch supporter of Israel with a history of inflammatory comments, announced his campaign for Florida’s 6th Congressional District on Tuesday.

Fine, 50, is aiming to replace Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL), who will leave the House in January to become President-elect Donald Trump’s national security advisor. Fine entered the race with Trump’s endorsement — Trump announced he’d back Fine before he even announced his campaign.

Fine has long been an outspoken supporter of Israel and helped lead a series of high-profile bills combating antisemitism in the Florida Statehouse, including codifying the International Holocaust Remembrance’s Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism and formalizing procedures for Jewish day schools to receive state security funding.

Fine has described Florida as the strongest state in the nation at combating antisemitism, but said it still falls short of the mark, and that there are serious questions about Jewish safety in the United States.

Both before and after the Hamas terror attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, he has been an aggressive supporter of Israel’s operations against the terror group in Gaza, has dismissed civilian casualties and faced accusations of islamophobia. On Oct. 10, 2023, Fine arranged to have his name written on the side of a munition used by the IDF in Gaza.

He has also backed Israeli strikes on terrorists operating in or near United Nations facilities in Gaza, describing the U.N. as “a terrorist organization.”

After announcing his bid, Fine said on X, “The ‘Hebrew Hammer’ is coming. [Rashida Tlaib] and [Ilhan Omar] might consider leaving before I get there. #BombsAway.” The hashtag has become a frequent refrain for him since Oct. 7, in support of Israeli military operations.

Fine has repeatedly called for Florida to take action against those whom he believes are anti-Israel or antisemitic.

A vocal opponent of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement targeting Israel, Fine urged Florida to cut off business ties with companies from Spain, Ireland and Norway after those countries unilaterally recognized a Palestinian state, accusing them of endorsing terrorism.

He also called for a Miami dentist who made antisemitic comments to have his dental license suspended and face investigation after the dentist made antisemitic comments while preaching at a local mosque.

And Fine called for his state to stop funding the Jacksonville mayor’s administration after she said that Trump would create “concentration camp” facilities to detain up undocumented immigrants.

He took credit earlier this year after Florida university system launched a review of courses for anti-Israel and antisemitic bias, recounting that he’d applied pressure on school leadership after finding problematic material in a textbook. He also pushed to block funding from Qatar to universities in Florida and ban students from countries that “hate America.”

Fine entered a spat with then-University of Florida President Ben Sasse after Fine accused a university instructor of teaching that Israel is similar to the Nazi regime. Sasse dismissed Fine’s comments as “thirsty, attention-desperate” and “too-good-to-be-checked clickbait that he knows isn’t true,” saying the instructor hadn’t worked at the school in years.

The Florida lawmaker personally faced an antisemitic assassination threat earlier this year and has said he and his children have been targeted by antisemitic rhetoric in recent months.

Fine was once an ardent supporter of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and initially backed his presidential bid, before breaking with the governor — accusing him of failing to condemn neo-Nazi activity in Florida — and endorsing Trump instead.

Fine and DeSantis’ relationship has weakened further since then, as DeSantis staffers sniped at Fine on social media over matters related to campus antisemitism and Fine criticized a Desantis trip to Ireland after it recognized a Palestinian state.

Fine has also faced criticism at times for his heated commentary on Israel-related issues. He has said that “there is no ‘Palestine’” and described a progressive Jewish critic who helped organize an event on Palestinian human rights issues as a “JudenRat.”

When Israeli forces killed a Turkish-American activist in the West Bank earlier this year, Fine celebrated, posting, “Throw rocks, get shot. One less #MuslimTerrorist.” The post earned him a suspension on X.

He’s been accused of Islamophobia for posts like that one, as well as comments that the United States has a “Muslim problem” — responding to an alleged video of Muslim children in Philadelphia expressing support for terrorism. He also described American Muslims as “radicals, not the mainstream” and Hamas supporters, which he said justified fear of them.

On one occasion prior to Oct. 7, during an online spat, Fine responded “Thanks for the pic!” to a photo showing a young child allegedly killed in an Israeli strike.

The primary election for the seat is set for Jan. 28, with a general election on April 1. Fine, a former casino industry executive, was a member of the Florida House from 2016 until earlier this month, when he joined the state Senate.

Several other Florida leaders have also made moves to run for the seat, a safely Republican district centered around Daytona Beach.

Fine would be the fourth Jewish Republican in Congress, after Reps. David Kustoff (R-TN) and Max Miller (R-OH) and Rep.-elect Craig Goldman (R-TX).

The Republican Jewish Coalition endorsed Fine hours after he announced his campaign, describing Fine as a “longtime friend” of the RJC, who had fought for issues like school choice, security funding for houses of worship, Israel and combating antisemitism.

“As the Jewish community continues to face some of the darkest days in our people’s history, President Donald Trump and the GOP continue to elevate and champion our voices,” the RJC said in a statement. “Election after election, the Republican Party increasingly is the political home for more and more Jewish Americans.”