Jewish Voters Watch California Primary Shaped By Israel, Antisemitism

Californians are voting Tuesday in a statewide primary that will decide which candidates move forward in major races for governor, Congress, Los Angeles mayor and local offices.

For Jewish voters, several contests have become especially closely watched because they touch directly on Israel, antisemitism, campus unrest and public safety after the October 7 massacre and the war in Gaza.

California’s system makes Tuesday’s vote especially important. In many races, all candidates appear on the same ballot, and the top two vote-getters advance to the November general election, regardless of party. That means the primary is not only a party contest, but a test of which candidates survive to the next stage.

California is the largest state in the U.S., all 52 of its House seats are on the ballot, and several competitive districts could affect control of Congress. For Jewish voters, the races are also a measure of how far criticism of Israel has moved into mainstream Democratic politics.

In Los Angeles, Mayor Karen Bass is seeking reelection in a race that has drawn attention from Jewish Angelenos. One of her challengers, City Council member Nithya Raman, has been criticized over her appearance with Hasan Piker, a left-wing streamer who has been strongly condemned by Jewish and pro-Israel activists.

Raman has also drawn comparisons to New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, though there are differences between them. Raman says she supports Israel’s right to exist and opposes the BDS movement against Israel. Some Jewish leaders in her district have said they trust her and have worked with her.

Others remain alarmed. Sam Yebri, a local political activist involved with pro-Israel advocacy, told JTA, “A Raman mayorship would make every Jewish Angeleno less safe.”

The race has also made reality-TV figure Spencer Pratt an unexpected option for some Jewish voters. Pratt, best known from “The Hills,” has focused his campaign largely on Los Angeles’ response to the 2025 Pacific Palisades fire, but some voters see him as preferable to Raman on Jewish safety concerns.

In San Francisco, the race to replace retiring former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has created a different dilemma. State Sen. Scott Wiener, a Jewish progressive, is running for Pelosi’s seat and leads in polling, but angered many Jewish community members when he said he believes Israel committed genocide in Gaza.

Wiener stepped down from his role leading the state’s Jewish Democratic caucus after the backlash. He told Politico, “It is a hard year to be a lefty Jew running for Congress.”

Still, some Jewish activists are urging voters not to reject Wiener outright, arguing that his opponents are further to the left on Israel and less connected to Jewish communal concerns. His rivals include Saikat Chakrabarti, a former aide to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who supports stopping U.S. weapons sales to Israel and has campaigned with Piker.

In Silicon Valley, Rep. Ro Khanna is facing a challenge from tech entrepreneur Ethan Agarwal, who is positioning himself as the pro-Israel alternative. Khanna is one of Israel’s fiercest Democratic critics in Congress and has appeared multiple times with Piker.

Tali Klima of Bay Area Jewish Coalition-Action said of Khanna, “We have lost trust in his ability to represent us, and will not accept empty condemnations of antisemitism while he amplifies radical antisemitic messages at every possible turn.”

In the San Diego area, Democrat Ammar Campa-Najjar is again running for Congress. A former Obama staffer and U.S. Navy Reserve officer of Mexican and Palestinian background, Campa-Najjar has put his Palestinian identity at the center of his campaign.

His grandfather, Muhammad Yusuf al-Najjar, was a senior Palestine Liberation Organization figure whom Israel accused of involvement in the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre. Campa-Najjar has condemned the massacre, but has also said his grandfather’s exact role is a matter of disputed history. J Street is backing him, while Democratic Majority for Israel is supporting his primary opponent, San Diego City Council member Marni von Wilpert.

Another closely watched race is in the East Bay, where candidates are running to replace former Rep. Eric Swalwell, a pro-Israel Democrat who resigned after misconduct allegations that he denies. State Sen. Aisha Wahab, one of the leading candidates, has said Israel committed genocide in Gaza, though she has also worked with Jewish leaders on refugee-related issues.

California election officials will begin releasing results after polls close at 8 p.m. Pacific time, but close races may not be settled for days as mail ballots continue to be counted. Final statewide certification is scheduled for July 10.