A discussion about upcoming Senate races at the Jewish Democratic Council of America’s national summit turned tense on Wednesday when political strategist Simon Rosenberg brought up Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner.
“And then there’s Maine,” Rosenberg said, eliciting laughter, some of it uneasy. The race and its presumptive Democratic nominee, Graham Platner, had been on people’s minds on Wednesday during the confab, the national summit of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, but no one had yet mentioned him from the stage.
The omission was notable because Platner is seen as a rising star in the Democratic Party. He was initially battling in the primary against Maine Gov. Janet Mills, whom the JDCA had endorsed. But he effectively clinched the nomination when Mills dropped out of the race two weeks ago, and now is expected to challenge Rep. Susan Collins in November.
Jewish Democrats split over Platner
Among Jewish Democrats, there is a debate over whether to support Platner, who has caused concerns with his past Nazi tattoo and staunch criticism of Israel, but also has a chance to unseat an incumbent Republican and help the party take control of the Senate.
Rosenberg revealed at the summit where he stood in that debate, somewhere the JDCA’s leadership has not been willing to go.
“The Maine party is excited, ready to go, and we’re all going to be along the Platner train in a few weeks,” he said.
The laughs gave way to murmurs and groans. Some attendees shook their heads at one another. One woman mouthed something to her neighbor, motioning “No” with her arms.
“He’s going to be the candidate, and let’s hope the very best of him comes out in the next five, six weeks,” said Rosenberg, who hosts the “Hopium” podcast. “But that is going to be an interesting race.”
Moderator Jill Goldenberg piped in, easing the tension. “We are not leaving on that note!” she said, asking Rosenberg a final question about what gives him hope.
Platner, the left-wing candidate and former oyster farmer, has drawn concerns from some Jewish groups with his Nazi tattoo, which he recently covered up with another design, and his anti-Israel rhetoric and calls to end US military assistance to the country. The JDCA is among them.
JDCA stops short of endorsement
“As far as I’m concerned, you can regret having a Nazi tattoo, you can try to cover it up, but it’s still there,” said Halie Soifer, the group’s CEO, told reporters on Wednesday. “And to me, that symbolizes reasons for deep concern about his views and values.”
JDCA has not taken a position on the race since Mills dropped out. Soifer did not entirely rule out the possibility of getting behind Platner, but said he would “have to demonstrate great assurances on a range of issues of concern to our organization to receive our endorsement.”
She added, “But we may just not get involved in that one.”
A key Jewish Democrat, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, said after Mills stepped aside that he would support Platner’s bid to unseat Collins. Schumer, who had initially recruited Mills to run, also spoke at the JDCA summit. He did not mention the Maine race during his remarks and declined to talk to the press afterward.
“We disagree, we can disagree with them potentially!” Soifer said when asked about party leadership backing Platner, adding that the JDCA is backing a number of other candidates in hopes of taking control of the Senate.
“It could be that at the end of the day, we just stay out of Maine, don’t get involved, even if the party has decided to fully embrace Platner,” she said.
Calls for a broader political 'big tent'
Ami Fields-Meyer, a former Biden White House adviser who spoke more critically of Israel than most of the summit’s speakers, did not weigh in on Platner specifically. But he echoed Rosenberg’s call for building coalitions that include “people we don’t agree with,” and advocated for the Democratic Party and Jewish community to embrace a wider range of viewpoints on Israel.
“We love to talk about a big tent. It’s our favorite thing to talk about,” Fields-Meyer said. “This is the moment. This is the moment to open up the party and to open up our Jewish community to the hardest conversations that we can be having about the future of Israel and the future of the Jewish people.”
Fields-Meyer’s comment drew loud applause.