FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Four Republican candidates fought to position themselves Saturday as the most viable contender to unseat Democratic Rep. Jared Moskowitz in a newly crafted congressional district that has become a hotly contested swing seat.

Throughout the primary debate, held as part of the Republican Party’s “Sunshine State Showdown” at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, the candidates frequently echoed one another’s stances: alignment with Trump’s “America First” agenda, support for Israel, and a promise to cut taxes and crack down on government waste and corruption.

But acrimony emerged between two of the candidates, Dan Franzese, a businessman and former Republican nominee who had previously challenged U.S. Rep Lois Frankel twice, and Scott Singer, the former mayor of Boca Raton, as Franzese repeatedly attacked Singer, describing him as a “career politician” who is “cozy with Democrats.”

Singer rejected those assertions, repeatedly identifying himself as a strict conservative who “stood up to woke” as mayor, while accusing Franzese of spreading lies.

The two other candidates, George Moraitis, a former four-term state representative from an East Broward district, and Raven Harrison, who received 5.5% of the vote in a Texas congressional primary 2022, were relatively peaceful in comparison, focusing on themselves rather than on challenging the other candidates.

Not in attendance was a fifth candidate, Joe Kaufman, who had unsuccessfully challenged Moskowitz as the Republican nominee in a different district in 2024.

Whoever wins the Republican primary in August could face Moskowitz, who also has a primary opponent, in November.

The 25th Congressional District didn’t exist until early May, when Republicans who control state government finalized new congressional district boundaries. The new configuration makes the district more challenging for Moskowitz to win a third term. Analysts have rated the district as a toss-up.

Israel and the Middle East

Support for Israel emerged as one of the key themes Saturday, as moderators asked each of the candidates to rank Israel’s influence in American politics as “too much,” “too little,” or “just about right.”

An estimated 25% of the 25th District’s population is Jewish. Moskowitz is Jewish, as are Kaufman and Singer.

Most of the candidates stated that Israel’s influence was “just about right,” emphasizing its position as a key American ally in the Middle East. Singer said he rejected the question as “not the right framework.”

“It’s what the left is doing to demonize Jews and to demonize Americans and Israel,” he said. “It’s not the right framework. It’s America First and our allies. So I’m pro-American and I’m pro-Israel.”

The candidates also were asked about criticism of intolerance on the right, in particular whether they thought Republican gubernatorial candidate James Fishback has made antisemitic or racist comments. All of the candidates condemned antisemitism, with Franzese describing Fishback’s comments as “unacceptable and reprehensible.” Moraitis and Singer both pointed to antisemitism on the left and promised to make gains with Jewish swing voters.

“There’s no place in this party or even in America for that type of speech,” said Moraitis. “And a lot has been done to fight antisemitism, and I want to applaud President Trump and the Republican Party for doing a lot more, certainly, than was being done in the previous administration.”

The candidates also were asked if they would support Trump’s memorandum of understanding with Iran, if it were to come up for a vote while they were in Congress. The MOU has received criticism from voters, some U.S. lawmakers, and Israeli officials, some of whom argued that it contained significant concessions to Iran.

All of the candidates emphasized their unwavering support for Trump and his decisions, though Singer declined to say when pressed if he would vote for the MOU, arguing that the final terms were subject to change before January. Harrison said she would support the agreement but added that “my first obligation is to the constituents of District 25.”

Clashes between Singer, Franzese

Hostility began to bubble between Franzese and Singer when the debate turned to Americans’ trust in Congress, as candidates shared their stances on term limits and stock trading.

Though all four candidates, when asked, pledged to serve a limited number of terms, their answers differed as to how many.

Harrison and Moraitis pledged to serve up to eight years, or four two-year terms, while Franzese pledged to serve only three terms. Singer said he would commit to serving only a certain number of years but said he had “not decided on that number.”

Franzese argued that Singer’s “actions speak louder than words,” accusing him of voting to increase his own pay and extend his term while serving as mayor of Boca Raton. He repeatedly advertised a website he had launched attacking Singer.

Singer denied the claim as a “completely false lie.” He said he was the lone vote against increasing his own pay while serving on the City Council and that he voted to extend the term for councilmembers from three to four years, but respected term limits and only served two terms.

“These are the failed efforts by a repeat failed candidate,” Singer said.

The candidates all announced support for a ban on stock trading while in Congress, and promised to divest from their own stocks if elected.

Singer argued there’s a “lack of trust” in career politicians who trade stocks “and we don’t know if it’s on inside information.”

But Franzese and Singer clashed again when Franzese accused Singer of not being transparent when it comes to his own money, pointing to a “mysterious” foundation he runs and earns a salary from. Singer said the foundation helps young people in the community get jobs in skilled trades.

“There’s nothing mysterious about it,” he said.

Moskowitz

Though the candidates often aligned on major issues throughout the debate, they sought to set themselves apart when it came to their ability to defeat Moskowitz in November.

Singer emphasized his roots in the district, arguing that he has crossover appeal due to his history as mayor, but that he also “stood up to woke,” pointing to his support for Trump.

“I’ve led and grown up in this district,” Singer said. “I’m the only candidate who can flip this seat in November.”

Moraitis pointed to his undefeated record as a candidate for state Legislature, as well as his experience as an attorney and in the Navy.

“I’ve never lost an election,” he said. “I’ve been in the state House, and I’ve won every single time. So we need someone who’s going to be able to win this election.”

Franzese, meanwhile, asserted himself as an outsider. He said he was “not a career politician,” pointing to his business career, and argued that his “America First” stance was more genuine than Singer’s.

Harrison said she was the only candidate who truly stood out from the pack and could challenge Moskowitz on issues such as women’s rights and legalizing marijuana.

“I am the only one that is ideologically, physically, category-wise different than the other candidates,” she said.

Moskowitz’s primary opponent, Oliver Larkin, has been challenging him from the progressive left flank of the Democratic Party.

Both parties’ primaries are on Aug. 18.

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(Staff writer Anthony Man contributed to this report.)

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