Democratic candidate for Governor of Florida David Jolly Credit: Dave Decker/Creative Loafing Tampa Bay

It would appear taking hardline jabs against the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) didn’t hurt Democrats in states like Michigan and New York, Democrats across the Tampa Bay area aren’t so sure.

The Hillsborough County Democratic Party got together last Saturday, Aug. 8, for its annual Kennedy-King Gala, despite the keynote speaker dropping out at the last minute due to backlash over his past criticisms of AIPAC, the Israeli government’s primary lobbying group.

Held at the Westshore Grand Hotel, located at 4860 W Kennedy Blvd., the event is a major fundraiser for local candidates and initially featured keynote speaker and progressive Democrat Michael Blake.

The former New York State assemblyman and a veteran of President Barack Obama’s administration had recently lost a primary in New York’s 15th Congressional District. During his unsuccessful run, the 43-year-old had criticized incumbent Ritchie Torres over his ties to AIPAC.

According to the Tampa Bay Times, Blake withdrew right before the event due to “objections over his criticisms of Israel.”

Vanessa Lester, the chairperson of the Hillsborough County Democratic Executive Committee, told the publication that Blake had indeed canceled but did not elaborate on the circumstances surrounding the situation.

In a press release promoting the event, the Hillsborough County Democratic Executive Committee referred to Blake as “a frequent political commentator and a leading voice on building a more inclusive future for America.”

However, it’s unclear exactly who complained about Blake, or what specific statements sparked the alleged outrage.

In previous comments, Blake took aim at Torres and stated that the congressman “cares more about Bibi than he does about the Bronx,” and accused the the three-term incumbent of profitting off genocide in Gaza.

“I am running for Congress because the people of The Bronx deserve better than Ritchie Torres,” said Blake in his campaign launch video. “I am ready to fight for you and lower your cost of living while Ritchie fights for a Genocide. I will focus on Affordable Housing and Books as Ritchie will only focus on AIPAC and Bibi. I will invest in the community. Ritchie invests in Bombs. I want to end credit scores for housing. Ritchie only wants to take credit.”

Before his run for congress, Blake was by all accounts an AIPAC affiliate, and had attended speaking events and conferences hosted by the pro-Israel group, even joining a 2010 trip to Israel. He later claimed he walked away from the group because of “the way they disrespected [U.S.] President [Barack] Obama, the way they shut down the conversation on apartheid, the way they do not want to acknowledge a genocide…”

But even with the no-show, the Hillsborough Dem’s annual event still featured Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried, Democratic candidate for Governor of Florida David Jolly, and Tampa Bay District 14 Congresswoman Kathy Castor.

Both Jolly and Castor have financial ties to AIPAC. According to Open Secrets, Castor has received more than $53,000 from AIPAC during this election cycle and Jolly recorded some support from the group when he served briefly in the U.S. House.

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