Oliver Larkin, a 33-year-old far-left Democratic congressional candidate in Florida, is challenging Rep. Jared Moskowitz in next month's primary election, pitching himself as a progressive alternative to the two-term incumbent in one of the party's key swing districts.
Larkin, who was endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), supports abolishing the U.S. Senate, backs arresting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu under an International Criminal Court arrest warrant during his upcoming trip to the United States, and favors ending all U.S. military aid to Israel. He is one of only four congressional candidates nationwide endorsed by the DSA and the only such candidate running in a competitive district that could determine control of the House.
What the Right Is Saying
Moskowitz, who served as Florida Division of Emergency Management director under Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis before winning his House seat, has positioned himself as a mainstream Democrat capable of competing in a swing district.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) has backed Moskowitz's re-election bid, providing institutional support that Larkin lacks. Moskowitz currently holds polling and fundraising leads over his primary challenger, according to Fox News reporting.
Moderate Democrats have expressed concern about DSA-backed candidates running in competitive districts, warning that far-left nominees could hurt the party's chances in general elections. The party establishment points to electoral vulnerabilities when candidates espouse positions like abolishing Senate institutions or supporting arrests of allied foreign leaders.
Moskowitz voted in favor of aid to Israel, a position that contrasts with Larkin's call to end all military assistance to the Jewish state. Critics argue that Larkin's stance on Netanyahu could alienate moderate voters and pro-Israel Democrats who remain supportive of the U.S.-Israel alliance.
The race is being watched as a test case for whether progressive candidates can win in competitive districts where victory requires appealing beyond the Democratic Party's left flank.
What the Left Is Saying
Larkin has framed his Senate abolition stance as a matter of democratic representation, arguing that the institution privileges land over people.
"I do support the abolition of the Senate," Larkin told Fox News. "I live in Broward County, Florida. We have more people in Broward County than 12 states in the country, but you do not see a dozen or two dozen senators representing Broward County in the U.S. Senate." He argued that the Senate "originates from a compromise with slave-owning states when the Constitution was first passed" and called it an institution that is mathematically undemocratic.
On Israel, Larkin expressed support for enforcing the ICC warrant against Netanyahu through domestic law enforcement. "We need to enforce the law, and to the degree possible, I would support the enforcement by the New York City Police Department or any other law enforcement entity in the United States to enforce that ICC warrant," he said. He backs a one-state solution with equal democratic rights for all people and opposes what he called a religious supremacist regime.
The DSA has released policy proposals calling for scrapping the Senate and expanding the House of Representatives, measures that would require constitutional amendments. The organization argues these changes would make the federal government more representative.
Larkin is a veteran of Sen. Bernie Sanders' 2016 Democratic presidential campaign, which has shaped his progressive platform. His candidacy reflects ongoing ideological battles within the Democratic Party between progressive insurgents and establishment moderates.
What the Numbers Show
Larkin is one of four congressional candidates endorsed by the DSA nationally. He is running in Florida's 25th Congressional District, a Broward County-anchored seat that was recently redrawn and sits in the southeastern corner of the traditionally Republican-leaning state.
The district has been identified as competitive, falling among roughly two dozen swing districts that will determine whether Republicans maintain their razor-thin majority in the House.
A recent development cited in reporting: nearly half of House Democrats voted this week to cut off aid to Israel, a figure that illustrates shifting political sentiment on U.S.-Israel relations within the party. The Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack killed roughly 1,200 people in Israel, and Israel's military response has resulted in more than 73,000 casualties according to Palestinian health officials.
Larkin has been active since at least 2016 through his work on Sanders' presidential campaign, giving him over a decade of progressive organizing experience. He faces Moskowitz, who has served two terms in Congress and previously held state legislative and county commission posts before leading Florida's emergency management agency.
The Bottom Line
The Larkin-Moskowitz primary represents one of the most closely watched Democratic Party civil war contests heading into August primaries. With DSA backing Larkin as its only swing-district candidate nationally, the outcome could signal whether progressive insurgents can break through in competitive territory or whether party establishments remain dominant.
If Larkin wins the primary, Democrats will face questions about nominee viability in a competitive district ahead of November elections. If Moskowitz prevails, it would represent a victory for moderate forces against the party's left wing at a moment when progressive candidates have been winning primaries in deep-blue areas.
The race also tests whether radical policy proposals like Senate abolition can gain traction beyond safely Democratic districts. Voters will decide whether Larkin's vision aligns with their priorities or whether Moskowitz's more conventional approach better serves the district's electoral math.