Congressional Candidate Joe Kaufman Wins Straw Poll Following Boca Raton Debate

Kaufman Highlights National Security Experience, Support for Israel, and Commitment to Protecting Seniors

BOCA RATON, FL, UNITED STATES, August 2, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Republican congressional candidate Joe Kaufman, who is running in Florida's District 25 primary, won a post-debate straw poll Tuesday following a candidate forum against primary opponent Scott Singer. The event, which was held at Temple Beth Shalom in Boca Raton's Century Village, drew a crowd of primarily Jewish seniors.

Following the debate, attendees cast votes in a straw poll that included all Republican candidates in the race. Kaufman finished first, receiving nearly three times as many votes as the second-place finisher.

During the debate, Kaufman emphasized his extensive background in national security and counterterrorism.

"I don't need to tell you that I stand against antisemitism or that I support Israel," Kaufman said. "Those issues have been a defining part of my life."

Kaufman highlighted his recent role in helping stop a pro-Hamas conference that had been planned in Coral Springs. He noted that the conference organizers, including CAIR, sued him multiple times in federal court over his efforts, but he prevailed every time.

He also discussed his two decades of work with the Iranian opposition, including co-founding an opposition group with Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi. Kaufman said he brought together the Israeli government and the Iranian opposition, following the October 7 terrorist attacks against Israel.

Taking a jab at his debate opponent Singer, Kaufman said that while others have praised or honored radical mosques and their leaders, he has spent much of his career working to expose and shut down extremist organizations.

Kaufman also shared his personal connection to senior issues. Raised by his grandparents, he later moved to South Florida to care for his grandmother during her battle with COPD, a debilitating respiratory disease.

Kaufman told the audience, regarding their senior benefits, "I know how much those benefits meant to my grandmother in the latter stages of her life. As Congressman, I will fight for every dime of your Social Security and Medicare." He stated, “Just as I cared for my grandmother in her time of need, I will take care for the needs of District 25’s seniors.”

Kaufman's campaign has earned endorsements from former Israeli military intelligence officer Mordechai Kedar, former IDF Brigadier General Yossi Kuperwasser, former Trump Administration Border Czar Tom Homan, former Venezuelan political prisoners Iván Simonovis and Antonio Ledezma, and Cuban-American Ambassador Dr. Luis Suárez Hernández.

Shawn Malachovsky
Joe Kaufman for Congress
+1 561-916-2016
info@kaufmanforcongress.com
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Joe Kaufman Will Protect Your Senior Benefits

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