Overview
- Blake announced his bid with a video and posts accusing Torres of prioritizing AIPAC and Benjamin Netanyahu, using language that alleges support for a genocide.
- Torres’ communications director, Benny Stanislawski, dismissed Blake as a perennial candidate and said voters trust Torres for work on housing and affordability and for standing up to Donald Trump.
- Coverage highlights Blake’s years of engagement with AIPAC, including a 2014 trip and a 2017 speech praising support for Israel, which he now contrasts by saying AIPAC and Netanyahu have changed.
- An opinion piece in Commentary Magazine criticized Blake’s launch video as relying on dog‑whistles, pointing to imagery like dollar signs over Torres’ eyes and a heavy focus on AIPAC.
- Torres has called himself an unapologetic Zionist while urging efforts to ease hardship in Gaza, framing his position as pro‑Israel with stated humanitarian concerns.