Leslie Cockburn, Democrat Accused Of Anti-Semitism Over Israel Writings, Loses House Race
Democratic candidate Leslie Cockburn Image by Getty Images
By Aiden Pink November 7, 2018
Democratic candidate and former journalist Leslie Cockburn, who was dogged during her race for her critical writings about the U.S.-Israel relationship, lost her effort to capture a Republican-held congressional district in Charlottesville, Virginia.
The Associated Press called the race for Cockburn’s opponent Denver Riggleman at around 8:45 p.m. on Tuesday night. With around 75% of the votes counted, Riggleman was beating Cockburn 55%-45%.
Cockburn was accused of being a “virulent anti-Semite” by the Republican Party of Virginia for her past Israel comments. A 1991 book that Cockburn co-wrote with her husband, “Dangerous Liaison: The Inside Story of the U.S.-Israeli Covert Relationship,” was described in The New York Times’s review as being “largely dedicated to Israel-bashing for its own sake. Its first message is that, win or lose, smart or dumb, right or wrong, suave or boorish, Israelis are a menace. The second is that the Israeli-American connection is somewhere behind just about everything that ails us.”
Cockburn and some of her Jewish supporters denied that she was anti-Semitic, but opponents made hay of the allegation regardless. A social media post by the state GOP stated: “Leslie Cockburn hates veterans, hates ICE, hates Israel. Basically, Leslie Cockburn hates America.” She was also targeted with a $300,000 TV ad campaign by the Republican Jewish Coalition.
The race was one of the most unusual in the country. Cockburn originally planned to run against incumbent Republican Rep. Tom Garrett, but he announced his retirement in May to seek treatment for alcoholism after Politico reported that Garrett and his wife would make his staffers do their shopping and other personal tasks. Garrett’s replacement, Riggleman, was mocked for his obsession with Bigfoot, including owning a drawing of what appeared to be Bigfoot erotica.
Contact Aiden Pink at [email protected] or on Twitter, @aidenpink
This is a moment of great uncertainty. Here’s what you can do about it.
We hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, we’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s independent Jewish news this Passover. All donations are being matched by the Forward Board - up to $100,000.
This is a moment of great uncertainty for the news media, for the Jewish people, and for our sacred democracy. It is a time of confusion and declining trust in public institutions. An era in which we need humans to report facts, conduct investigations that hold power to account, tell stories that matter and share honest discourse on all that divides us.
With no paywall or subscriptions, the Forward is entirely supported by readers like you. Every dollar you give this Passover is invested in the future of the Forward — and telling the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
The Forward doesn’t rely on funding from institutions like governments or your local Jewish federation. There are thousands of readers like you who give us $18 or $36 or $100 each month or year.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
