Last month, Republican Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska's 2nd District survived a primary challenge, though he still has to face Democratic state Sen. Tony Vargas in November for this top race that "Leans Republican," according to Cook Political Report.
We've brought up Vargas' name before, as he's been among those Democratic candidates in competitive seats who has been rather silent on supporting Israel after an attack from Iran as well as when antisemitism occurs at his alma mater, in this case, at the University of Rochester. Vargas still continues to be silent on the issue.
Just before winning his primary, Vargas took a trip to D.C., where he was asked if he had any comments about "the situation in Gaza" and if he would "condemn the antisemitic comments on college campuses." Each time, Vargas replied, "I really appreciate you coming out," even as he refused to answer multiple questions, including, "So you can't condemn antisemitism?" When the person asking the question sought to confirm, "So you will not condemn antisemitism," Vargas visibly shook his head, though he then tried to say, "That is not what I said," as he nevertheless walked off.
But again, this isn't exactly new, and Vargas has been asked multiple times from both sides about his stance.
In the weeks before winning his primary, Vargas' fundraising event was heckled by the anti-Israel group known as Nebraskans for Palestine which posted to their Instagram page how they managed to chase Vargas out of his event and to his car. They bombarded him with questions as to why he wouldn't join their calls for a ceasefire, but he merely said, "Thanks for coming."
Bacon, who posted the video of Vargas' refusal to speak up in support of Israel, also noted how, as Townhall covered, Vargas did not express support for Israel after the attack from Iran in April.
"Obviously, Tony is afraid to offend his extreme, anti-Israel left flank. The contrast couldn’t be more clear. I stand unapologetically with Israel and the Jewish people," Bacon shared.
It’s been 10 days since Iran launched a heinous attack on Israel, and my opponent Tony Vargas has said nothing to condemn Iran and stand with Israel.
— Don Bacon 🇺🇸 🥓 ✈️ 🏍️ ⭐️ 🎖️ (@DonJBacon) April 23, 2024
This clip may explain why…Obviously, Tony is afraid to offend his extreme, anti-Israel left flank.
The contrast couldn’t be… pic.twitter.com/mLhA67HzNy
Since the October 7 attack, Vargas appears to have only posted to his X account twice about the conflict to share his support for Israel, on the actual date of the attack, as well as to post about a pro-Israel gathering on October 10. He has, however, posted plenty in recent days about abortion, especially in light of the Dobbs v. Jackson anniversary from Monday, and to advertise his event pro-abortion event for Saturday.
Falling right in line with this fearmongering narrative from Democrats, Vargas even had his wife featured in a video message to detail her health concerns during her pregnancy so as to tie that into Dobbs. The ad also mentions a Republican mother who claims she is voting for Vargas because of her unfounded fears that Dobbs could be used by Republicans to restrict IVF. "Women shouldn't have to justify the need for basic healthcare access," the anti-Dobbs ad claims.
The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) has certainly taken notice of Vargas' silence. "Tony Vargas is a coward who would rather hide from the issue than stake out a position on our ally Israel. If Vargas can’t even answer basic questions, he clearly isn’t up to the task of representing Nebraskans in Congress," said NRCC Spokeswoman Delanie Bomar in a statement for Townhall.
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