representative Summer LeePennsylvania’s primary victory against a more moderate Democrat this week gave new momentum to progressives and increased urgency for those targeting the “Squad.”
It was a promising result for the other members of the team, especially the Democratic representatives. Jamal Bowman (NY) and Cori Bush (Mo.), both of which are trying to fend off their formidable primary threats amid an influx of spending by pro-Israeli groups seeking to overthrow them.
“I expect we’ll see a doubling of the stakes in some of the races they’ve already invested in,” said Matt Duss, a former senior foreign policy adviser to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), about organizations intending to oust the squad. “And we’re going to see progressives step up their efforts to fight back.”
The war between Israel and Hamas has highlighted significant divisions within the Democratic Party as progressives demand a ceasefire and criticize both Israel and the Biden administration’s handling of the crisis.
Lee, one of the first legislators to call for a ceasefire, rejected a challenge Tuesday by Edgewood Council Member Bhavini Patel, with an advantage of about 20 points, according to Decision Desk headquarters. Patel, a more moderate Democrat who accused Lee of anti-Semitism, was supported by billionaire Republican donor Jeffrey Yass, but Lee had accumulated a important war chest.
“This is a clear indication that progressives who can raise a lot of money and run meaningful ground operations can win races against almost anyone,” said Democratic strategist Hank Sheinkopf, arguing that Lee’s victory fuels “urgency” and “intensity” for “those who want to stay in control”. the squad goes.
“The question then becomes…is the campaign in Pittsburgh an indication of where this is going to go?” This is an example,” Sheinkopf said.
Progressives should view Lee’s victory in the Pennsylvania primary as “a good sign heading into the election,” said Democratic strategist Michael Starr Hopkins. “If you’re Bowman, you feel a lot better the day after the [primary] election than you were the day before.
But even if Lee’s victory is an overall boost for the Liberals, there is no guarantee that his fellow squad members will cruise to victory.
“A win or a loss doesn’t signal a trend,” said Democratic strategist Rodell Molineau. “Each of the squad districts is different. Summer Lee’s district has nothing to do with AOC’s, nor Cori Bush’s, and so on.
Notably, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), a prominent pro-Israel group, did not participate in Lee’s primary race this year – although it invested massively to support her Republican rival when she first ran for the seat in 2022.
The group has backed challengers in key Squad races and reportedly plans to spend $100 million targeting progressive candidates. The United Democracy Project, AIPAC’s super PAC, raised more than $49 million in the first quarter of this year, according to
