Why it matters: These primaries, pitting the most progressive lawmakers against more traditional liberals, will offer a clear test of the ideological direction of the Democratic Party.
- They’re also a barometer of how much space there is within the party for hostility towardIsrael in the aftermath of the deadliest attack against Jews since the Holocaust.
- Progressives, especially younger ones, have grown increasingly critical of Israel in recent years. But polls in the first few weeks after Oct. 7 indicated a spike in Democratic support for the Jewish state.
Context: The initial Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack killed more than 1,400 people inside Israel. According to the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health, more than 9,700 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza in nearly a month of war.
Driving the news: The four Democratic lawmakers facing competition from the party’scenter are Reps. Cori Bush (D-Mo.), Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.), Summer Lee (D-Pa.) and Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.).
Go deeper: The Squad-affiliated lawmaker facing the biggest threat is Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.), whose political troubles were compounded after he pleaded guilty to setting off a false fire alarm in a House office building.
- Bowman’s district, centered in Westchester County, New York, has one of the largest Jewish constituencies in the country — alongside a nonwhite majority electorate. The New York Times reported he spoke at an anti-Zionist rally calling for a ceasefire, but hasn’t visited a synagogue in his district since the attack.