Progress and Setbacks in the Democratic Party

Cori Bush, a left-wing representative from Missouri and prominent Black Lives Matter activist, was defeated in the party’s primary by Wesley Bell, a local prosecutor. Bell’s campaign was significantly supported by the conservative pro-Israel lobby group, American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which contributed several million dollars. With a result of 51.2 percent to 45.6 percent and over 95 percent of votes counted, Bush’s defeat marks the second time this year that a member of the progressive "Squad" of the Democratic Party has been beaten by a more moderate challenger. Just a month ago, Jamaal Bowman of New York was defeated by George Latimer, a local administrative chief, in the most expensive primary election in the party's history. These electoral battles highlight the growing divide within the party between the establishment and a younger generation of progressives, led by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. This tension was also evident when Minnesota Governor Tim Walz was selected as vice presidential candidate by Kamala Harris. As with Bowman’s contest, Israel policy played a central role here. AIPAC-affiliated groups invested about 8 million dollars against Bush, who angered many American Jews by refusing to label Hamas as a terrorist organization following the attack on Israel on October 7th. The AIPAC-funded advertising campaigns avoided Washington’s Middle East policy and instead accused Bush of prioritizing her ideology over the concerns of her constituents. Both she and Bowman had voted against President Joe Biden’s infrastructure package because many social initiatives were removed from the final legislation. Additionally, Bush is under federal investigation for the use of campaign funds. Bush’s defeat could empower those within the Democratic Party who are determined to marginalize the left-wing faction, which is generally more critical of Israel. The next test is upcoming when Ilhan Omar, one of the most prominent figures of the "Squad" from Minnesota, faces her own primary challenge. Bush, a nurse and pastor, gained notoriety during the 2014 riots in Ferguson, Missouri, sparked by the police shooting of Black teenager Michael Brown. She defeated a ten-term Democratic incumbent in 2020 and was re-elected with a significant majority in 2022. Bell, also African American, is the chief prosecutor of St. Louis County and overcame a long-standing white incumbent in 2018.