menu_open Columnists
We use cookies to provide some features and experiences in QOSHE

More information  .  Close

As staunch Israel critics notch wins across the US, these candidates could be next

71 0
03.07.2026

JTA — A wave of left-wing candidates who are sharply critical of Israel — or outright opposed to its existence — have won their Democratic primary this year and are set to head to Congress. Who else of like mind could join them in the coming months?

Several candidates who fit the bill have benefited from the endorsement and vast volunteer infrastructure of the Democratic Socialists of America. Others’s candidacies are simply resonating for the growing number of Democratic voters who think the US government is too supportive of Israel. Meanwhile, some Jewish groups and other critics have been concerned that those politicians’ campaign rhetoric in this election cycle has at times veered into antisemitism.

Last week’s New York City results showed the power of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s endorsement and alarmed some Jewish leaders who watched as two pro-Israel incumbents lost their seats to critics of Israel. Some onlookers questioned whether those victories could be replicated in other parts of the country. Melat Kiros’ decisive win in Tuesday’s Colorado Democratic congressional primary for another deep blue district representing Denver answered that question with a resounding yes.

With just over two months left in the primaries, here are the upcoming races featuring left-wing insurgents whose results may hinge, at least in part, on sentiment toward Israel, Zionism and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee lobbying group, known as AIPAC.

Arizona’s 4th Congressional District (primary on July 21)

Democratic Rep. Greg Stanton is facing a primary challenge from activist Kai Newkirk in Arizona’s 4th District, which covers parts of Phoenix and Maricopa County.

Stanton, who took office in 2018, is pro-Israel and has picked up the endorsement of AIPAC — support that Newkirk, whose activism has largely focused on campaign-finance reform, has blasted.

Newkirk’s platform includes imposing a complete arms embargo on Israel and ending all military subsidies to the Jewish state, which he accuses of committing genocide. He identifies as a democratic socialist (though he’s not endorsed by the DSA), and is backed by a number of progressive organizations, including Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ group Our Revolution and the anti-Israeli group Track AIPAC.

“Kai is Israel Free and has fought to get money out of politics his whole life,” wrote Cenk Uygur, the host of the Young Turks, who has spread conspiracy theories about Israel.

Newkirk spoke out against last year’s killing of two Israeli Embassy staffers outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C.

“I stand always with my beloved Jewish siblings against the scourge of antisemitism just as I will never stop in the nonviolent struggle to end the genocide in Gaza, release all hostages, and open the way to just, lasting peace,” he wrote at the time.

Missouri’s 1st Congressional District (August 4)

Former Missouri Rep. Cori Bush is running for Congress in St. Louis again, two years after AIPAC’s super PAC spent millions to oust the far-left former “Squad” member from the House. Bush, who was first elected to Congress in 2020, will now take on incumbent Rep. Wesley Bell for the second time in a row the Democratic primary.

Bush, who supports the movement to boycott Israel, has alarmed a number of Jewish leaders in St. Louis over her positions on Israel.

She has expressed reluctance about calling Hamas a terrorist group, saying in a 2024 interview that racial justice protesters in Ferguson were also called terrorists. Bush was one of two members of Congress to vote against a measure to deny entry into the United States to Hamas terrorists who perpetrated the Oct. 7 massacre.

Her opponent, Bell, a supporter of the US-Israel relationship, has the backing of a number of Jewish and pro-Israel groups, including AIPAC, the Democratic Majority for Israel (DMFI) and the Jewish Democratic Council of America, as well as the Congressional Black Caucus.

Bush, meanwhile, has been endorsed by Sanders, former........

© The Times of Israel