JTA — Progressive Donavan McKinney, who pledged to sever military aid to Israel, has defeated a pro-Israel advocate in a US House Democratic primary race in Michigan.

McKinney, a state representative, challenged incumbent US Rep. Shri Thanedar in Michigan’s 13th District as fierce debates over US support for Israel shaped the state’s Democratic primaries. McKinney won the race with 51.9% of the vote to Thanedar’s 48.1% after 99% of ballots were counted on Wednesday morning, according to The Associated Press.

He is heavily favored to win the overwhelmingly Democratic district in November’s general election, when he will face Republican candidate T.P. Nykoriak, who ran uncontested.

McKinney, a democratic socialist backed by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib and other prominent progressives, largely focused his campaign on domestic issues like championing workers, reducing income inequality and bolstering public health in a district that encompasses much of Detroit and its western suburbs. A Black politician, he has also pushed for Black representation of the majority-Black district, which is the poorest in Michigan.

The last section of McKinney’s platform on his campaign website is labeled “Palestine.” He vowed to “end the military aid and arms that America gives to Israel” and to sign the Block the Bombs Act, a resolution that would prohibit the sale of certain weapons to Israel, which gained record support among Democrats in Congress earlier this year. A separate amendment that would eliminate military aid to Israel won votes from a majority of House Democrats last month. However, the amendment failed as the only Republican who backed it was its sponsor,........

© The Times of Israel