The Iran war is influencing Democratic primaries ahead of November’s midterm elections, with progressives faulting moderate rivals for not opposing President Donald Trump’s bombing campaign strongly enough and for what they call overly close ties with defence contractors and Israel.
The tensions are emerging in Democratic primaries for Senate and House seats in Michigan, Colorado, Illinois, Maine and North Carolina, a Reuters review shows.
At least half a dozen progressives are challenging establishment-backed or moderate rivals over the Iran war, arguing that donations to their opponents from defence contractors and pro-Israel groups undercut their opposition to the conflict.
These primary battles highlight a broader struggle inside the party over its future as it tries to rebuild after election losses in 2024 and starts to consider potential candidates for the 2028 presidential election.
For progressives, the US-Israeli bombing of Iran has sparked anew longstanding demands to end American-led wars and curb the influence of defence industry and billionaire donors, while shifting attention to economic fairness and equal rights at home.
Progressives have seized on the Iran war in speeches, media interviews, TV ads and fundraising appeals, accusing some of their opponents of taking donations from defence contractors and from groups affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the powerful pro-Israel political lobbying group.
“It’s difficult to trust politicians who take money from weapons manufacturers and AIPAC, all of whom are for this war, and for those politicians to then stand up and say they are against the war,” said Abdul El Sayed, who is a Democratic primary candidate for a Senate seat in Michigan.
Candidates like El Sayed say it’s not enough to oppose the Iran war – Democrats must back that rhetoric by refusing such donations.
Their more moderate opponents have sharply rebutted the attacks, saying they have been quick to oppose the Iran war and that progressives are manufacturing a conflict for electoral gain.
In a Democratic House primary in Illinois on Tuesday, Kat Abughazaleh, a progressive who had made opposition to the war and AIPAC-funded candidates a central part of her campaign, came second to a more moderate candidate – Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss – by just over three percentage points in a crowded field.
While Democratic legislators in Congress have largely unified against a war that is unpopular with most Americans, the primary-season disputes underscore how the party risks squandering a potential political advantage at a time when Republicans are heading into the midterms facing significant political headwinds.
The main point of friction is whether the party should be appealing more to swing voters or focus on energising its core supporters.
These internal cross-currents, about ideology but also tactics, have been swirling for many election cycles.
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