Chris Rabb - a progressive state lawmaker who is staunchly critical of Israel - is poised to become the newest member of Congress’ “Squad" after winning a Democratic primary Tuesday in Philadelphia.
Rabb had made opposition to Israel and AIPAC, the pro-Israel lobbying group, a focal point of his campaign in Pennsylvania’s Third Congressional District.
He also recently made headlines when it was reported that his Instagram account had shared a post saying the Bondi Beach massacre was a false flag by “Zionists"; he disavowed the post and said it was shared by a former staffer.
NBC News called the election on Tuesday night.
“They told me this wasn’t possible. That’s what they said," Rabb said during a victory speech. “I don’t know who they are, but I know who we are. I’m looking at we the people. And I’m not talking about we the people 250 years ago. That was a much smaller we. I’m talking about the aggressive fabulosity of this we."
Rabb’s top two opponents were Sharif Street, a state senator who garnered support from J Street and figures in the political establishment, including Philadelphia’s mayor and Sen. Cory Booker of N.J., and Ala Stanford, a pediatric surgeon who has faced scrutiny for being boosted by a group that’s alleged to be a shell organization for AIPAC.
With about 84% of expected votes in, Rabb held a strong lead with 44% of the vote; Street received 29.5% of counted votes, and Stanford was in third with 24.1%.
Rabb will be the Democratic nominee for a November general election that he is almost assured to win in the country’s “bluest House district."
Before Rabb, efforts to elect a new “Squad" member had fallen short this cycle, though those candidates - like Nida Allam in North Carolina - were up against incumbents, or, as in the case of Kat Abughazaleh in Illinois, lacked Rabb’s experience in elected office.
Rabb’s campaign picked up momentum in recent weeks. He was endorsed by a number of left-wing House representatives including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Ro Khanna and Summer Lee, who is also from Pennsylvania. He also rallied alongside the progressive streamer Hasan Piker, a staunch critic of Israel who has been accused of antisemitism, in Philadelphia.
If elected in November, Rabb’s platform would make him one of the harshest critics of Israel in Congress. He supports a complete embargo on arms sales to Israel. He posted on X last week that “the Nakba never ended," and said he would co-sponsor a resolution with Omar and Tlaib to “recognize the Nakba and reaffirm Palestinian refugees’ right to return."
Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, who is Jewish and has sponsored the Block the Bombs to Israel Act, endorsed Rabb. He was also endorsed by the anti-Zionist group Jewish Voice for Peace, and a slew of left-wing groups including Democratic Socialists of America and the Working Families Party, as well as groups that explicitly work to counter AIPAC such as Track AIPAC and PAL PAC.
“We will be with Congressman Rabb every step of the way in the fight to abolish ICE, free Palestine and win Medicare for All," the DSA wrote on X Tuesday night.
The super PAC American Priorities, which seeks to be a counterweight to AIPAC’s super PAC, United Democracy Project, spent more than $400,000 boosting Rabb, according to FEC filings.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who is Jewish and supports a continued US-Israel relationship, was reportedly rumored to be working behind the scenes to quietly derail Rabb’s campaign; Shapiro has not publicly weighed in on the race and did not respond to a request for comment.
The latest polling data to come out of this race was collected in early April, and had Stanford leading with 28% with Rabb trailing by 5 percentage points and Street in third at 16%. But much has changed in the weeks since those polls, including a significant mobilization from the left to back Rabb.
The poll was also conducted by 314 Action Fund, a political action committee that endorsed Stanford. A few weeks after the polling was released, Drop Site News, which has an anti-Israel bent, reported that the group is operating as a shell organization for AIPAC, the way other groups did in Illinois races earlier this year. AIPAC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Stanford’s reported support from AIPAC thrust her into the spotlight on Israel. During a tense moment at a candidates’ forum last month, Stanford was pressed by an audience member on whether she believed Israel was committing a genocide.
She refused to use the term to describe Israel’s military actions, and said, “For Israelis who have been accused of committing it, it’s hurtful for them."
Stanford has been endorsed by the district’s representative, Dwight Evans, who is retiring at the end of this term, and a handful of other US House representatives including Madeleine Dean and Chrissy Houlahan from Pennsylvania. Hawaii’s Jewish governor, Josh Green, also endorsed Stanford.
Meanwhile, Street had the chance to become Pennsylvania’s first Muslim member of Congress. He has been critical of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying he should be prosecuted for war crimes, but is far more moderate on Israel than Rabb and made the subject less central to his campaign messaging. Like Stanford, he has not referred to Israel’s military actions as a “genocide" and advocates for a two-state solution, as well as continued US aid to Israel.
Booker traveled to Philadelphia on Monday to stump for Street.
Street is the son of former Philadelphia mayor John Street and has the support of a number of state legislators and City Council members, as well as the Philadelphia City Democratic Committee. Rue Landau, the only Jewish member of the City Council and its first openly LGBTQ member, endorsed Street.
Street was listed as “primary approved" on the website of liberal pro-Israel advocacy group J Street, which has recently drifted to a position that advocates for continued weapons sales, but a phasing out of military subsidies, to Israel.