Progressives on both coasts were celebrating Tuesday night as election results came with key left-wing wins for the New Jersey and California primaries.
If they continue to do well in the general election in November, the so-called squad of progressive representatives will grow by several members.
"Progressives had a great night tonight. We ran some great candidates," Connor Farell, founder and CEO of Left Rising, a progressive consulting and fundraising firm.
One of the most high-profile wins for progressives was Adam Hamawy's victory in the Democratic primary in New Jersey's 12th congressional district. The first-time candidate, who has worked as a doctor in Gaza, faced a barrage of attacks linking him with a Muslim extremist days before the election.
"I am going to Congress to fight for you—for healthcare, not bombs, to abolish ICE, and to unrig the economy once and for all. I will never take money from corporate PACs or AIPAC. I will always vote my conscience—I will be beholden to no one," Hamawy said in a statement shared after his primary win.
Responding to the attacks linking him to a Muslim militant, he said, "Let me be absolutely clear with you all and everyone watching today: there was once a time when this may have worked. Where racist and anti-Muslim attacks could swing an election. That era of American politics is over."
Also in New Jersey, progressive organiser Analilia Mejia won a special election to fill the seat of Governor Mikie Sherrill in District 7. She defeated her Republican opponent by nearly 20 points.
In California, where the top two vote-getters move on to the general election regardless of party, several progressive candidates made the cut. Aisha Wahab, a state senator and daughter of Afghan immigrants from Northern California, is projected to win the primary and advance to the general election in November.
Also in Northern California, establishment Democrat Scott Wiener, a state senator, was the top vote-getter, with the progressive vote split between Supervisor Connie Chan and Saikat Chakrabarti, former chief of staff to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. As of late Tuesday night, Chan is in the lead, and Chakrabarti has pledged to support her in the general election against Wiener.
In Southern California, first-time candidate Leila Namvar is projected to move forward to the general election in the state assembly race for District 47. In House District 34, progressive candidate Angela Gonzales-Torres, the daughter of a deportee, is expected to move forward.
In the state's governor's race, the Democratic vote is split between multiple candidates, leaving two Republicans with strong showings. As of Tuesday night, Republican Daniel Hilton is leading the race, while Xavier Becerra, a Democrat , is a close second.
Mirvette Judeh, President of the Arab American Democratic Caucus of California, told TNA that when she spoke with voters, the consensus was that they didn’t know who to vote for. She thinks Democrats need to campaign with bolder messaging if they want to win in the general election.
"Democrats need to do better and stop with the watered-down stuff," she said.