US elections: Progressive Democrat scores shock win in Florida
Voters headed to the polls in three US states on Tuesday for a series of Democratic and Republican primaries.
The verdict in Alaska, Florida, and Wyoming testified to a Democratic Party split along establishment lines and progressives critical of US support for Israel and the war on Iran.
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (Aipac) played a key role in several races.
Aipac showered funds on candidates on both sides of the aisle to defeat opponents critical of the US's interventions in the Middle East.
Meanwhile, some challengers sought to tie voters' concerns about the cost of living to the cost of the US-Israeli war on Iran.
New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch
Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters
Overall, the results underscored the establishment's hold on the states.
Florida: Progressive Democrat has surprise win
In Florida, State Representative Angie Nixon, a Democratic Socialist and former union organiser, defeated Alexander Vindman, a retired army lieutenant colonel and national security council aide, in the Democratic primary race for governor.
The margin and the financial disparity were formidable, as Nixon raised less than $1m, while Vindman raised more than $16m. Nixon's campaign emphasised an anti-war stance alongside Medicare for All and affordable housing.
On the Republican side, Congressman Bryon Donalds won the primary against a field of candidates.
Donalds was endorsed by US President Donald Trump and came under intense criticism from challenger James Fishback for his closeness to Aipac. Fishback, who was endorsed by far-right podcaster Nick Fuentes, campaigned critically against US support for Israel and the war on Iran. He was also endorsed by podcaster Tucker Carlson.
Florida has become a solidly red state in recent elections, and Donalds is widely expected to win the November general election and succeed Governor Ron DeSantis.
Trump-backed Congressman Cory Mills lost his Florida primary after months of controversy and a House Ethics Committee investigation involving allegations of campaign finance violations and sexual misconduct.
Alaska and Wyoming: Aipac candidates unchallenged
Alaska’s primaries cemented the hold of establishment parties endorsed by Aipac on both sides of the aisle.
Former Democratic Representative Mary Peltola and Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan both advanced in the state’s nonpartisan Senate primary.
Peltola’s campaign focused on Alaskan fisheries and the energy sector. She received more than $96,546 from Aipac and limited her criticism of the US war on Iran to the issue of more stringent congressional oversight.
Wyoming offered little evidence of a Democratic reckoning.
Republicans maintained their dominance of the state, nominating Harriet Hageman for the Senate seat being vacated by Senator Cynthia Lummis and Chuck Gray for Hageman’s House seat.
Hageman is an ally of Trump and has vocally supported the US war on Iran and military aid for Israel.
Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.
