Progressives had another big night in the Democratic primaries, with a democratic socialist leading in the mayoral race in Washington, DC and a Palestinian American progressive, Ruwa Romman, winning a state primary in Georgia.
As of late Tuesday night, Janeese Lewis George, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, was leading with 52.8 per cent of the votes with 64 per cent of the votes reported. In another strong showing for progressives, Ruwa Romman won the runoff for the state senate Democratic primary.
“We proved tonight that progressive values and grassroots power are more powerful than special interests. And, that voters continue to choose candidates who are unabashedly anti-genocide and anti-war,” said Romman Tuesday night in a public statement.
“Our opponent chose to lean into a pro-corporate, pro-genocide and pro-supremacy coalition pushing a negative campaign to close our race,” she said.
Though the Washington mayoral race had not been called Sunday night, George is expected to win the Democratic primary, essentially putting her in position to win the general election in November in the country’s deep-blue capital city.
US President Donald Trump, himself a Washington resident, told reporters last week that he would not like it if George won and that he “maybe would take back Washington, run it on the federal basis.”
James Zogby, a veteran pollster and president of the Washington-based Arab American Institute, told The New Arab that he voted for George based on her progressive platform. While George campaigned on more funding to support disadvantaged communities, her opponent ran a tough-on-crime campaign.
“When Trump said he’d take over the city if he won, I think that was the icing on the cake,” said Zogby. “I don’t think he’ll get away with it.”
In northern California, Aisha Wahab, a progressive with a broad Democratic coalition, advanced in a special election for the US House to replace Eric Swalwell, who resigned in disgrace over allegations of sexual misconduct. She campaigned on expanding social welfare programmes.
Other primaries held this week were mainly in red states, some of which have recently redrawn districts to favour Republicans under Trump’s direction.
