Bush’s defeat marks the second time this summer that one of the left-leaning “Squad” members has lost a primary in a race shaped by the issue of Israel and Gaza. Second-term New York Rep. Jamaal Bowman was the first Democratic incumbent of the 2024 election cycle to lose his primary in June after pro-Israel groups like AIPAC spent a record $15 million to beat him. Bush indicated that she is not going away despite her defeat, asserting, “All they did was radicalize me, so now they need to be afraid.” She promised that her political adversaries would see her “other side” and warned, “AIPAC, I’m coming to tear your kingdom down.”

Cori Bush defiant in defeat: "All they did was radicalize me, so now they need to be afraid."

"They about to see this other Cori, this other side," she said. "AIPAC, I'm coming to tear your kingdom down." pic.twitter.com/690T0aEhmZ

— Mark Maxwell (@MarkMaxwellTV) August 7, 2024

For now, though, Tuesday’s election results have shown the impact of Gaza on the election, including dividing the Democratic Party on this issue and overlapping with a more general divide between moderate and progressive wings of the party. With conflict continuing in the Middle East and the U.S. general election three months away, American foreign policy and the differences between moderate and progressive Democrats will continue to be issues the party must resolve as it goes forward.

Cori Bush

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