History made by Democrats in the 2022 US Midterm Elections đź’™
WES MOORE became the first Black governor of Maryland, as well as only the third Black governor elected in the country.
MAURA HEALEY became the first woman and the first openly gay person elected as the governor of Massachusetts, as well as the first openly lesbian governor in the US alongside TINA KOTEK (see in a later reblog to this post).
MAXWELL FROST became the first Gen Z and Afro-Cuban member of the US Congress after winning his race in Florida for the House of Representatives.
SUMMER LEE became the first Black Congresswoman from Pennsylvania after winning her race for the House of Representatives.
JAMES ROESENER became the first transgender man elected to a state legislature in US history in New Hampshire.
BECCA BALINT became the first woman ever elected to Congress from Vermont, as well as the first out LGBTQ person and openly gay person elected to Congress from Vermont.
ANDREA CAMPBELL became the first Black woman in Massachusetts to be elected Attorney General.
ARUNA MILLER became the first immigrant, first woman of color, and first Asian American elected to the Maryland lieutenant governor’s office.
ANTHONY BROWN became the first Black attorney general of Maryland.
ALEX PADILLA became the first Latino elected to the US Senate from California.
(Hit the image limit, so more will be coming in my next reblog ⬇️)
A foreign lobby group wielding this much influence is insane. Coupled with the fact that most journalists, students, academics, activists and artists being expelled, fired, persecuted and disproportionately penalised are BIPOC, it seems like white supremacists are using this opportunity as a concerted effort to push minorities out of every institution of influence. It's nothing less than a bipartisan attack by the white establishment on civil rights.
If y'all do not fight like hell for these people US minorities will be fucked no matter how much you vote.
AIPAC, a rightwing conservative, quasi-religious, foreign organization, is interfering with U.S. elections and shaping who is and who isn’t a member of Congress.
AIPAC is currently targeting progressives like Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Summer Lee, Jamaal Bowman, Greg Casar, Delia Ramirez, Maxwell Frost, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and others who do not feel beholden to Israel and are sympathetic to Palestinians.
If AIPAC was a super PAC funded by North Korea, or China, or Russia, or Iran—and interfering in elections by financing the campaigns of specific candidates—almost every member of Congress would be freaking out. And rightly so. This is no different.
Summer Lee was one of the first US elected officials to speak out against the genocide in Palestine and is one of our best, most progressive elected officials, on abortion, immigration, the environment, all that stuff you wish the government would be more active on.
As proven by the fact that in this Democratic primary, her challenger is backed by some billionaire Republican.
If you're in Pennsylvania's 12 district or know someone who is, get out the vote!
Or else you'll be stuck with a faux Democrat who thinks the uncommitted movement should be condemned and will be very pro-Israel.
Summer Lee, a Pennsylvania congresswoman, easily beat back a primary challenge on Tuesday, delivering progressives one of their most significant victories yet of this election cycle as they brace for a wave of pro-Israel funding targeting pro-ceasefire candidates.
The Associated Press called the 12th district Democratic primary at 9.21pm, roughly an hour and an half after Pennsylvania polls closed at 8pm ET.
Lee defeated local council member Bhavini Patel, who had criticized the progressive “Squad” member over her calls for a ceasefire in Gaza. Patel had pitched herself as a “pro-Biden Democrat”, suggesting she would better support the president’s agenda in Congress.
But Lee waved off that criticism, and she often pointed to the $1.2bn in government funding she delivered for her Pittsburgh-based district over her first term as evidence of her legislative effectiveness.
“I am so humbled and proud to win my first primary re-election to be the congresswoman for this incredible district I’ve spent my life fighting for,” Lee said in a statement celebrating her victory.
“Our campaign was built on a record of delivering for our democracy, defending our most fundamental rights, and expanding our vision for what is politically possible for our region’s most marginalized communities.”
That argument appeared to sway many of Lee’s constituents as well as local Democratic leaders. In February, the Allegheny county Democratic party formally endorsed Lee for the first time, after the group backed her rival in the 2022 primary.
Lee’s 2022 primary made national headlines because of the involvement of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (Aipac). According to OpenSecrets, the Super Pac United Democracy Project, which is affiliated with Aipac, spent a total of $3.3m against Lee in 2022. She ultimately defeated her opponent, Pittsburgh attorney Steve Irwin, by less than 1,000 votes, or 0.9 points.
This year, progressives largely expected pro-Israel groups like UDP to again invest heavily in attack ads against Lee. But surprisingly, they chose to stay out of Lee’s primary, a choice the congresswoman’s allies credited to her popularity and legislative record.
Despite the absence of the pro-Israel lobby, one Super Pac did get involved in Lee’s primary to boost Patel’s campaign. The Moderate Pac, which aims to support centrist Democrats and is largely funded by Republican megadonor Jeffrey Yass, spent more than $600,000 supporting Patel. Lee and her allies turned Yass’ involvement in the race into a campaign issue, lambasting the billionaire’s Super Pac contributions.
[...]
Although UDP opted to stay out of Lee’s race, progressive leaders believe her successful campaign strategy could still be instructive for other pro-ceasefire lawmakers expected to be targeted by pro-Israel groups in their primaries. Aipac and its political affiliates reportedly plan to spend $100m this election cycle, after pouring nearly $50m in to the 2022 midterms.
At least two other “Squad” members, Jamaal Bowman of New York and Cori Bush of Missouri, have already attracted primary challengers, and Aipac has already endorsed their opponents. Lee alluded to Bowman and Bush on Sunday, telling supporters that her victory would reverberate around the country.
AIPAC and pro-Israel Apartheid groups got handed an L last night, as incumbent pro-Gaza Ceasefire progressive Dem Summer Lee holds on in the PA-12 primary, fending off Bhavini Patel.
"Summer Lee was one of just 37 House Democrats who cast courageous votes last Saturday against providing $14.3 billion in unconditional military aid to Israel. The Pennsylvania representative’s reason for breaking with President Biden and House Democratic leaders on the issue was sound; since last fall, she has been an ardent champion of a cease-fire to end Israeli’s assault on Gaza, which has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians—most of them women and children—and led to a crisis so severe that the enclave is now on the brink of mass starvation.
...
But Lee’s “no” vote came in the context of an immediate electoral reality that distinguished her from her colleagues. After having been nominated two years ago by the narrowest of margins, she faced what was supposed to be another serious Democratic primary challenge. Her opponent, local elected official Bhavini Patel, made Lee’s advocacy for a cease-fire and a new US approach to Israel and Palestine a key focus of her campaign. Aided by more than $600,000 in super PAC spending by hedge-fund billionaire Jeff Yass, Patel claimed that she would be a “strong partner to our president,” which was read by many as a reference to Biden’s support for Israel. That made Tuesday’s Pennsylvania primary election, coming just days after the aid vote, a critical test for Lee in particular and cease-fire supporters in general.
More cautious and compromising politicians might have avoided a supposedly controversial vote on the eve of a high-profile primary. But Lee went with her conscience.
And then she won her primary by a landslide.
Lee’s 61-39 victory margin was a powerful rebuke to those who imagine that progressive advocates for a cease-fire and justice for Palestinians are necessarily vulnerable in this year’s Democratic primaries.
...
“Opposing genocide is good politics and good policy. #CeasefireNow.
🗣️Republicans are funding conservative Democrats to primary progressives
Republican megadonor Jeff Yass recently gave to a super PAC that is trying to topple a progressive incumbent in Pittsburgh.
The Moderate PAC, an outside group that aims to support centrist Democrats, has been boosting a primary challenge to Rep. Summer Lee, a member of “The Squad.” Lee and her supporters are quick to point out that Yass, a Pennsylvania businessperson, donated $1 million to the PAC in 2022, when it spent in support of Democratic Reps. Jared Golden of Maine and Don Davis of North Carolina.
Yass is a major donor to the conservative Club for Growth. He has also been in headlines recently amid the congressional push for TikTok’s Chinese-owned parent company — which Yass has investments in — to sell the app. Strong said that Yass “has no lean in this other than he likes a moderate Democrat, as opposed to a far-left Democrat.”
Moderate PAC released its second ad on Tuesday, accusing Lee of “opposing” President Joe Biden. The group has placed more than $500,000 on television and digital advertising since the beginning of the year, according to ad tracker AdImpact. (Patel’s campaign has spent around $150,000.) Strong said that future investments will be dependent on fundraising, but the group will “stay in the race and keep up at the same pace as long as we can.”
Outside players are also coming to Lee’s aid. Working Families Party, the Muslim advocacy group Emgage and Justice Democrats are planning to spend $500,000 combined on TV and digital advertisements boosting the incumbent, said Ari Kamen, mid-Atlantic regional director at the Working Families Party.
Lee in a statement decried “super PACs bankrolled by Republican billionaires,” saying they “have no place in our Democratic primaries or our democracy.”
“I am never going to stop defending our abortion rights, protecting our public schools, or demanding billionaires pay their fair share, so I welcome being an enemy to an extremist like Jeffrey Yass,” Lee said.
“This is unjustifiable violence against Muslim worshippers whose only crime was praying during Ramadan. How much longer are we going to let political bullies silence us from calling out these atrocities? U.S. taxpayers should not be paying for any of this.”
42 percent of people voted for a Nazi over a Jewish man.
But 55 percent got Josh Shapiro elected.
47 percent of people voted for a tv personality who doesn’t even live in the state over a proven leader in the community who has a recent disability.
But 50 percent got John Fetterman elected.
Summer Lee is the first Black woman from PA elected to Congress.
Austin Davis is the first Black Lt. Governor in PA.
Pennsylvania is riding a progressive blue wave because of strong turnout. This election was closer than it should have been.