Progressives bet big on anti-Israel sentiment to oust Valerie Foushee in North Carolina
Same show, different day.
An under-the-radar primary in North Carolina is gaining national attention after morphing into another competitive battleground for progressives waging war against establishment Democrats, putting incumbent Rep. Valerie Foushee (D-NC) at risk of losing her seat in the state’s bluest district.
The 69-year-old Foushee is facing Durham County Commissioner Nida Allam, a younger, more left-leaning candidate, in the March 3 primary. The congresswoman has been in this position before, defeating the 32-year-old Allam by nine points in the 2022 primary to replace former Rep. David Price.
The rematch reflects growing frustration with Foushee among younger, left-leaning voters who view her as insufficiently confrontational, particularly on Israel and outside political spending, in one of the safest Democratic districts in the country.
“They feel like, not that it’s now or never, but that now is a darn good time to be a progressive, and in a district that has moved this far to the left, I think they may be right,” said Chris Cooper, political science professor at Western Carolina University.
Allam, the first Muslim woman to hold elected office in North Carolina, is pitching herself as a champion who will go against the grain to advance left-leaning policies. She’s been called proudly “anti-Israel,” supports abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and has a history of incendiary tweets like one from 2013 that simply says: “F— the police.”
Allam has aggressively highlighted that the American Israel Public Affairs Committee spent over $2.1 million supporting Foushee’s 2022 bid. She’s also made much of the congresswoman’s 2024 trip to Israel, where Foushee met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Foushee has defended that trip, saying it was about fostering diplomatic relationships with a U.S. ally.
Unlike four years ago, Foushee has moved to distance herself from AIPAC this cycle.
“AIPAC has not offered financial support in the last 18 months, but if offered, the Congresswoman would decline,” a spokesperson for Foushee’s campaign told Indy Week last August. “She will not accept AIPAC contributions during the 2026 campaign.”
But that promise was undercut after it was reported that Article One PAC, a group tied to a billionaire AIPAC donor, is dropping $600,000 on media supporting Foushee.
Foushee said in a statement to the Washington Examiner that she does not coordinate with super PACs in accordance with the law.
“My voting record and continued …
Same show, different day.
An under-the-radar primary in North Carolina is gaining national attention after morphing into another competitive battleground for progressives waging war against establishment Democrats, putting incumbent Rep. Valerie Foushee (D-NC) at risk of losing her seat in the state’s bluest district.
The 69-year-old Foushee is facing Durham County Commissioner Nida Allam, a younger, more left-leaning candidate, in the March 3 primary. The congresswoman has been in this position before, defeating the 32-year-old Allam by nine points in the 2022 primary to replace former Rep. David Price.
The rematch reflects growing frustration with Foushee among younger, left-leaning voters who view her as insufficiently confrontational, particularly on Israel and outside political spending, in one of the safest Democratic districts in the country.
“They feel like, not that it’s now or never, but that now is a darn good time to be a progressive, and in a district that has moved this far to the left, I think they may be right,” said Chris Cooper, political science professor at Western Carolina University.
Allam, the first Muslim woman to hold elected office in North Carolina, is pitching herself as a champion who will go against the grain to advance left-leaning policies. She’s been called proudly “anti-Israel,” supports abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and has a history of incendiary tweets like one from 2013 that simply says: “F— the police.”
Allam has aggressively highlighted that the American Israel Public Affairs Committee spent over $2.1 million supporting Foushee’s 2022 bid. She’s also made much of the congresswoman’s 2024 trip to Israel, where Foushee met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Foushee has defended that trip, saying it was about fostering diplomatic relationships with a U.S. ally.
Unlike four years ago, Foushee has moved to distance herself from AIPAC this cycle.
“AIPAC has not offered financial support in the last 18 months, but if offered, the Congresswoman would decline,” a spokesperson for Foushee’s campaign told Indy Week last August. “She will not accept AIPAC contributions during the 2026 campaign.”
But that promise was undercut after it was reported that Article One PAC, a group tied to a billionaire AIPAC donor, is dropping $600,000 on media supporting Foushee.
Foushee said in a statement to the Washington Examiner that she does not coordinate with super PACs in accordance with the law.
“My voting record and continued …
Progressives bet big on anti-Israel sentiment to oust Valerie Foushee in North Carolina
Same show, different day.
An under-the-radar primary in North Carolina is gaining national attention after morphing into another competitive battleground for progressives waging war against establishment Democrats, putting incumbent Rep. Valerie Foushee (D-NC) at risk of losing her seat in the state’s bluest district.
The 69-year-old Foushee is facing Durham County Commissioner Nida Allam, a younger, more left-leaning candidate, in the March 3 primary. The congresswoman has been in this position before, defeating the 32-year-old Allam by nine points in the 2022 primary to replace former Rep. David Price.
The rematch reflects growing frustration with Foushee among younger, left-leaning voters who view her as insufficiently confrontational, particularly on Israel and outside political spending, in one of the safest Democratic districts in the country.
“They feel like, not that it’s now or never, but that now is a darn good time to be a progressive, and in a district that has moved this far to the left, I think they may be right,” said Chris Cooper, political science professor at Western Carolina University.
Allam, the first Muslim woman to hold elected office in North Carolina, is pitching herself as a champion who will go against the grain to advance left-leaning policies. She’s been called proudly “anti-Israel,” supports abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and has a history of incendiary tweets like one from 2013 that simply says: “F— the police.”
Allam has aggressively highlighted that the American Israel Public Affairs Committee spent over $2.1 million supporting Foushee’s 2022 bid. She’s also made much of the congresswoman’s 2024 trip to Israel, where Foushee met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Foushee has defended that trip, saying it was about fostering diplomatic relationships with a U.S. ally.
Unlike four years ago, Foushee has moved to distance herself from AIPAC this cycle.
“AIPAC has not offered financial support in the last 18 months, but if offered, the Congresswoman would decline,” a spokesperson for Foushee’s campaign told Indy Week last August. “She will not accept AIPAC contributions during the 2026 campaign.”
But that promise was undercut after it was reported that Article One PAC, a group tied to a billionaire AIPAC donor, is dropping $600,000 on media supporting Foushee.
Foushee said in a statement to the Washington Examiner that she does not coordinate with super PACs in accordance with the law.
“My voting record and continued …
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