Progressives including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez united behind state Rep. Chris Rabb as Philadelphia voters chose a successor to retiring Rep. Dwight Evans in a tight four-way race Tuesday for the Democratic nomination in the 3rd Congressional District.
Dr. Ala Stanford, meanwhile, was backed by a pro-Israel super PAC and was in the lead with just shy of a quarter of the results counted not long after polls closed Tuesday night. The four-way contest also included state Sen. Sharif Street and attorney Shaun Griffith, and whoever wins the Democratic primary is heavily favored to take the seat in November in the deep blue district.
The race has become a proxy battle between the Democratic Party’s moderate and progressive wings, with the left flank hoping to add to its ranks in Congress in Philadelphia. Rabb picked up endorsements from Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Ocasio-Cortez, while Street won support from Sen. Cory Booker and from the Muslim League of Voters, dozens of local unions, the Philadelphia Building Trades, the Communication Workers of America Local 13000 and the Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO.
Stanford’s standing in the race followed an April poll sponsored by a pro-Israel super PAC that showed her in the lead. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro also waded into the contest in its final weeks, helping turn a local primary into a broader test of where the party is headed.
Stanford said during the campaign, “We are facing an existential crisis,” a line that fit the pressure on Democrats trying to settle a fight over message, alliances and direction in a seat where the general election is expected to be a formality. The result now offers an early read on whether Philadelphia Democrats are more drawn to the party’s insurgent left or to a more traditional coalition built around unions and establishment backing.
