Progressive Candidate Ilhan Omar Ally Wins Democratic Primary With Anti-Israel Stance

Ilhan Omar ally and progressive candidate Malat Kirous won a Democratic primary against longtime Congresswoman Diana DeGette, positioning herself as a clear favorite to enter the U.S. Congress. Kirous, 29, is known for her outspoken anti-Israel views, including justifying the October 7 attacks and calling for an immediate, unconditional arms embargo on Israel. She also advocates ending all military funding to Israel and stopping what she terms a "genocide" in Gaza. Kirous was previously fired from a law firm after claiming that calls for Israel's destruction are not antisemitic and criticized how law firms handled pro-Palestinian protests following October 7.

During the campaign, Kirous refused to label the death of 82-year-old Karen Diamond, killed by an Egyptian assailant at a hostage rally, as antisemitic. She described the October 7 attack as an "inevitable result of Israel's apartheid policies." Her opponent, DeGette, a 30-year incumbent, warned against electing an inexperienced candidate but ultimately lost with 44% of the vote to Kirous's 49%. Kirous's victory marks the third progressive challenger to unseat a sitting Democratic congresswoman in eight days, signaling the growing influence of the progressive and anti-Israel wing within the Democratic Party, which remains deeply divided over its stance on Israel.

Kirous received support from prominent progressive Senator Bernie Sanders and celebrated her win by declaring, "We are winning from coast to coast, at every level of government. We are taking back our party and our country." Her success reflects a broader trend of rising anti-Israel sentiment among certain factions of the U.S. Democratic Party ahead of the midterm elections.