cross-posted from: https://piefed.blahaj.zone/c/politics/p/779802/progressives-land-a-big-win-in-a-philadelphia-house-primary-and-hope-it-means-more
It looked like progressive Chris Rabb had a mountain to climb to win the Democratic nomination for a congressional district in Philadelphia.
The mayor and the city’s Democratic Party had endorsed another candidate in this week’s primary. So had members of Pennsylvania’s delegation in the U.S. House. One Rabb rival was backed by millions of dollars. A second benefited from a get-out-the-vote operation run by the influential local building trades unions.
But Rabb finished 15 percentage points ahead of his closest competitor in Tuesday’s election, and the state representative is likely on his way to Washington because no Republican sought the GOP nomination.
Rabb was propelled by a constellation of progressive groups, charting a path to victory partly by assailing his own party as listening more to donors than voters. He credited a grassroots movement inspired by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, alarmed by Republican President Donald Trump and hungry for a government responsive to their needs.
“That was at the heart of why I was running and that is what I built my campaign around and that, I believe, is a chord we struck in this electorate that showed up and came out like gangbusters,” Rabb said in an interview with The Associated Press.
The progressive left counts Rabb’s success as one of its biggest victories of the year and the latest warning sign that Democratic voters see the party’s leadership as weak and feckless in countering Trump. Progressives are also running for House seats in New York, California and Michigan where they are challenging Democratic incumbents or aiming to take on vulnerable Republicans.
Progressives KEEP winning DESPITE their Financial Shortcomings? As a DEMOCRAT STRATEGIST I can EASILY explain this! It’s because normal Democrats DONT listen to their Rich Donors ENOUGH!
I’m happy to see that more and more progressives are finally starting to wake up, support and vote for good candidates in the primaries as opposed to the old pattern: paying no attention until the general election, then complaining about how crappy the candidate establishment Dems presented to them, and refusing to vote at all.
I hope this keeps up. Keep finding and supporting more progressive candidates who will actually do the job of representing the needs of the people. Sure, there may be some duds or some losses in the general because of it, but this is how to move things leftward–just like MAGA did with the right. It takes multiple election cycles but it works. I just hope we didn’t wait too long, that the fascists haven’t already solidified their corrupt power and are able to prevent fair elections.
Yes I agree. I have to say I fell pray to the idea of the canidate that can win mentality decades ago but the primary is the time to get the best on the ballot.
