All Politics Are Local. Just Ask Ex-Squad Member Cori Bush.

The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) wave hit some choppy waters in the Midwest. While Michigan's DSA-backed Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed is in a contest far closer than the left expected, several key races involving radical Democrats ended in defeat.

In the Democratic primary for Michigan's 11th Congressional District, state Sen. Jeremy Moss soundly defeated Aisha Farooqi, the radical left-wing candidate, 49%–33%. Farooqi ran on a progressive platform, rejecting corporate PAC and American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) money while championing Medicare for All, social and economic justice, and other radical policy positions.

Meanwhile, Moss, who is Jewish and represents heavily Jewish suburban communities in Oakland County, supports Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish homeland. He has been vocal on the state Senate floor and in media interviews, calling out rhetoric from both the far right and far left, specifically arguing that targeting Jewish individuals or equating Zionism with racism can cross into antisemitism.

Farooqi made the mistake of trying to run on national issues in a local congressional district. Her anti-AIPAC and pro-Palestinian rhetoric was a hit with the radicals but fell flat with a solid majority of Michiganders.

Another radical left Democrat made the same mistake in her effort to get back to Congress after losing in 2024. Ex-Squad member Cori Bush tried to unseat Rep. Wesley Bell in the Democratic primary for the 11th district. Bell had toppled Bush in 2024 after numerous scandals involving her campaign came to light.

Questions arose regarding Bush spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign funds on private security while simultaneously advocating to "defund the police." The controversy intensified after she hired Cortney Merritts — whom she married in 2023 — to her security team and paid him directly from campaign funds.

Despite the allegations being investigated and dismissed, in political parlance, Bush's "defund the police" rhetoric was "bad optics" when she spent more on her personal security than almost any other member of Congress. Bush spent $750,000 on security over her three terms in Congress.

Following the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, Bush introduced a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and voted against funding for Israel's Iron Dome defense system. Her vocal criticism of the Israeli government led to strong backlash from pro-Israel advocacy groups, notably AIPAC, which poured millions of dollars into advertising against her during her 2024 primary loss. Bell defeated her by five points in the Democratic primary.

This time around, several radical left groups, including Justice Democrats, sat out the race. And Bush's anti-Israel rhetoric and her support for ending aid to the Jewish state didn't carry her over the top.

Jewish Insider:

The AIPAC-linked United Democracy Project super PAC spent a total of $3.1 million in the race boosting Bell, helping him to dominate the airwaves in Missouri’s 1st Congressional District. Bell also tripled Bush in campaign fundraising.
Bush’s allies, including the Justice Democrats, did not intervene to boost her campaign or help her match Bell’s advertising advantage.
Bush focused her message heavily on criticism of Israel and Bell’s support from AIPAC, while Bell accused her of being more focused on the Middle East than her own district at home.
“What we’ve seen over and over is talking about an issue that is not impacting folks right here in St. Louis, and while we take those issues seriously, you know, the M in Missouri doesn’t stand for Middle East. It stands for Missouri,” Bell said on Election Day.

Bush forgot (or ignored) the number-one political adage that every successful politician holds close to his or her heart: All politics are local.

Most voters don't know what the issues are in the Middle East. They might care about civilian casualties among Palestinians and Israelis, and they know that Israel is under constant threat. But what about crime in the streets of St. Louis? What about prices? What about my health insurance? Rep. Bell talked kitchen-table issues far more than Bush did, and it paid off with a big win for the incumbent.

Bush is toast unless she moves to another district that's as deep blue as Missouri's first congressional district. It's a shame we won't have her to kick around anymore.

Editor’s Note: Every single day, here at PJ Media, we will stand up and FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT against the radical Left and deliver the conservative reporting our readers deserve.

Help us continue to tell the truth about the Trump administration and its successes. Join PJ Media VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.