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Candidates’ support for or hostility toward Israel is playing out in Democratic House primaries across the country. And a key test will come in a Maryland district a short drive from the Capitol, where ex-Rep. Donna Edwards seeks a comeback but is on the defensive over past votes and statements critical of the Jewish state.
Edwards represented the deep-blue 4th Congressional District of Maryland from June 2008 to January 2017. The district includes part of Prince George’s County, on the northern and eastern sides of the District of Columbia, along with parts of Anne Arundel County. Rep. Anthony Brown (D) is leaving the seat to run for Maryland attorney general, and the district has been redrawn to make it even more Democratic-leaning.
In the all-important July 19 Democratic primary, Edwards faces Glenn Ivey, who was the state’s attorney for Prince George’s County for eight years starting in December 2002 after a career as a congressional aide and federal prosecutor, among other roles.
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Edwards and Ivey are both liberal Democrats and agree on most public policy issues. But support for Israel is a battleground. And it’s not the first time Edwards’s positions have been scrutinized. In 2016, she gave up her House seat to run for the Senate, losing to then-congressman and now-Sen. Chris Van Hollen in the Democratic primary. During Edwards’s eight years in Congress to that point, “she regularly ducked resolutions and letters backed by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC),” according to Washington Post reporting.
During Edwards’s first year in the House, she voted “present” on a resolution “recognizing Israel’s right to defend itself against attacks from Gaza.” And Edwards voted present on a resolution expressing support for direct Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. She also voted present on 2012 legislation to enhance security cooperation between the United States and Israel. All three measures passed with overwhelming majorities, at times when Democrats and, later, Republicans were running the House. In 2010 and 2012, a group of Jewish donors backed primary House challengers.
Now, as Edwards runs for her old seat, she’s been endorsed by J Street, a left-wing advocacy group that calls for Israel to make territorial concessions in the hope of peace. Meanwhile, Ivey is drawing support from AIPAC and the Democratic Majority for Israel.
Intra-House Democratic fights over support for Israel are playing out in a number of states. In Michigan’s newly redrawn 11th Congressional District, Rep. Haley Stevens, running against fellow Democratic Rep. Andy Levin, is positioning herself as more strongly supportive of Israel. Same in the redistricting-induced member-on-member primary in Illinois, where one of the most Israel-hostile House members, freshman Rep. Marie Newman, faces fellow Democratic Rep. Sean Casten in the June 28 primary. In September 2021, Newman was among nine House members (eight Democrats and one Republican) to oppose funding Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system.
Israel supporters have won some of these battles but lost others. In North Carolina, young progressive Nida Allam lost to Valerie Foushee in a deep-blue district, and in Ohio, Rep. Shontel Brown kept her seat amid stiff competition from challenger Nina Turner, a former top aide to socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders (VT). Turner and Allam were harshly critical of Israel. However, the story played out differently with Summer Lee’s victory in an open Pittsburgh-based district, despite her saying that the West justifies Israel’s right to defend itself despite “undeniable atrocities.”
Besides the Israel issue, Edwards and Ivey could both be counted upon to advocate progressive policies in the House. Edwards has collected the endorsements of Democratic leaders including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (CA), Progressive Caucus Chairwoman Pramila Jayapal (WA), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (MA), and a spate of Maryland state leaders.
Ivey, who campaigned against Edwards in 2011, got the nod from the Washington Post due to his accomplishments as Prince George’s County’s top prosecutor.
“The telling difference, based on their records, is that Mr. Ivey has a track record of advancing his agenda through pragmatic, effective head-knocking and compromise,” the editorial board wrote. “By contrast, Ms. Edwards, her policy expertise notwithstanding, has too often insisted on a purist political approach — statements of principle untethered from getting things done.”
Ivey suspended his challenge to Edwards in 2012 due to a lack of funding, but according to the most recent Federal Election Commission filings from the end of March, he was outraising Edwards.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
With about five weeks before the primary, voters seemed mostly unaware of the election or were undecided when the Washington Examiner visited the district last week. One voter said she liked both candidates and was disappointed that she would have to choose between them.
“I would need more time to decide, since I didn’t know they’re running against each other,” a voter in Cheverly told the Washington Examiner.
“I really like Donna Edwards,” another voter who asked not to be identified said. “She’s done a lot for the community.”
Neither campaign responded to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment.
