WASHINGTON – Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Democrat from Minnesota, successfully overcame a primary rival on Tuesday in a highly scrutinized election. This follows the losses faced by two of her progressive “Squad” colleagues, who were both challenged by more moderate Democrats and experienced overwhelming funding from pro-Israel advocacy organizations.

Omar’s triumph comes after her fellow Squad members, Reps. Jamaal Bowman from New York and Cori Bush from Missouri, were defeated in their respective races. Both had strongly criticized Israel’s actions amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, but Omar approached her race with greater stability than her counterparts.

A significant element in her favor was the United Democracy Project, a super PAC closely linked to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which allocated nearly $24 million to campaign against Bush and Bowman. This financial backing contributed to their status as the only House Democrats to lose primary elections this year.

The topic of Israel and the Gaza war has shaped numerous races during this election cycle, highlighting a divide within the Democratic Party regarding their stance on the crisis. Progressive House members are actively urging the Biden administration and Democratic leadership to adopt a firmer stance against the ongoing bombing in Gaza.

Omar has consistently raised concerns regarding Israeli policies and was among the first legislators to advocate for a cease-fire. She faced considerable backlash earlier this year after suggesting during a visit to Columbia University that some Jewish students endorsed “genocide” in relation to the conflict.

However, this election cycle saw the United Democracy Project refraining from investing in Omar’s campaign, which was a departure from the support she received during her 2022 primary election.

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In the previous election, Omar’s opponent, former Minneapolis City Council Member Don Samuels, narrowly lost by just over 2,400 votes, with the United Democracy Project committing $350,000 to support Samuels during the campaign.

This time around, Omar had a much different context. Her previous re-election campaign was heavily focused on police reform issues in response to the murder of George Floyd, where she notably stood out as a vocal advocate for police reform.

This year, such discussions about police reform have taken a backseat, giving Omar a considerable fundraising edge over Samuels. Additionally, she adopted a more vigorous campaign strategy this time.

“In the last primary, it wasn’t close because we don’t have the support of the people that we represent,” Omar explained last week at a Minneapolis rally. “It was close because we did not remind every single person that there was a primary and they needed to get out and vote.”

However, the situation was not only influenced by the ongoing debates surrounding the Israel-Hamas conflict. Omar also did not carry the political troubles that affected Bowman and Bush. While the latter two faced significant media attention due to their strong criticisms of Israel, they were also entangled in their own controversies that impacted their campaigns.

Bowman became notorious for pulling a fire alarm in the Capitol during a crucial vote to avert a government shutdown last year, where video footage captured him maneuvering warning signs before activating the alarm.

The New York Democrat later claimed he had made an error and pled guilty to a misdemeanor for “willfully” triggering the alarm. Following the incident, the predominantly Republican House took action to censure him by a largely party-line vote.

Meanwhile, Bush is currently under federal investigation for potentially misusing campaign funds for security expenses. She claims that hiring her husband as part of her security detail was necessary due to threats she faced, yet she insists that no federal funds were used for her personal protection.

The combination of the scandals faced by Bowman and Bush, along with substantial funding from pro-Israel groups, led to their contentious primary challenges, with United Democracy Project pouring $14.5 million against Bowman, marking it as the most expensive House primary in history. Additionally, over $9 million was directed toward Bush’s campaign.

After their defeats, both candidates pointed fingers at AIPAC, denouncing the overwhelming financial resources that were mobilized against them during their concession addresses.

“We should be furious when a super PAC can dump $20 million into misleading the public with falsehoods,” Bowman expressed in June following his anticipated primary loss.

Bush was more direct in her address, declaring to her supporters in August after her defeat: “AIPAC, I’m here to dismantle your empire.”