Philadelphia Democrats nominated Chris Rabb, a state representative who has accused Israel of committing “genocide” in Gaza and supports a Palestinian “right of return,” in Tuesday’s primary to succeed retiring Rep. Dwight Evans (D-Pa.).
With no Republican running in Pennsylvania’s heavily Democratic 3rd Congressional District, Rabb is widely expected to win the general election and join the U.S. House in January 2027.
He received 44.3% of the vote in the four-candidate race, defeating Sharif Street, a Democratic state senator, who won 29.5%.
Rabb campaigned as an anti-establishment Democrat and aligned himself with the party’s left flank on Israel and economic policy. During the campaign, he repeatedly condemned Israel’s military response to the Hamas-led Oct. 7 terror attacks. He also criticized pro-Israel lobbying groups, while seeking to link his opponents to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
He has been endorsed by several prominent progressive and anti-Israel Democrats, including Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Summer Lee (D-Pa.), as well as the Congressional Progressive Caucus political action committee.
Rabb also appeared at a rally with left-wing online streamer Hasan Piker, who has referred to Orthodox Jews as “inbred” and called the Israel Defense Forces a “Nazi army.”
Progressive groups celebrated Rabb’s victory as another sign of the Democratic Party’s leftward shift.
“Chris Rabb won because voters saw him as fighting to shake up an economic and political system rigged for billionaires against working people,” stated Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee. “Across the nation, primary voters are choosing bold economic populists like Chris Rabb as the new face of the Democratic Party.”
Following the primary, Jewish Democratic Outreach Pennsylvania released its endorsements for U.S. House races. Rabb was not on the list.
The endorsed candidates “will condemn antisemitism and will support Israel’s desire to live as a democratic and independent nation in peace and security with its neighbors,” stated the chair, Jill Zipin.
The Democratic Socialists of America stated that Rabb is a member and said “we will be with Congressman Rabb every step of the way in the fight to abolish ICE, free Palestine and win Medicare for all.”
Earlier in the month, Rep. Josh Gottheimer (R-N.J.) stated that “Chris Rabb and the DSA are a danger to the Democratic Party.”
