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Arizona congressman fends off anti-Israel challenger in Democratic primary
US Rep. Greg Stanton was projected to have beat progressive upstart Kai Newkirk on Tuesday in Arizona’s Democratic primary, fending off an opponent who had criticized Stanton for his pro-Israel stance and support from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
Stanton will face off against Republican Zuhdi Jasser in the general election for Arizona’s fourth district, which covers parts of Phoenix and Maricopa County.
Newkirk, 45, an activist and democratic socialist, had made Israel and AIPAC a focal point in his effort to unseat Stanton, repeatedly blasting his opponent’s support from the pro-Israel lobbying group.
“I’ve been arrested over 25 times in civil disobedience — and I’ll go to jail for justice again before I ever take a dime from AIPAC,” Newkirk wrote on X last week.
He has also accused the Israeli government itself of “trying to interfere in our elections,” including in Arizona’s 4th Congressional District where he is running and which covers parts of Phoenix and Maricopa County.
He pointed to a $45 million text message campaign to improve Israel’s image in the US as a sign of such interference, and posited that “they may be targeting areas where AIPAC is more invested or where these issues are more at stake.”
The primary came as a number of left-wing congressional candidates with sharply critical Israel stances have won the Democratic nomination around the country, and as Israel and AIPAC grow increasingly unpopular among Democratic voters.
Newkirk’s platform included ending all military aid to Israel and imposing an arms embargo on the country, which he accuses of genocide.
Stanton, 56, a four-term incumbent, voted against Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie’s amendment to cut military aid to Israel last week. Newkirk criticized Stanton, saying that he would have voted for the amendment, and suggested that Stanton’s vote was the result of his support from AIPAC.
“Greg Stanton has taken over $300K from AIPAC,” Newkirk wrote. “And today — as so many Americans in our district and across the country struggle to get by — he just voted to send billions more of our tax dollars to Israel to fund their war crimes and genocide. Disgraceful.”
AIPAC’s Greg Stanton voted against cutting aid to Israel today. He has a primary coming up in 6 days.
Support @kai_newkirk for Congress to unseat an AIPAC stooge! https://t.co/6xeXz3sYr4 pic.twitter.com/Iqyb0vIGCE
— AIPAC Tracker (@TrackAIPAC) July 15, 2026
Among AIPAC’s endorsees in Congress, more than a dozen voted to cut aid to Israel last week; AIPAC has since removed the option on its website to donate to those candidates.
Stanton explained his vote on X, saying that the amendment “would undermine America’s ability to counter real threats from Iran” and weaken the ability to promote long-term stability across the region.
He also criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and wrote that “clear change is necessary” as the US-Israel security agreement, which includes $3.8 billion in annual military subsidies for Israel, nears its expiration in 2028.
Newkirk was endorsed by progressive groups such as Our Revolution, Track AIPAC and the Progressive Democrats of America.
Also among Newkirk’s endorsers was Cenk Uygur, the host of the Young Turks who has spread conspiracy theories about Israel. “Kai is Israel Free and has fought to get money out of politics his whole life,” wrote Uygur last month.
Let’s keep featuring candidates running against incumbents on both sides. Kai is Israel Free and has fought to get money out of politics his whole life. In fact, we did civil disobedience together on that. And for a bit of fun, spot the three Cenk Easter eggs in his launch video. https://t.co/dsSJoET6V7
— Cenk Uygur (@cenkuygur) June 28, 2026
Newkirk faced turbulence in establishing broader support.
The Young Democrats of Arizona pulled its endorsement of Newkirk earlier in July, writing that it had been “made aware of some concerning patterns of behavior” displayed by Newkirk, without specifying what it meant.
Newkirk did not respond to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency’s request for comment.
After the Young Democrats of Arizona retracted its endorsement, Newkirk wrote that the withdrawal of the endorsement was based on a false report amid “a wave of wins by democratic socialists” and called it a “weaponization of… disavowed misinformation.”
Newkirk did speak out against last year’s killing of two Israeli Embassy staffers outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC.
“I stand always with my beloved Jewish siblings against the scourge of antisemitism just as I will never stop in the nonviolent struggle to end the genocide in Gaza, release all hostages, and open the way to just, lasting peace,” he said.
