Pittsburgh Primary, Brooklyn Special Election... Good Day For Conservative, Pro-Genocide Democrats

Heavy Trump District In Brooklyn Went Heavily Blue

O'Connor, the new mayor

Will Democrats finally take a stand against Israeli genocide and war crimes— or just keep enabling it the way Republicans do? If yesterday’s Democratic primary in Pittsburgh is any indication, the party has some serious problems in that arena. Conservative Democrat Corey O’Connor worked with pro-genocide groups to drum up charges of anti-semitism against incumbent mayor Ed Gainey. Elected in 2021, Gainey, a progressive, is the first African-American ever elected to serve as Pittsburgh’s mayor, having triumphed 46-39% in the primary against then-incumbent Bill Peduto, who was heavily backed by the Democratic establishment. Yesterday, O’Connor, who out-raised Gainey by a wide margin won 53.0% to 47.0%.

The race was viewed as a proxy battle between conservative Democrats, supported by AIPAC’s and DMFI’s pro-genocide coalition, and progressive Democrats. O’Connor successfully mobilized Pittsburgh’s large and relatively wealthy Jewish community, constantly emphasizing his support for Israel and complaining that Gainey’s condemnations of anti-semitism weren’t convincing enough. Many Republicans also supported O’Connor financially, recognizing him as, at least in part, a kindred spirit.

As voters were going to the polls, the state’s senior senator, crackpot John Fetterman, told a pro-genocide PAC that “Israel and your community deserves much better from my party,” earning loud applause. 

He described how American universities have produced a “monoculture that produced, actually, rampant antisemitism,” and called to address it— but suggested Democrats are not interested in doing so. 

“We have to address that. But in my party, you will pay a price,” said Fetterman. “That’s OK. I think that’s what defines character … that you’re going to support things even if it moves against your own political interest.”

Brooklyn

There was also a state Senate special election in my old Brooklyn district which includes Borough Park, Midwood, Homecrest, Sheepshead Bay and Marine Park. Even though the Democrats have a huge registration advantage (better than 2 to 1) many of the voters are Orthodox Jews who have leaned heavily Republican; Trump took and overwhelming 77% in 2024. The right-wing Democrat who represented it, Simcha Felder, resigned after winning a City Council seat last month. He ran as a Democrat, a Republican andante Conservative Party line as well. Yesterday, though, voters turned away from the GOP and Sam Sutton— another Conservative Jew who is all in on the Netanyahu agenda— beat Republican/Conservative Nachman Caller.

Addendum:

When I woke up this morning, I had a note from New Dem Eric Sorensen, a gay former weatherman in a very not-Jewish midwestern district: “Congressman Steny Hoyer is joining me for a pro-Israel virtual fundraiser next month, and I wanted to make sure you got a personal invitation. Israel needs strong allies in Congress like me.” What a terrible idea! It came with this signal that this is someone I should oppose: