Pro-Israel Democrats are facing important primary contests in Michigan and Missouri that could show whether the party’s voters are moving further away from traditional support for Israel. The outcomes matter beyond the individual races: they will test the influence of well-funded pro-Israel groups and the political strength of progressives who have sharply criticised Israel’s conduct of the war in Gaza.

In Michigan, Representative Haley Stevens is competing for the Democratic Senate nomination against Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive critic of Israel, in a race crucial to Democrats’ hopes of retaining a competitive Senate seat. Pro-Israel groups, including AIPAC’s political network, have spent heavily to support Stevens, with outside spending reported at nearly $30 million; in Missouri, Representative Wesley Bell faces a rematch with former Representative Cori Bush, whom he defeated in 2024 with pro-Israel backing. Both primaries are scheduled for 4 August and are being watched as measures of the Democratic Party’s wider ideological divide.