Washington Watch Articles From 2026
Don’t Look to the Democratic National Committee to Change Middle East Policy, That’s Not What the Party Does
There is compelling evidence that voter disaffection with the Biden administration’s failure to confront Israel’s war on Gaza played a role in the Harris presidential campaign’s devastating loss in 2024. The groups most impacted by this failed policy have been central to the Democratic Party’s support base—young voters, voters of color, and those who self-identify as liberal. Polling data establishes that these groups did not turn out to support Harris in 2024 in the same numbers that had voted for Biden in 2020.
Trump May Not Let Voters Decide the Outcome of This Election
There is no doubt that this will be one of the most consequential midterm elections in recent history. In the past two years, policies enacted by President Trump and enabled by a compliant Republican-led Congress have had, and may continue to have, a corrosive impact on the very foundations of governance and our democracy.
El-Sayed’s Win in Michigan Is the Most Consequential Election This Year
In what, I believe, will be seen as this year’s most significant election; Dr Abdul El-Sayed won a victory in Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary. It was a close contest—a nail-biter, as we say—but it was an important win that marks a watershed moment in US politics.
The Establishment Is Panicking
It’s fascinating to watch how some elements of the Democratic Party establishment respond to insurgencies.
New York Democrats Show AIPAC the Door
For the past half century, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) largely held sway in elections in both political parties. They threatened and intimidated those who opposed them and, when a critic of Israel was defeated, they boasted of victory, holding it up for others as a lesson. Last week’s Democratic primary elections in New York City, in which three insurgent critics of Israeli policies defeated AIPAC-endorsed candidates, point to what may be the end of an era for the pro-Israel lobby.