Lee, for her part, tells TIME that Democrats need to foster more vocal pushback against the GOP and from within the party. “We’re actually not a strong party when we’re all shaking our heads, nodding yes.” She says Rabb’s success demonstrated a rejection of the status quo. “Right now, all over the country, Democratic voters of all different types of backgrounds are finding themselves answering the question, Is this the best we can get? … As authoritarianism runs roughshod over our country, people are starting to say, ‘This is not where I want to plant my flag,’ and wondering: if Republicans and MAGA are willing to fight this hard, why can’t they?”
The race had an outsized focus on Gaza, reflecting a broader national debate within the party about how far criticism of Israel should go. Rabb advocated on the trail for Palestinian rights and openly labeled Israel’s military actions in Gaza as a “genocide.” He lambasted his opponents for their unwillingness to do the same. Rabb drew some heat when he appeared at multiple campaign events in April with Hassan Piker, a left-wing political commentator and Twitch streamer who has made a series of inflammatory statements critical of Israel and of U.S. foreign policy. Stanford, a first-time candidate, benefited from the backing of 314 Action, a PAC dedicated to electing scientists and doctors to Congress. But rumors swirled that the dark money group was funded by AIPAC in the race. The head of 314 Action denied AIPAC was a funder. “I don’t think the residents of West Philadelphia, North Philadelphia, think Israel and Gaza are in the top 20 things impacting them but the way the issue was used and accentuated by Rabb was effective at stirring people up,” Ceisler said.