Israel-Gaza war is central to battleground state seat as progressive 'Squad' Rep. Summer Lee tries to edge out challenger: Pennsylvania primary key indicator of how the foreign conflict could impact balance of power in 2024

Israel's war in Gaza has taken center stage in the Pennsylvania 12th congressional race where progressive 'Squad' member Summer Lee is facing a Democratic challenger.

Voters in the state are headed to the polls Tuesday to cast their ballots in the presidential and congressional primaries.

Bhavini Patel is running to unseat the progressive freshman lawmaker in the district that includes Pittsburgh and surrounding suburbs.

The race tests how criticism for Israel and the war in Gaza plays out in a Democratic stronghold and battleground state.

Lee has represented the Pittsburgh area district since being elected in 2022 after winning the open seat vacated by retiring longtime Democratic Congressman Mike Doyle.

She is the first black woman elected to represent Pennsylvania in Congress and ran on a progressive platform despite fierce opposition during the midterm primary. 

Rep. Summer Lee in Pittsburgh on April 8, 2024. She was first elected to Congress in 2022 and is a member of the 'Squad'

Bhavini Patel is challenging Rep. Lee in the Democratic primary. She is a member of the  Edgewood Borough Council

Since taking office, Lee has been closely aligned with the progressive wing of the party in Washington known as the 'Squad.'

After the attack by Hamas on October 7, Lee condemned the attack, but she has also been a vocal critic of Israel's war in Gaza and was among the first lawmakers to call for a ceasefire in October.

But despite facing criticism from some in Pittsburgh's large Jewish community, she remains the frontrunner in the primary with both the benefits of incumbency and some Democratic and Pennsylvania heavyweights backing her. 

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Tennessee state Rep. Justin Jones joined her for a rally in Pittsburgh over the weekend ahead of primary election day.

Lee also has the support of Senator Bernie Sanders, Pennsylvania's two senators, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey who credits her with helping bring hundreds of millions of dollars into the district.

Her challenger, Patel, is the daughter of an Indian immigrant who grew up in the suburb Monroeville and serves on the Edgewood Borough Council and a former business owner.

She launched her bid to unseat Lee in October and has been running as a strong supporter of President Biden's agenda. She has also gone after Lee for her stance on Israel and the war in Gaza.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez campaigning for Rep. Summer Lee in Pittsburgh on Sunday ahead of the Pennsylvania primary. Supporters held signs against GOP billionaire Jeff Yass who has been spending in the race

But Lee supporters have fired back that Patel is benefitting from spending by billionaire Jeff Yass, the wealthiest person in Pennsylvania and a Republican megadonor. 

Yass is largely behind funding for the Moderate PAC which has been attacking Lee while supporting Patel, though Patel has disavowed it. 

The Moderate PAC ran an ad leading up to the primary that accused Lee of 'opposing' Biden and giving him the 'cold shoulder' during his State of the Union address. 

Lee was among a group of progressive members who wore keffiyeh, the scarf that has become a symbol of solidarity with Palestinians, to the president's speech last month.

Even as Patel attempts to more closely align herself with Biden, he gave Lee a shoutout during his visit to Pittsburgh last week.

President Biden during an event in Pittsburgh on April 17

The 12th district race has received 45 percent of all House primary spending in the state according to tracking by Ad Impact.

Lee received a total of $1.6 million in ad support for her campaign while Patel has received $798,000. 

Notably,  the United Democracy Project, a super PAC affiliated with AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) has not spent in the race after being a major spender in 2022.

The candidates themselves have also focused their ad spending on messages about infrastructure. 

Lee ran an ad touting bringing $1.2 billion into the community. 

Patel highlighted her support for the bipartisan infrastructure bill and accused Lee of being against it, though Lee was not in Congress at the time of the law's passage.

Lee has also trumped Patel in fundraising. Federal filings show Patel raised at least $602,000 for her campaign over roughly six months since its launch. 

As an incumbent, Lee has had a clear advantage raking in more than $2.3 million for her reelection bid according to the filings through April 3. 

Lee is not the only 'Squad' member facing a Democratic challenger. 

Rep. Cori Bush in Missouri, Rep. Ilhan Omar in Minnesota as well as New York Reps. Ocasio-Cortez and Jamaal Bowman are also facing challengers in Democratic primaries.