Four "Squad" Democrats are set to face serious primary challengers in 2024, with the line of opponents growing due to their comments on the war between Israel and Hamas.

Reps. Cori Bush (D-MO), Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), Summer Lee (D-PA), and Ilhan Omar (D-MN) are facing competition next November. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) could also face opposition due to efforts from the Mainstream Democrats PAC, whose top donor wants to see "extreme members of Congress" ousted, and the Democratic Majority for Israel PAC, which has already launched a six-figure ad buy against her for being on the "wrong side of history."

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Cori Bush

Bush's challenger is St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell, who dropped his bid for Senate of running against Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) on Oct. 30. A centrist Democrat, Bell has been critical of Bush's stance on Hamas, namely that there needs to be an end to the "occupation" and "apartheid" by Israel in Gaza — a similar stance taken by several "Squad" Democrats that has spurred criticism from both sides of the aisle.

St. Louis is overwhelmingly Democratic, and the winner of the August primary will be the heavy favorite to win in November, so the pressure is on Bush to protect her seat. Bush became the first black congresswoman to represent Missouri when she won her seat in 2020.

Jamaal Bowman

In New York, prominent Democratic leaders have been exploring a primary challenger against Bowman since before the Israel-Hamas war. The move came after he defended Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) in July for calling Israel a "racist state," fueling anger among Bowman's Jewish constituents. Bowman's district has one of the largest Jewish constituencies in the United States. He has rejected claims that he is antisemitic, saying that as a "black man in America ... I know what it is to suffer and be oppressed."

Westchester County Executive George Latimer, a centrist Democrat, is seriously considering a challenge to Bowman, according to the Associated Press, which could set up Bowman for a tough reelection campaign. Bowman defeated former New York Democratic Rep. Eliot L. Engel, the staunch pro-Israel chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, in the 2020 primary.

Latimer said people have wanted to see him challenge Bowman for a long time, including over policy areas that have nothing to do with Israel. However, in the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attacks, a group of more than two dozen rabbis signed on to a letter asking Latimer to challenge Bowman, citing the congressman’s posture on Israel. Bowman also recently pleaded guilty to pulling a fire alarm falsely while trying to get to a House vote on Oct. 26.

Summer Lee

In Pennsylvania, Lee is facing primary challenger Bhavini Patel, a borough councilwoman. Patel has knocked Lee for trying to "equivocate" the war in the Middle East, stating that "we're responding to something that is evil," per the New York Times.

Lee has called Israel's counterattacks against Hamas a "genocide of innocent Gazans." The congresswoman also voted against the bipartisan resolution to stand with Israel, much to the dismay of her Jewish constituents, who are arguably the most shaken by the Israel-Hamas war. The Jewish community in Pittsburgh marked the fifth anniversary of the Tree of Life synagogue shooting, the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history that claimed 11 lives, in Pittsburgh two days after the Israel resolution.

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Ilhan Omar

Since its unofficial formation after the 2018 election, the Squad has not seen any of its members defeated in an election, but Omar came the closest in 2022. She narrowly defeated former Minneapolis councilman Don Samuels in the Democratic primary by less than 3,000 votes before sailing to reelection in the general race. Now, Samuels is planning to run again, which could set Omar up for a significant primary challenge.

Attorney Sarah Gad, a pro-Israel progressive Democrat, is already in the race to unseat Omar. She has repeatedly attacked the Minnesota congresswoman for her Israel record and comments. However, if there is split opposition against Omar, it will likely boost her chances of winning the primary.