A pro-Israel Democrat handily beat the sister of Squad Rep. Pramila Jayapal in an Oregon House primary Tuesday, an indication that the party’s far-left wing may be alienating voters over its support for Gaza.

Susheela Jayapal, a former Multnomah County commissioner, was bested by Oregon state Rep. Maxine Dexter in the race to succeed retiring Democratic Rep. Earl Blumenauer, who has represented the district for 27 years.

Ms. Dexter’s victory capped a rough night for liberals in Oregon. Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt, backed by billionaire George Soros, trailed tough-on-crime county prosecutor Nathan Vasquez by 56% to 44%.

Mr. Schmidt and Mr. Vasquez are the only two contenders, so whoever leads will win the post outright as long as he receives more than 50% of the vote.

In addition, voters picked Democratic state Rep. Janelle Bynum over her more leftist opponent, attorney Jamie McLeod-Skinner, in the 5th Congressional District primary. Ms. Bynum will face Republican Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer in November.

With 63% of the vote counted, Ms. Dexter, a doctor, had 51% of the vote and was declared the winner by The Associated Press. Ms. Jayapal was in second place with 28%. Four other candidates split the remaining votes.

“I want to congratulate Rep. Maxine Dexter for winning the Democratic primary for Oregon’s 3rd Congressional District,” Mr. Blumenauer said in a Wednesday statement. “Maxine has proven herself to be a serious and effective legislator. I am confident she’ll take this success with her to Washington, D.C.”

Others congratulating Ms. Dexter included the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which said its members were “proud to support Maxine Dexter against her anti-Israel opponent.”

“Being pro-Israel is good policy and good politics!” the group said Wednesday on X.

Ms. Dexter benefited from the support of the 314 Action Fund, which spent $2.2 million on ads on her behalf and whose donors included Israel supporters such as former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, while Voters for Responsive Government spent $3.2 million against Ms. Jayapal’s bid, as reported by Oregon Public Broadcasting.

Susheela Jayapal also congratulated her opponent for her victory while blasting the “outside super PACs [that] came in and spent an unprecedented $6 million.”

Pramila Jayapal, Washington Democrat and chairwoman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, is “among the most outspoken critics of Israel in the House,” according to Jewish Insider, and her sister also raised concerns among Jewish and pro-Israel voters following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel.

Susheela Jayapal condemned Hamas’ “appalling terror attack on Israel” shortly after the slaughter, but in November she called for a cease-fire, blaming “the Netanyahu government’s response” for a “horrific humanitarian tragedy.”

As a commissioner, Susheela Jayapal voted against a resolution to light the Morrison Bridge in Portland in Israel’s blue and white and refused to sign a joint commission statement of support for the Jewish state.

“I don’t think I can acknowledge the loss of one group when there are Palestinian lives being lost as well,” Ms. Jayapal said, according to an Oct. 12 article in the Willamette Week.

She issued instead her own statement condemning Hamas’ “appalling terror attack on Israel” and said her “heart breaks for all those across Israel and Palestine who are living in a state of war.”

• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.