In this week’s edition of the Action Update, we’re going to focus our attention on one question: What is happening to the Democratic Party? Bold… right? Let’s dive in.

We’re Seeing a Pattern

Three really hateful people received New York City Mayor (and bigot) Zohran Mamdani’s endorsement in their respective races for Congress, and, earlier this week, all three of them won their primaries. Two of the three did so by unseating incumbents.

Mamdani’s triad consists of Claire Valdez (NY-7), Brad Lander (NY-10), and Darializa Avila Chevalier (NY-13). Their victories are in deeply left-leaning districts; as such, all three are expected to be in Congress next year.

What distinguishes these three individuals from the Democratic party establishment supported candidates they defeated is largely – if not exclusively – their disdain for Israel. But please, do not take our word for it, just read theirs:

• Claire Valdez “For decades, the U.S. government has funded and supported Israel as it entrenches apartheid and military occupation across Palestine.” (we’re not linking to her campaign website, but it’s there).

• Brad Lander: “I will not vote for any more U.S. military aid to Israel, not the bombs that are destroying the hospitals and schools in Gaza, not the occupation in Lebanon which is now I believe on its way potentially to being a genocide as well,” (2026)

• Darializa Avila Chevalier “Israel does not exist” (2020)

Meet the OB

Now, the OB (Original Bigot) in this context is actually not Mayor Mamdani. Meet Maryland Sen. Christopher Van Hollen Jr.

Sen. Van Hollen has hated Israel since long before Pres. Obama made being anti-Israel chic, and Tucker Carlson jumped on that particular bandwagon in his own very special way.

Sen. Van Hollen, who endorsed Mamdani, has spent years advocating for policies that would see the end of the existence of the State of Israel (thus far, both he and Hamas have failed). To be fair, unlike Mamdani and his class of haters, the senior senator from Maryland does try to hide behind the cracked and faded fig leaf of a “two state solution.”

Following Mamdani’s allies victories, Sen. Van Hollen endorsed Abdul El-Sayed for Senate in Michigan.

El Sayed, who “struggles” with the existence of Israel as a Jewish state, is running against two candidates in the primary, and present polling indicates has a plurality of the vote.

The Republic

We no longer exist within the traditional rules of a two-party system: coalitions are built with the understanding that policies rooted in bigotry and ignorance are left outside the room.

For years Republican voters kept anachronistic isolationist policies at bay, now our sitting Vice President is captaining the USS Capitulation.

Likewise, for years one-dimensional, identity politics driven drivel was not allowed to become policy.  Now, the Democratic Socialists of America are consuming the Big Apple and taking bites out of other parts of America too.

So that’s it then? No.

Even though Congress is about to become less effective, more vitriolic and less representative of the American mainstream, we have seen some pro-Israel candidates win Democratic primaries in places as disparate as Illinois, Texas, and California - not to mention Sen. Van Hollen’s home state of Maryland.

There’s a very famous and ancient Jewish quote from Pirkei Avot (literally Chapters of our Fathers) which notes, “It is not your duty to finish the work, but neither are you free to desist from it.”

We have all of this, both the words of our adversaries and the wisdom of the fathers, in our minds as in just over a week, we and thousands of Christian Zionists from across the country will gather in Washington for the Annual CUFI Summit.

And the wisdom imparted to one of our mothers is with us as well because we know we are gathered in the capital of the most powerful country on earth, “for such a time as this.”

We hope to see you in DC.

Sincerely,

The CUFI Action Fund.