Washington Republican challenger targets ‘antisemitic’ socialist in primary

Republican challenger Doug Basler is prioritizing preventing socialist Kshama Sawant from advancing past the August 4 primary for Washington's 9th Congressional District, rather than immediately focusing on unseating incumbent Rep. Adam Smith. Basler accused Sawant and Democratic challenger Melissa Chaudhry of being "antisemitic," stating, "They see Jews as oppressors. They see everything through their Marxist lens." He claims Marxists view Israel as an oppressor and seek to eliminate anything, including religious groups, that stands between the state and the people. Basler, who has made opposing socialism a central campaign theme, also expressed strong support for Israel, calling Hamas "a terrorist organization, if possible worse than the Nazis of World War II" for their actions on October 7. Sawant, running as an independent socialist, has focused her campaign on opposing U.S. military aid to Israel and advocating for an arms embargo.