Sabine MartinArizona Republic
Former state Sen. Raquel Terán and former Phoenix Vice Mayor Yassamin Ansariare running for Congress on similar progressive platforms on issues such as abortion rights and Medicare for All.
But who is the most progressive? Their endorsem*nts could be a deciding factor for voters in Tuesday's primary election.
The endorsem*nts suggest some ideological differences between the two candidates, who both describe themselves as progressive candidates running for U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego’s Phoenix-based seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. A third candidate, Duane Wooten, also is running in the 3rd Congressional District's Democratic primary.
The district is so Democrat friendly that the winner of Tuesday's primary is virtually assured victory in the Nov. 5 general election.
Distinctions between the two candidates come to light in the endorsem*nts they have secured on the issue of climate change, with one group endorsing Terán because of her "lived experience" and another panning Teran's apparent lack of specific policy plans.
Ashton Dolce, president of the Phoenix chapter of the Sunrise Movement, said the choice to endorse Teránwas clear when weighing her climate advocacy background against Ansari’s.
“There was one candidate who was showing up for the community over the past decade, and she deserved us to show up for her so she can get elected in Congress,” Dolce said. “It's also anissue of environmental justice. Sunrise is committed to electing champions who have the lived experience of what the climate crisis looks like. Raquel has that experience.”
"We'll also say it became quite clear in the last few months that this was a primary was starting to get invested in from, you know, the sort of MAGA donors," Dolce added.
Climate advocacy has been a centerpiece of Ansari's campaign' to avoid speculation about her political appeal. She often points to her record advocating for climate policy on the city level in Phoenix and as a former climate adviser for the United Nations.
The climate advocacy group Climate Hawks Vote endorsed Ansari for her policy ideas that could be applied directly in Congress, RL Miller, political director of the organization, said.
“To be clear, one of our standard questions is simply what would be the first climate bill that you would introduce in Congress? And Yassamin had a list. It wasn't just one bill, but she had several different thoughts, all of which made sense for her for her district,” Miller said. “And honestly, Raquel gave us a blank stare.”
Miller said she thinks Terán would be a good member of Congress if she emerged from the primary, but Climate Hawks Vote endorses candidates who it believes are taking action on climate issues.
There's more ideological daylight between the two on the issue of the Israel-Hamas war, an issue that has divided the Democratic Party.
The pro-Israel PAC Democratic Majority for Israel endorsed Ansari last month while Terán has voiced interest in restoring longer-lasting peace. The PAC said in a release that it is supporting Ansari for her commitment to the Democratic agenda, including support for Israel.
“These pro-Israel candidates are playing a crucial role in maintaining our party’s support for the U.S.-Israel alliance and in retaking the House majority from extreme MAGA Republicans," the PAC's chairman Mark Mellman said in a written statement.
Both want to claim the title of 'progressive'
Terán said she’s the more progressive candidate in the race because she’s been endorsed by organizations that back her beliefs and positions.
Terán has seen some recent endorsem*nts from top Democrats and prominent groups, such as Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.; Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.; and U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz. The Phoenix chapter of the youth climate group Sunrise Movement and the progressive Working Families Party also endorsed her candidacy.
“I am a progressive. I've always led with progressive values either as an organizer, legislator, chair of the party, but I am also somebody who brings people together,” Terán said. “I think that's a big difference.”
More than two dozen labor groups and political state and local officials back Ansari for her bid to Congress.
Ansari said her much stronger track record on getting progressive policy passed makes her the more progressive candidate on the ballot.
“I do want to highlight that I think my unique climate expertise is something that not only differentiates me in this race, but will be something unique that there is something unique currently in Congress,” she said.
The back-and-forth about Terán and Ansari’sprogressiveness has gone beyond endorsem*nts, bleeding into who is backing their campaign finances.
During the race and in at a debate in May, Terán has attacked Ansari for being a “millionaire landlord,” saying she has taken thousands of campaign funds from donors who have ties to the GOP.
Ansari during the debate said that many of the campaign donors cited by Terán had donated to Democrats, too. Others, "are largely Iranian Americans in this country who are excited to see the first Iranian-American Democrat elected to the U.S. Congress," she said.
"Trying to mislead voters to say it's anything else is, frankly, xenophobic, offensive, and incredibly off-base,” Ansari responded during the debate.
Most recently, Terán pointed to a new report of more than $1 million from the pro-cryptocurrency super PAC Protect Progress going to Ansari’s campaign.
Terán’s largest outside donor is Victory PAC, who gave her campaign $335,000 in ads, Axios reported.
"Why would these GOP billionaires be supporting Ansari? They must know she’ll stand with them. Here in Arizona as a legislator, I’ve experienced xenophobia: I’ve had to go to court twice to prove my citizenship, so accusations of xenophobia are not something I take lightly. I’ve never once mentioned the race or ethnicity of the MAGA donors supporting Ansari, but I believe voters should know the truth, so I speak about public facts available on the FEC website," Terán said.
Protect Progress says on its website that it “supports Democratic candidates committed to securing the United States as the home to innovators building the next generation of the internet.”
