Progressive groups unite behind latest challenger as primaries against House Democrats spread

Durham County Commissioner Nida Allam is launching a Democratic primary challenge against Rep.

Durham County Commissioner Nida Allam is launching a Democratic primary challenge against Rep. Valerie Foushee of North Carolina with a slew of national progressive endorsements — the latest sign that the effort on the left to defeat sitting Democrats is more energized and organized than ever before.

“At a certain point we as a Democratic Party, and our leadership — we need to look at the urgency of what our residents are living with every single day. They can’t wait for relief. They can’t wait for three years for new leadership to fight for them. They need a champion now,” Allam told NBC News ahead of her Thursday campaign launch.

Allam is one of several challengers who have launched campaigns against House Democrats they believe are falling short in the fight against President Donald Trump’s administration. But Allam said she is the first to launch her campaign with a particular set of endorsements, from the groups Justice Democrats, Leaders We Deserve, the Working Families Party and the Sunrise Movement, as well as Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.

These groups and figures have endorsed a number of different candidates across the country ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. But the races where those efforts overlap highlight how the anti-incumbent movement has evolved into a broader, and bigger, effort to reshape the Democratic Party.

Justice Democrats, Leaders We Deserve and Sanders have also all backed state Rep. Donavan McKinney against Michigan Democratic Rep. Shri Thanedar. Sanders and the Working Families Party backed New York City Comptroller Brad Lander on Wednesday as he launched his campaign against Democratic Rep. Dan Goldman.