The "Squad" left suffers complete wipeout in Illinois

[RandySF]

The left suffered a virtually total collapse in the Illinois Democratic congressional primaries on Tuesday night — even in races where the AIPAC-backed candidate lost.

Why it matters: It's a bad sign for the dozens of insurgent Democrats running in congressional races across the country, both in open seats and as primary rivals to older or more establishment-oriented incumbents.

It's great news for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), who is most popular among the moderate and mainstream liberal wings of his party.

Most of the Democratic House candidates who have refused to commit to supporting Jeffries for leader or speaker are leftist insurgents.





https://www.axios.com/2026/03/18/the-squad-left-suffers-complete-wipeout-in-illinois

[leftstreet]

1. Is the "squad" still relevant?

[LetMyPeopleVote]

12. I never paid attention to the squad

[niyad]

2. "insurgents"?? Could that language be any more loaded, axios?

[MustLoveBeagles]

3. No kidding

[Cha]

4. Thanks Randy... I don't have time to

read who did win in Illinois.

I do know I Respect Hakeem Jeffries.

[Fiendish Thingy]

5. Axios bullshit spin. Nt

[BeyondGeography]

6. Just to round out the picture

AIPAC spent $20 million in IL on ads talking about anything but Israel. And then afterwards gloated that the results, which included two of their four preferred moderate candidates losing, proved that, “Being pro-Israel is good policy and good politics.”

Uh-huh.

A great night for Jeffries and any other business-as-usual Democrat would have been an AIPAC sweep. But you won’t read that in Axios.

[H2O Man]

8. Thank you.

[Celerity]

7. This RW language-loaded spin piece reads like it is a No Labels and/or Third Way and/or Blue Dog press release.

[Prairie Gates]

11. Agreed

But par for the course given the source (er...I mean Axios, of course...).

The celebratory tone is wild given Abugazaleh's remarkable overperformance in IL-9. For the usual Progressive Haters Club not to take that seriously is a laughable mistake. The article has all the hallmarks of whistling past the graveyard.

[TBF]

9. Axios --

"Most of the Democratic House candidates who have refused to commit to supporting Jeffries for leader or speaker are leftist insurgents."

[Takket]

20. I wondered if any of the rethugs that ousted McCarthy were ever called "insurgents"

Using a word that has been used exclusively in Recent years to describe fanatical terrorist ground like ISIS is definitely a choice.

[BlueTsunami2018]

10. "Leftist insurgents"

As if any of these people are leftists.

As if there would be anything wrong with siding with the working class over the ruling class.

We’re never going to get where we need to go if punching left is more important than punching right.

[betsuni]

16. Who and how are any of the winning Democrats siding with the ruling class over the working class?

[SocialDemocrat61]

13. Too many have misinterpreted Mamdani's win in NYC

They took it as some sign that certain candidates can win, instead of realizing that a big part of his win was the unpopularity of his chief opponent.

[RandySF]

14. And Mamdani's personal qualities.

Candidates matter.

[Quiet Em]

15. Progressives would be wise to follow Mamdani's blueprint

He spoke about affordability and economics in ways that people could relate and he did so without ignoring or playing down the very real social and civil right issues that so many are facing.

He reached out to Democrats, spoke with them and built a solid coalition. He didn't denigrate the Democratic Party or Democratic leaders.

He addressed the humanitarian crisis in Gaza without discussing AIPAC.

[betsuni]

18. Yes. He's nice! Positive -- didn't run against the Democratic Party as if the myth that the party is wildly unpopular

with Democrats is true. Visited Trump and nobody accused him of caving, being complicit, a Vichy Democrat and so on -- a Mamdani miracle!

Democrats being politicians is seen as bad by the anti-Democrats because it's compromise and cooperation and incrementalism as government is, while their candidates have to try to be seen as uncompromising ideologically pure unpoliticians -- a difficult position!

[spanone]

19. Did they really print this?

"Most of the Democratic House candidates who have refused to commit to supporting Jeffries for leader or speaker are leftist insurgents"

fuck 'em

[PeaceWave]

21. Some folks' surprise at the use of the term "leftist insurgents" raises an interesting point...

That being...How exactly do the most progressive of progressives think they are viewed by moderate and mainstream liberals? Seriously. You can't express continued disdain for a group of people and not eventually have them view you the same exact way.

[TBF]

22. One can disagree with someone and not refer to them as a terrorist -

despite what Donald Trump and assorted others seem to think.

[PeaceWave]

23. Please tell me the dictionary that defines an "insurgent" as a "terrorist."