Durham County Commissioner Nida Allam, a progressive Democrat backed by Senator Bernie Sanders, launched a primary challenge this week against Representative Valerie Foushee for her House seat next year, according to The Hill. This is a massive move that pits a rising star against an established incumbent, highlighting the generational and ideological split currently happening within the Democratic Party.
Allam didn’t waste any time getting straight to the point about why she’s challenging the sitting congresswoman. In her roughly two-minute campaign ad, Allam directly attacked the establishment political machine, suggesting that corporate money is actively harming her district. “Everywhere you look in our district, people are working, caring, creating, building the community we all want to be a part of, but not in Washington, at least not for us,” Allam said.
She hit hard on the idea that political funding essentially buys silence, pointing out that her district suffered the highest number of federal funding cuts in the entire country. Allam suggests that the congresswoman remained “silent” while this was happening. “When right-wing and corporate PACs fund our politicians, they buy silence,” Allam added. “I’m not here to stay quiet while Washington fails us. I’m here to fight for the people who built this district.”
Foushee had raised support from some questionable groups
Allam is likely referring to past support Foushee received from groups like the pro-Israel American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and a political organization linked to disgraced cryptocurrency entrepreneur Sam Bankman-Fried. To her credit, Representative Foushee has already donated the money she received from Bankman-Fried’s group to a nonprofit organization. Her campaign has also stated that she will decline money from AIPAC during this election cycle.
The fact that Allam is going straight for the financial jugular shows just how serious this challenge is. The 31-year-old commissioner has already rolled out a massive roster of progressive endorsements alongside Senator Sanders. These include powerful groups like Justice Democrats, the Sunrise Movement, Leaders We Deserve, and the Working Families Party. Zohran Mamdani’s victory in the NYC mayoral election against Andrew Cuomo also bears good news for Allam’s campaign.
This primary is happening against a serious backdrop of generational change within the party. Allam, at 31, is challenging Foushee, who is 69. Many Democrats are starting to feel that some incumbents have just served in Congress for too long and aren’t equipped to handle the current political landscape, especially as the party deals with the reality of a second Trump administration.
While Allam did run for this same seat in 2022 and lost to Foushee in the primary, her inspiration for entering politics remains deeply personal and powerful. Allam has previously shared that she was inspired to run for office after three of her friends, all Muslim, were murdered during the 2015 Chapel Hill shooting. She’s clearly ready to fight, and with this level of progressive backing, you can expect this primary to be absolutely intense.
Published: Dec 11, 2025 02:30 pm