Candidates Chart Separate Paths on Israel, Border, Health

Democratic candidates are stepping away from a single party line as the November midterms approach, with positions on Israel, immigration, transgender athletes and health care varying by district and state. Senator Chris Coons of Delaware, who could lead the Senate Foreign Relations Committee if Democrats take the chamber, called for a "thorough reexamination" of ties with Israel and said he would weigh sanctions on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has said the U.S. commitment to Israel's security "must be ironclad".

The change follows the war in Gaza, which began after the Hamas attacks of Oct. 7, 2023. More than 74,000 Palestinians have been killed, and a Pew Research Center survey earlier this year found 60 percent of U.S. adults hold an unfavorable view of Israel, a figure that rises to 80 percent among Democrats. Earlier this year, 40 Democratic senators backed a resolution disapproving proposed military sales to Israel, while seven sided with Republicans to block it.

Transgender rights have produced sharp disagreements. Ohio Representative Marcy Kaptur ran an ad saying, "Boys should not play in girls' sports," and South Carolina Senate candidate Annie Andrews said she opposes "biological men playing in women's sports." At a town hall in Portland, Maine, on Thursday, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez told a transgender student who felt "abandoned" that some in her party were wrong, saying she was ashamed people "scare so easily after an election."

Customs and Border Protection recorded more than 8 million border encounters between 2021 and 2025. Texas Senate candidate James Talarico calls himself a "border security Democrat" and backs stronger enforcement alongside comprehensive reform. Lucas Holtz of Third Way said such stances work because they are proactive. On the left, the fatal shootings of U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis earlier this year have fueled calls to abolish or overhaul ICE.

Health care divides candidates on method, not goal. Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed supports Medicare for All; Andrews wants lapsed Affordable Care Act subsidies restored and limits on insurer profits. KFF polling shows 66 percent of U.S. adults now back Medicare for All, up 13 points from October 2020. Holtz said all Democrats want to move toward universal coverage "in the best way possible."

Democrats need to win back control of both houses of Congress from Republicans. Since Donald Trump defeated Kamala Harris in 2024, divisions among Democrats have deepened, with establishment figures and self-described moderates facing pressure from progressive groups such as the Democratic Socialists of America.