A closely contested race for an open House seat in Phoenix concludes today, as voters choose between two Democratic primary rivals with differing views on Israel.

The race pits Yassamin Ansari, the former vice mayor of Phoenix, against Raquel Terán, a former state legislator and party chair, who have embraced contrasting approaches to the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza — an issue that has drawn outside spending.

The pro-Israel community has coalesced behind Ansari, 32, who notched an endorsement in June from Democratic Majority for Israel’s political arm, DMFI PAC, which has spent just over $280,000 to boost her campaign in the final weeks of the race.

In a Middle East position paper circulated during the campaign, Ansari endorsed continued military aid to Israel “without additional conditions,” advocated for expanding the Abraham Accords and vowed to counter Iran’s influence in the region, including what she called its “financial support of terrorist groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah.”

Ansari, the first Iranian-American elected to hold public office in Arizona, insisted in an interview with Jewish Insider last February that there is “no future that Hamas can be a part of” in postwar Gaza, arguing that a two-state solution “will only be possible with the recognition that Israel has a right to peace and security.”

“That is not the ideology of Hamas,” she said.

For her part, Terán, 46, has been less forthcoming in publicly sharing her positions on Israel over the course of the primary, raising concerns among local Jewish leaders who have been frustrated by her lack of clarity on a key issue. 

Even as Terán has condemned Hamas and voiced support for Israel’s “right to defend itself,” she has refrained from directly confirming whether she will back unconditioned aid to Israel, which has been a top priority of pro-Israel groups engaging in House races in recent cycles.

In a draft of a policy paper written by Terán and obtained by JI on Monday, her vaguely worded comments on aid to Israel indicate that she is not aligned with her opponent on the structure of the funding. “I support U.S. aid to Israel and President Biden’s recent executive order to ensure that aid to Israel, like all countries we share aid with, follows existing U.S. law,” she wrote, making no reference to opposing conditions.

Among other finer but significant details, Terán’s draft paper also did not explicitly back the Taylor Force Act, which withholds aid to the Palestinian Authority on the condition that Ramallah ends payments to the families of terrorists. By contrast, Ansari has written that she is in favor of reinstating aid to United Nations agencies serving Palestinians, “as long as it is in compliance with” the law.

Terán’s cautious approach to addressing Israel, without landing on firm policy positions, reflects a delicate balancing act as she seeks to maintain a diverse coalition of supporters. The progressive activist has won endorsements from establishment Democrats such as Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and activist groups including the Working Families Party, which advocates for conditioning aid to Israel.

In addition, Terán has drawn campaign donations from Squad-aligned Israel critics including Reps. Greg Casar (D-TX) and Delia Ramirez (D-IL), who are both backed by the progressive group Justice Democrats.

Alma Hernandez, a Jewish Democrat and state legislator in Tucson who is backing Ansari, said that Terán’s support from groups and leaders on the far left is a deal-breaker for many pro-Israel voters in Phoenix.

“Raquel has shown herself to be hostile and has made it clear that she would rather have the support of groups and elected officials that support divestment and cutting aid to Israel, our greatest ally and the only democracy in the Middle East,” Hernandez, who has frequently criticized Terán, told JI in a text message on Monday, calling the primary a “very important” race that “many people are watching.”

Terán is also endorsed by J Street, the progressive Israel advocacy group, which supports placing what it calls “restrictions” on U.S. aid to Israel. “Terán has committed to supporting J Street positions in Congress,” the group writes on its website. “As a strong advocate for democracy in the U.S., Teran understands the importance of fighting far-right extremism and advocating for democracy in Israel.”

Despite their differences on Israel, both candidates have claimed the progressive label in the race while each promoting such domestic policies as Medicare for All.

While internal polling from the Ansari campaign has indicated that she is strongly positioned in the race to succeed Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) — who is vacating his seat in Arizona’s 3rd Congressional District to run for Senate — observers expect that the outcome will be close.

DMFI PAC, for instance, commissioned a private poll on the primary broadly showing a tight race between Ansari and Terán, according to a source familiar with the matter who spoke with JI on the condition of anonymity. “I think it’s going to be a close race,” the source said. “It could go either way.”

In a statement to JI, Terán touted what she described as “a strong and broad coalition committed to knocking on doors, making phone calls and investing in connections with voters.”

“Everyone on our team is invested in making sure that everyone in the Third Congressional District has a shot at a brighter future — from codifying our reproductive freedom to making life more affordable for working families to reforming our broken immigration system,” she said on Monday. “We’re all putting in the work we need to win on Tuesday and make history when we elect the first Latina to serve Arizona in Congress.”

A spokesperson for Ansari’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment from JI on Monday.