Chris Rabb win in Pennsylvania energises Democrats’ progressive flank

Key points

• Rabb’s primary win all-but assures midterm victory in US House race, setting him on course to bolster party’s left.
• The victory of Chris Rabb in a US House of Representatives primary in Pennsylvania represents a boost to Democrats’ progressive flank, a movement that has come under heavy pressure in recent years.
• Running to represent a district stretching across Philadelphia, widely considered the “bluest” in the country, Rabb handily defeated his top competitors.
• The state lawmaker carried about 44 percent of the vote, compared with about 30 percent for State Senator Sharif Street and 24 percent for paediatric surgeon Ala Stanford.
• With no Republicans on the ballot in the primary, Rabb is expected to skate to victory in the midterm.