For Immediate Release

March 4, 2026

Contact: media@nidaallam.com

NIDA ALLAM: “THIS CAMPAIGN WAS FOR EVERY PERSON WHO HAS NEVER SEEN THEMSELVES IN OUR POLITICAL SYSTEM”

DURHAM, NC — With most of the votes counted, Durham County Commissioner Nida Allam trails Rep. Valerie Foushee’s by less than 1% in the Democratic primary for North Carolina’s 4th Congressional District and is conceding the race. The AI lobby and Super PACs aligned with Democratic leadership and AIPAC spent over $2 million in the final two weeks of the campaign to keep Allam from the Democratic nomination — and still won by less than a percentage point. The primary came just four years after AIPAC and Crypto Super PACs spent nearly $4 million to buy Rep. Foushee her first election to Congress.

Nida Allam released the following statement in response to the results:

“My faith teaches me that every moment is a test. We are tested on our graciousness in moments of joy, and on our patience in moments of difficulty. Though these were not the results we hoped for, I am proud of the movement we have built, the voices we have lifted up and the journey we have ahead.

“I am so thankful to every staffer, volunteer, endorser, supporter and voter who came together to build this movement that forced the establishment to call in every corporate favor to save one of their own. With a margin this close, every vote counted, and in a democracy unbought by corporate interests, voters’ voices would actually be heard. The AI lobby just bought their first seat in Congress. But despite their millions in last-minute spending, corporate lobbies were only barely able to eke out a win—because of the movement this campaign built.

“At a time of rising Islamophobia, xenophobia, and derision that have meant to divide our communities against each other, I am grateful for our movement who found it within ourselves to see a brighter future we could believe in. Compared with the last competitive primary in 2022, we drove a 55% increase in turnout for voters under 40 during early voting and an overall increase in total turnout of almost 40%. Over 60,000 voters turned out to vote for this campaign—and those 60,000 voters will be crucial for Democrats in North Carolina to win statewide in November. Voters are fired up and ready to turnout, but they are frustrated with a Democratic establishment that fails to meet this moment and fails to stand up to corporate Super PACs and warmongering lobbies. We proved to voters that you can take on the machine without ever selling out our values—and voters are looking for leaders like that to lead this Party forward. While we may not have won this race, the establishment should stay on watch. Our movement sounded the alarm for future Democratic primaries throughout this cycle.

“In the days ahead, the incumbent has a responsibility to half this district to earn their support. It should not take being challenged in a primary to take bold stances that voters overwhelmingly support, but I am proud that our movement pushed our incumbent to better reflect our deeply held values and convictions. It’s up to us as an entire district to demand that our Representative deliver on her promises.

“We must demand she not spend a single taxpayer dollar for forever wars or genocide. We must demand she support a national moratorium on AI data centers like the majority of her district—and fight back against the proposed data center in Apex. We must demand she actually call a genocide, a genocide. We must demand she fight to abolish ICE as they kidnap and murder our neighbors, not just take away their face masks and some of their funding. We must demand that she finally reject corporate PAC money once and for all, and actually fight to overturn Citizens United.

“This is our duty as constituents and moreover, our duty as voters who want to see a Democratic Party that not only reflects our values but fights with the urgency this moment demands. This Party has no future against Republicans if it continues to be a revolving door for corporate interests and billionaire donors. In this district alone, 60,000 voters are demanding a new direction, and our Party’s leaders can ignore them at their own peril.

“For every person who has never seen themselves in our political system, I want you to see that if a young, Muslim, immigrant woman in the South—who is willing to take on the establishment directly—can achieve what our campaign was able to and more, then anything is possible if we fight for it.”

The campaign inspired a national coalition of progressives who endorsed Allam since her launch, including Senator Bernie Sanders, Justice Democrats, Working Families Party, Leaders We Deserve, Sunrise Movement, Indian American Impact Fund, and Fig & Olive. Alongside them, dozens of local leaders—from the NC AFL-CIO and UE Local 150, to the Durham People’s Alliance, NCAAT, Wake County Dems Chair Wesley Knott, and so many more—invested in the better future they believed this community deserves.

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