Scoop: Inside the AOC vs. Shapiro proxy war

• The contest is also a microcosm of the nationwide civil war between the Democratic Party's liberal and centrist wings.

Driving the news: Ocasio-Cortez has endorsed Chris Rabb, a progressive firebrand state lawmaker from Philadelphia who's running for a U.S. House seat in a competitive, three-way Democratic primary.

• Ocasio-Cortez is rumored to be visiting Philadelphia this month to campaign for Rabb. She has also fundraised for Rabb and posted on social media in support of him.
• Shapiro has not been publicly active in the race, as AOC has.
• But Shapiro and his team have privately told allies that he disapproves of Rabb and has taken steps to block his path, according to three people familiar with the discussions.

Rabb has been a thorn in Shapiro's side for years. In January, he wrote on Instagram, "Governor Shapiro, stop state collaboration with ICE!"

• Rabb spoke at a protest that day aimed at pushing Shapiro, a moderate, to the left on his approach toward Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The rally was staged outside Shapiro's first stop on his book tour.
• That level of confrontation is rarely seen from Democratic state legislators toward the governor.
• Rabb also turned heads in 2022 when he didn't immediately shoot down calls from his supporters to challenge Shapiro in that year's gubernatorial primary. In the end, Rabb didn't run.

Behind the scenes: Shapiro has privately advised Philadelphia's building trades unions to avoid inadvertently helping Rabb, the lone progressive in the race, by attacking one of his center-left opponents, two of our sources told us.

• The sources said Shapiro suggested that the building trades, which are backing another candidate, Sharif Street, avoid running negative ads against a third contender, Ala Stanford.
• Street and Stanford are seen as traditional Democrats who share similar voters.

Some political insiders think Rabb could be a headache for a potential Shapiro 2028 campaign if he wins — because Rabb is likely to continue to clash with the governor, only on a larger stage.

• "Chris is an actual problem for [Shapiro] for what he wants to be when he grows up," said one Pennsylvania Democratic strategist.
• Rabb has called AOC "the progressive standard bearer of this generation."

What we're watching: Shapiro hasn't officially endorsed a candidate in the primary, and some Democrats think he is unlikely to do so given the political cross-pressures he's facing.

• Shapiro ally Rep. Dwight Evans (D-Pa.) is backing Stanford, while many of the governor's friends in labor support Street.
• To make matters more complicated, Shapiro has a strained history with Street.

The other side: Despite his differences with Rabb, Shapiro has alliances with others on the left. He's backing the Bernie Sanders–endorsed candidate, Bob Brooks, in Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District race. And he's aligned himself with a Working Families Party city council member in Philly.

• AOC isn't the only potential 2028er who endorsed Rabb: California Rep. Ro Khanna and Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen also have.

What they're saying: "This is yet another D.C. story more focused on clicks than the reality on the ground in Pennsylvania," said Shapiro spokesman Manuel Bonder.

• "The governor has not endorsed or opposed anyone in this primary — and he looks forward to working directly with whoever wins to win in November. Gov. Shapiro is focused on flipping Republican seats and winning up and down the ballot in November."
• Rabb's campaign declined to comment. An Ocasio-Cortez spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.

The intrigue: The clash between Shapiro and Rabb touches on some of the Democratic Party's most combustible issues: Israel and antisemitism.

• Rabb is a staunch Israel critic. Shapiro, who is Jewish, supports the country but opposes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's leadership.
• Some Democrats, including Stanford adviser Jay Howser, have accused Rabb of antisemitism. Howser is also a consultant for Shapiro.
• Rabb's critics have pointed to some of his comments, including a December social media post he recently disavowed suggesting the Bondi Beach massacre on Jews was a false-flag attack by "Zionists." A Rabb spokesperson blamed it on a former staffer, and his campaign said he strongly condemns antisemitism.

The bottom line: Many Pennsylvania Democrats think Rabb is within striking distance of winning a House seat.

• A recent poll found Rabb trailing Stanford by only five percentage points, while Street is behind both of them. The survey was conducted by a group backing Stanford.
• The winner of the Democratic primary this month is all but certain to carry the deep-blue seat in November.