TRENTON, N.J. (VINnews) — Adam Hamawy, an Army veteran and former combat surgeon, won the Democratic primary for New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District on Tuesday, putting him in a strong position to succeed retiring Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman in one of the state’s most reliably Democratic districts.

Hamawy, who received support from several prominent progressive lawmakers, emerged victorious from a competitive primary field. His campaign emphasized his military service, medical career and humanitarian work.

The election also renewed attention on aspects of Hamawy’s past that have been the subject of political debate during the campaign. Critics pointed to volunteer work he performed in Bosnia during the 1990s with the Benevolence International Foundation, a charity that was later accused by U.S. authorities of having connections to individuals involved in terrorist activities.

Hamawy has never been accused of participating in terrorism or supporting extremist groups. His campaign has repeatedly rejected attempts to link him to the later actions of individuals associated with the organization, describing such attacks as misleading and politically motivated.

Questions were also raised about Hamawy’s past relationship with Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman, the Egyptian cleric known as the “Blind Sheikh,” who was convicted in connection with terrorism-related plots in the United States. Hamawy testified as a witness during Abdel-Rahman’s 1995 trial, a decision that critics continue to question decades later.

Campaign representatives say Hamawy has consistently condemned terrorism and violence and note that he went on to serve honorably in the U.S. military, including during the Iraq War, where he earned national recognition for helping save the life of then-Army helicopter pilot Tammy Duckworth following a combat-related crash.

With the Democratic nomination secured, Hamawy now advances to the general election, where he is widely viewed as the frontrunner in the heavily Democratic district.