Progressives have been complaining loudly about the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) since the defeat of Rep. Jamaal Bowman of New York weakened the brigade’s power.
AIPAC is one of the biggest forces opposing Bowman, and has been active in the race, pouring millions of dollars into a long-shot campaign to elect Westchester County Mayor George Latimer in Tuesday’s primary.
Progressives in and outside of Congress see the group as overly intrusive and increasingly harmful, arguing it promotes money-centric, undemocratic ways to win elections.
“I think we need to have a serious conversation about AIPAC,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) told reporters after Bowman’s defeat.
In the House, progressive lawmakers expressed frustration as Democrats on both sides of the aisle tried to make sense of Tuesday’s election results.
Some called out AIPAC by name and argued that some of its funding comes from ultra-wealthy Republicans, while others offered more esoteric analysis of broader issues around outside spending.
“What we really need to be talking about is how the Republican apparatus – which is largely Republican and largely Republican-funded – is squandering money and playing a very divisive role within the Democratic Party,” added Ocasio-Cortez, who won the primary that night handily.
The influential group has sparked fierce debate among Democrats who are weighing the involvement of special interests this election cycle. Moderate Democrats have been AIPAC’s biggest allies, driven by a belief that funding helps candidates who demonstrate loyalty to Israel after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel. Meanwhile, left-leaning members of the Progressive Coalition worry that the group is setting a harmful precedent against outside spending of any kind.
They say reaching out to donors with ties to Republicans could backfire, and some of those benefits could go against Democratic policies.
“Right now, AIPAC, Democratic Majority Israel and Crypto may be the only groups in the primary, but if they can be successful, why can’t the NRA or Big Pharma do it?” said Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), former chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC).
The relatively low costs of financing lower-level elections make it easier for well-funded groups to enter a range of races with little disadvantage.
“Why wouldn’t anyone try to buy off a candidate in a primary where the prices are discounted?” Pocan said.
Rep. Greg Cassar (D-Texas), one of the newest CPC members to join “the team” in 2022, shared similar thoughts following Bowman’s loss.
“That will be… [a] “It’s a very dangerous situation as to who will be the next president,” Kasar said. “It could be Big Pharma, then Wall Street. Someone with a lot of money could put a lot more money into this election than grassroots donors can put into it.”
“Obviously, $25 million is a lot of money in a primary,” added Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.), chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, who, like other leading Democrats, supported Bowman and was surprised by the amount of money being spent.
Bowman’s defeat came just four years after he defeated a 16-term moderate to win the House of Representatives, but progressives are wary of what unrestricted spending could mean for a shrinking campaign. Left-leaning strategists, campaign advisers and activists working to protect incumbents and recruit candidates have been increasingly publicly critical of AIPAC, after seeing $20 million spent in New York’s 16th Congressional District, $15 million of which came from pro-Israel sources.
“The more money AIPAC pours into them, the more it unites everyone else against them,” said Hassan Martini, a Democratic activist who runs the group No Dem Left Behind. “The impact of these harmful actions will be felt politically for the pro-Israel lobby far into the future.”
Some Democrats see alliances like AIPAC, the Democratic Majority for Israel and the Unity Democracy Project as useful proxies for President Biden’s approach to Israel, especially in the wake of Hamas attacks that have left more than 1,000 dead.
But many on the far left see Biden as taking a more hardline stance during his first term and see the pro-Israel spending as elevating what they see as flawed policies in the region.
One progressive activist said Bowman’s firing showed “how far things have gone backwards since we conformed to Biden’s centrist and frankly pro-war worldview.”
AIPAC plans to stay involved, and progressives are working to protect another vulnerable “Squad” member, Rep. Cori Bush (D-Missouri), also in the Aug. 6 primary.
Bush was one of the first progressive House members to denounce the millions of dollars being poured into Bowman, who is facing a tough re-election fight.
“AIPAC and its allies, with the support of far-right Donald Trump megadonors, have poured massive amounts of money into this primary election, showing how desperate these billionaire extremists are to buy off our democracy, advance their own interests and silence voices of progress and justice,” Bush said in a statement.
“There should be no question about the need to keep big money out of politics,” she added.
Bush, a Black Lives Matter activist who won a House seat the same year as Bowman, predicted a similar development could play out in his race against AIPAC-backed prosecutor Wesley Bell.
“The same extremists are coming to St. Louis, funding fake progressives and former Republican campaign operatives to buy deep blue Democratic seats,” Bush said. “But let me be clear: St. Louis will not be silenced or betrayed. We will rise up — louder and stronger than ever — to show that our voices, our votes and our values are not for sale.”
AIPAC spokesperson told The Hill that the group’s support spans the political spectrum, including many within the progressive caucus. The group endorses 28 CPC members.
“We endorse candidates from both parties based on the sole criterion of their commitment to strengthening U.S.-Israel relations,” the spokesperson said. “We endorse a number of progressive candidates, including from the Democratic leadership and nearly half of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Congressional Black Caucus and Congressional Hispanic Caucus.”
“We are the largest PAC donor to Democratic candidates and progressive caucuses,” the spokesperson added.
Both Mr. Bush and Mr. Bowman have spoken out against the Israeli military and government and expressed solidarity with the Palestinians amid the ongoing war in Gaza, where some estimates have left tens of thousands dead. Their defiance has created new political fragility as Democrats struggle to find common ground on the issue.
President Bush’s call for a ceasefire and his criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government gave AIPAC and affiliated groups an opportunity to work to replace a progressive congresswoman with Bell, who is openly pro-Israel.
“AIPAC’s grassroots members are proud to endorse a strong pro-Israel progressive Democrat like Wesley Bell,” the spokesperson added. “Since entering Congress in 2021, Cori Bush has been one of Israel’s most hostile critics and has actively worked to undermine mainstream Democratic support for the U.S.-Israel relationship.”
Mychael Schnell and Mike Lillis provided assistance.
