A brand new coalition of progressive teams is looking on candidates to reject AIPAC donations and spending in Democratic primaries.
Throughout the 2022 midterms, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) flooded Democratic primaries with advertisements towards progressives and critics of Israel’s insurance policies towards Palestinians. The group’s tremendous PAC, the United Democracy Mission (UDP), spent greater than $26 million final election cycle, just about solely in Democratic primaries, making it the largest-spending tremendous PAC in Democratic major contests.
UDP has amassed round $42 million this cycle, and within the months forward it’s anticipated to unload in Democratic primaries, with an allied tremendous PAC, Democratic Majority for Israel (DMFI), sitting on one other $3 million as of the most recent disclosures. Based on a number of stories, AIPAC is planning to spend at the very least $100 million in Democratic primaries this yr.
At present, practically two dozen progressive teams launched a “Reject AIPAC” coalition to push again towards the teams, in addition to to name on candidates to reject its endorsements and cash. Its members embody Justice Democrats, the Working Households Social gathering, US Marketing campaign for Palestinian Rights Motion, Jewish Voice for Peace Motion, Dawn Motion, and MPower Change Motion Fund.
The coalition is looking out the immense funding that AIPAC and UDP have obtained from donors with a deep historical past of supporting Republicans for workplace, cash that can gas marketing campaign mailers and TV advertisements in Democratic primaries.
“We can not let a darkish cash Tremendous PAC, particularly one which has endorsed 109 insurrectionist election-deniers, 200+ anti-abortion extremists, and is funded by Donald Trump and Nikki Haley’s megadonors, undermine our democracy,” the coalition mentioned in a press release. “Now’s the time for the entire of the Democratic Social gathering to Reject AIPAC as soon as and for all.”
UDP has raised tens of millions of {dollars} prior to now yr from Republican megadonors just like the billionaire Trump supporter Bernard Marcus and hedge fund magnate Paul Singer, who donated $5 million to a pro-Nikki Haley tremendous PAC. As AIPAC’s CEO acknowledged, a lot of UDP’s advertisements attacking Democratic major candidates final cycle didn’t point out Israel, as a substitute hammering challengers on different points.
The coalition says it plans to roll out a “seven-figure electoral protection marketing campaign throughout paid media and subject organizing efforts to defend members of Congress focused by AIPAC.”
Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman of New York, who faces a major problem from AIPAC-endorsed former Westchester County Govt George Latimer, and Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri, whose opponent Wesley Bell was endorsed by the pro-Israel lobbying group, are anticipated to be targets of AIPAC assault advertisements this yr.
