As mid-term season ramps up, important primary races are underway in Texas and Illinois. The midterm elections will potentially reshape the U.S. Congress, making it critical to understand how important the outcomes are for Israel and its powerful slate of U.S. lobbying groups.
“We expect to be involved in dozens of races both in primaries and general elections this cycle,” said Patrick Dorton, a spokesman for AIPAC’s affiliated super PAC, the United Democracy Project (UDP).
According to Track AIPAC, there are currently only 21 members of U.S. Congress who have never accepted money from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC, the largest pro-Israel PAC in the US) or other pro-Israel lobby groups. The remaining 514 sitting members have all accepted varying amounts of fundraising money from pro-Israel lobbyists.
With the Illinois primary just two days away, AIPAC has spent more than $1.9 million on ads to replace retiring Rep. Danny Davis with Melissa Conyears-Ervin, the city treasurer of Chicago. She faces over a dozen other candidates in the upcoming primary. And IL Sen. Dick Durbin is retiring after more than 30 years in office, with three top Democratic candidates vying for his seat.
Durbin received more than $2.7 million in pro-Israel donations over his decades in office. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, who accepted more than $1.7 million in pro-Israel donations, is vying for his seat along with Rep. Robin Kelly, the recipient of just over $368,000 from Israeli lobbies and Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton, who has received just over $248,000.
U.S. Democratic Reps. Jan Schakowsky and Jesus “Chuy” Garcia are also retiring. Schakowsky has received more than $2.5 billion from Israeli lobbyists while Garcia hasn’t received any and rejects AIPAC. Dozens of Democrats are vying for those seats, with AIPAC playing an increasingly bigger role in candidates’ platforms.
Schakowsky, once a staunch supporter of Israel, has increasingly become critical of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the war in Gaza and recently withdrew her support of Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller to succeed her. Miller has pulled in more than $3.3 million in AIPAC-related donations. “Illinois deserves leaders who put voters first, not AIPAC or out-of-state Trump donors,” said Schakowsky. She endorsed Evanston Mayor Daniel Bliss instead, who has received just over $288,000 in pro-Israel funding.
The Texas Senate primaries have yielded tight races for Democrats and Republicans alike, with AIPAC once again playing a key role. James Talarico, who received just over $23,000 from pro-Israel interests, will face an as yet to be determined Republican challenger. Incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, who has accepted more than $2 million from AIPAC and other Israeli interests, is being challenged by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who received just over $53,000 from Israeli lobbyists.
The Republican primary was so close that the two candidates will face a runoff on May 26. Paxton’s success puts President Donald Trump in a sticky position. Trump himself has received more than $230 million from Israeli groups and it was expected he would endorse Israel’s candidate, Cornyn. But Paxton has gained traction within the MAGA movement, and Trump risks alienating his voters by endorsing Cornyn. Talarico’s popularity has been rising with some predicting he may turn one of Texas’s Senate seats blue for the first time in 33 years.
AIPAC and its offshoots began to ramp up spending during the 2022 midterms, shelling out more than $221 million between December of 2021 and January of 2026.
Their strategy has not always paid off though, as was the case in the recent Democratic primary special election in New Jersey. Israeli lobbyists spent more than $378,000 pushing former Rep. Tom Malinowski for a House seat. He was defeated by progressive candidate Analilia Mejia, who has been openly critical of Israel.
To learn if your U.S. representatives better reflect your interests or Israel’s, check Track AIPAC.
Picked a single sentence from this post to remember, and a look at trebleupper gave me another to keep, content that produces memorable lines is doing more than just transferring information and the small selection of sentences I keep from each reading session is one of the actual returns I get from reading carefully.
If I were grading sites on this topic this one would receive high marks, and a stop at gribump continued earning those high marks, the informal grading I do mentally for content sources is something I take seriously even though it is informal and this site has been receiving consistent high marks across multiple sessions today.
Good clean post, no errors and no awkward phrasing that breaks the reading flow, and a stop at goshfrost kept the same standard, definitely the kind of editorial care that earns a return visit because it tells me the writer is paying attention to details that matter to readers rather than just rushing publication.
Reading this triggered a small reorganisation of my own thinking on the topic, and a stop at jamsyx furthered that reorganisation, content that affects the shape of my mental model rather than just decorating it with new facts is content with structural rather than informational impact and this site provides that.
Now wishing more sites covered topics with this level of care, and a look at isebrook extended that wish across more subjects, the rarity of careful coverage on most topics is a problem and this site is one of the small antidotes to that broader pattern of casual or surface treatment of complex subjects.
Over the course of reading several posts here a pattern of quality has emerged, and a stop at hekarc confirmed the pattern, the difference between sites that hit quality occasionally and sites that hit it consistently is huge and this site has clearly demonstrated the consistent kind through what I have read this morning.
Reading this prompted me to dig into a related topic later, and a stop at findyourinspirationnow provided some of the starting points for that follow up reading, content that triggers further exploration rather than satisfying curiosity completely is content with real generative energy and this site has plenty of that energy throughout it.
Now thinking about how to apply some of this to a project I have been planning, and a look at hugtix added more material for the planning, content that connects to my actual creative work rather than just being interesting in the abstract is the kind that earns priority placement in my reading rotation consistently going forward.
Now noticing that the post did not mention the writer at all, focus stayed on the topic, and a look at pyxedge continued that author absent quality, content that disappears the writer to focus on the substance is a particular kind of generosity and this site has clearly chosen the substance over the personality consistently.
Really appreciate that the writer did not assume I would read every other related post first, and a look at cobqix kept that self contained feel going where each piece can stand alone, accessibility for new readers is a sign of generous editorial thinking and this site has clearly invested in that approach.
A piece that did not require external context to follow, and a look at tracesinger maintained the same self contained quality, content that stands alone without forcing readers to chase prerequisites is more accessible and this site has clearly thought about how each piece can serve a fresh visitor rather than only existing members.
A piece that handled a controversial angle without becoming heated, and a look at vinylvessel continued that calm engagement, content that can address contested topics without inflaming them is doing rare diplomatic work and this site has clearly developed the editorial maturity to handle sensitive material with the appropriate temperature of writing throughout.
Started reading without much expectation and ended on a high note, and a look at discoverlimitlessideas continued that arc, content that builds rather than peaks early is a sign of a writer who knows how to structure a piece for sustained reader engagement rather than relying on a strong hook to do all the work.
Thanks for the honest framing without exaggerated claims that the topic will change my life, and a stop at globalqualitystore kept the same modest tone, restraint in marketing language signals trustworthiness and the writers here are clearly playing the long game by building credibility rather than chasing immediate clicks through hyperbole.
Came in confused about the topic and left with a much firmer grasp on it, and after trumpetsash I felt I could explain this to someone else without hesitation, that is the gold standard for any educational content and most sites simply fail to reach it ever which is unfortunate but true.
A piece that suggested careful editing without showing the marks of the editing, and a look at findyournextmove continued that invisible polish, the best editing disappears into the prose and this site reads as having been edited with skill that does not announce itself which is the highest compliment I can offer any blog content.
Quality writing that respects the reader’s intelligence without overloading them, and a quick look at connectgrowthrive reflected that approach, a balanced thoughtful site that earns trust by being consistent rather than by shouting about how trustworthy it is which is the usual approach online sadly across most content categories.
Granted I am giving this site more credit than I usually give new finds, and a look at learnandoptimize continued earning that credit, the calibration of how much trust to extend after limited exposure is something I do carefully and this site has earned more trust on shorter exposure than most due to consistent quality across.
Generally my comment to other readers about new sites is to wait and see but for this one I would jump to recommend now, and a look at oldenneon reinforced that early recommendation, the speed at which a site earns my recommendation is itself a quality signal and this one has earned mine quickly clearly.
The lack of unnecessary jargon made the post accessible without sacrificing accuracy, and a look at discoverpowerfulideas continued in the same accessible style, technical topics often hide behind specialised vocabulary but here the writer trusts the reader to keep up with plain language and that trust pays off nicely throughout the entire post.
Really grateful for content like this, it does not waste my time and it does not insult my intelligence either, and a quick look at twinetyphoon was the same, balanced respectful writing that makes a person feel welcome rather than rushed through pages of forced engagement just to keep clicking around.
Now feeling confident enough in this site to use it as a reference point for evaluating others on the same topic, and a look at tildeserene continued the comparison friendly quality, sites that serve as quality benchmarks for their topic are precious and this one has clearly become a benchmark for me on this particular subject area.
A quiet piece that did not try to compete on volume, and a look at swiftvantage maintained that selective approach, sites that publish less but better are increasingly rare in an environment that rewards volume and this one has clearly chosen quality cadence over quantity which is a brave editorial decision in current conditions.
A small editorial detail caught my attention, the way headings related to body text, and a look at grobuff maintained that careful relationship, structural details like that show up to readers who notice them and the writers here have clearly thought about every level of the piece rather than just the words.
Most blog writing on this subject reaches for the same handful of arguments and this post avoided them, and a look at jeqblue continued the original treatment, content that finds its own path through territory other writers have flattened is content with real authorial energy and this site has plenty of that distinctive energy.
Reading this with a notebook open turned out to be the right move, and a stop at tallyvertex added more material to the notes, content that justifies active note taking from a passive reader is content with real informational density and this site is producing notes worthy material at a high rate consistently.
Reading this triggered a small but real correction in something I had assumed, and a stop at unionstaff extended that corrective effect, content that updates my beliefs through evidence rather than rhetoric is content with intellectual integrity and this site has earned that label consistently across the pieces I have read so far today.
Yesterday I was complaining about the state of online writing and today this site has temporarily fixed that complaint, and a look at honeymeadowmarketgallery extended that mood reversal, the short term mood improvement that comes from finding good content is real and this site has produced that improvement for me at a useful moment.
On reflection this is the kind of writing that improves my taste for what is possible in the format, and a look at grebeflame continued raising that bar, content that elevates my expectations rather than lowering them is doing important work in calibrating my standards and this site is participating in that elevation reliably.
Liked the natural conversational tone throughout, never stiff and never overly casual either, and a stop at vergetrophy kept that comfortable middle ground going, finding a tone that respects the reader without becoming distant or overly familiar is harder than it sounds and this site nails that balance consistently across many different pieces.
A clean piece that knew exactly what it wanted to say and said it, and a look at isebulb maintained the same clarity of intention, knowing the goal of a piece before writing is something most blog content lacks and the clarity of purpose here shows up in every paragraph for any careful reader to notice.
Came across this and immediately thought of a friend who would enjoy it, and a stop at thatchteapot also reminded me of someone, content that triggers the urge to share is content that has earned my recommendation and this site has earned multiple from me already across different conversations during the week.
Liked that the post left some questions open rather than pretending to settle everything, and a stop at syxblue continued that intellectual honesty, content that respects the limits of its own claims is more trustworthy than content that overreaches and this site has clearly figured out which positions it can defend confidently.
Really like the way the post resists reaching for cliches that would have made it feel generic, and a quick visit to learncontinuously kept that fresh feel going, original phrasing and unexpected metaphors are signs that the writer is actually thinking rather than just stitching together familiar phrases into the appearance of content.
Approaching this with the usual skepticism I bring to new sites and being slowly persuaded, and a stop at corlex continued that gradual persuasion, the careful path from skeptical reader to genuine fan is the only one I trust and this site has walked me along that path through patient consistent quality across pieces.
Took some notes for a project I am working on, and a stop at discovernewpossibilities added more raw material to those notes, content that contributes to my own creative work rather than just being interesting in the moment is the kind I value most and the kind I will keep coming back to repeatedly.
One of the more honest takes on the topic I have seen lately, no spin and no oversell, and a stop at createprogresspath kept that going, the kind of voice the open web could use a lot more of rather than the endless echo chamber of recycled opinions floating around every social platform these days.
High quality writing, no marketing speak and no buzzwords that mean nothing, and a stop at buildmeaningfulprogress kept that going, simple direct content that actually communicates something is harder to find than it should be and this is one of the rare places that gets it right consistently across many different posts.
Reading this gave me a quiet moment of intellectual pleasure that I had not been expecting, and a stop at onionoval extended that pleasure across more pages, the unexpected reward of stumbling into careful writing is one of the small ongoing pleasures of reading the open web and this site is delivering it reliably.
Came in confused about the topic and left with a much firmer grasp on it, and after stridertorch I felt I could explain this to someone else without hesitation, that is the gold standard for any educational content and most sites simply fail to reach it ever which is unfortunate but true.
Honestly slowed down to read this carefully which is not my default, and a look at discoverandgrow kept me in that careful reading mode, the kind of writing that demands attention by being worth attention is rare in a media environment full of content engineered to be skimmed not read with any real focus today.
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Liked the balance between depth and brevity, never too shallow and never too long, and a stop at turbansample kept the same balance going across the rest of the site, this is one of the harder skills in writing and the team here clearly has it figured out very well indeed across every page.
The post made the topic feel approachable without making it feel trivial, that is a fine balance, and a stop at shoreviper maintained the same balance, finding the middle ground between welcoming and serious is genuinely difficult and the writers here have clearly figured out how to consistently hit it well across many different posts.
A piece that left me thinking I had been undercaring about the topic, and a look at japarrow reinforced that mild concern, content that raises the appropriate weight of a subject without being preachy about it is doing important work and this site is providing that gentle elevation of attention for me consistently.
Liked the way the post handled the final paragraph, no neat bow but no abrupt cutoff either, and a stop at grohax continued that thoughtful ending pattern, endings are hard and most blog writers either over engineer them or skip them entirely and this site has clearly figured out a sustainable middle approach.
Now adding the writer to a small mental list of voices I want to follow, and a look at scopeviceroy reinforced that follow intention, the few writers whose work I actively track are writers who have demonstrated sustained quality and this writer has clearly demonstrated that sustained quality across the pieces I have sampled here today.
Reading this confirmed a small detail I had been uncertain about, and a stop at hekblade provided the source for further checking, content that supports verification through citations or links rather than just asserting facts is more trustworthy and this site has clearly built its credibility through that kind of verifiable approach consistently.
Ended up here on a wandering afternoon and was glad I stayed for the read, and a stop at huijax extended the wandering into a proper exploration of the site, the kind of place that rewards aimless clicking with something genuinely interesting rather than the shallow content that mostly populates the modern open web.
Now considering the post as evidence that careful blog writing is still possible, and a look at sambavarsity extended that evidence, the broader question of whether the modern web can sustain quality writing has obvious empirical answers in sites like this one and seeing them is reassuring even when they remain a minority overall today.