How Much Influence Does Israel Have Over U.S. Elected Officials?

Bernie Sanders’ 2020 national campaign director Analilia Mejia beat AIPAC-backed candidate Tom Malinowski in NJ’s recent special election

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.

Tweet
Share
Pin
Share
0 Shares

8,470 Comments

  3. Good quality through and through, no rough edges and no signs of being rushed, and a quick look at elitetrendcenter kept the same polish going, the kind of site that respects its own brand by maintaining consistency across pages which is something I always appreciate as a reader looking for trustworthy information online today.

  4. A slim post with substantial content per word, and a look at easyonlinepurchases maintained the same density, the content per word ratio is something I track informally and this site scores high on that ratio compared to most sources I read regularly which is a quiet indicator of careful editorial work behind the scenes.

  6. Reading this prompted me to clean up some old notes related to the topic, and a stop at quickcartworld extended that organising urge, content that triggers personal organisation rather than just consuming attention is content with motivating energy and this site has the kind of clarity that prompts active follow up rather than passive consumption.

  7. Honestly enjoyed not being sold anything for the entire duration of the post, and a look at growthsteeringhub kept that pleasant absence going across more pages, content that exists for its own sake rather than as a funnel to a paid product is increasingly rare and worth supporting where I can find it.

  9. Left me wanting to read more rather than feeling burned out, that is a good sign, and a look at dawnmeadowgoodsroom confirmed there is plenty more here to explore, the kind of writing that builds appetite rather than killing it which is a rare quality on the modern open internet today across most categories of content.

  15. Now adding this site to a small mental group of recommendations I keep ready for specific kinds of inquiries, and a stop at clarityvector extended the recommendation readiness, content that I can confidently point friends and colleagues toward in specific contexts is content with real social utility and this site has that utility clearly.

  16. Now noticing the post fit a particular gap in my reading without my having articulated the gap before, and a look at autumncovecraftcollective extended that gap filling effect, content that meets needs I had not consciously formulated is content with reader insight and this site has clearly developed that anticipatory editorial sense across many pieces.

  18. Thanks for putting this online without locking it behind email signups or paywalls, and a quick visit to opalmeadowgoodsgallery kept that open feel going, content that trusts the reader to come back rather than gating access is the kind of approach I will reward with regular return visits over time happily.

  19. Quietly enthusiastic about this site after the past few hours of reading, and a stop at visioncatalyst extended that enthusiasm, the calibration of enthusiasm to evidence is something I try to maintain and this site has earned a calibrated quiet enthusiasm rather than the loud excitement that usually fades within a day or two of finding something.

  22. This stands out compared to similar posts I have read recently, less noise and more substance, and a look at bayharbortradehall kept that gap going, you can really feel the difference between content made by someone who cares versus content made to fill a publishing schedule for an algorithm trying to keep growing somehow.

  23. Worth flagging this site to a few specific friends who would appreciate the editorial sensibility, and a look at fastgoodscorner added more pages I will mention to them, recommending sites to specific people requires understanding both the site and the person and this site is making those personalised recommendations easy and natural for me.

  26. Probably going to mention this site in a write up I am working on later this month, and a stop at actionengineered provided more material for that potential mention, content worth referencing in my own published work rather than just personal reading is content with the highest endorsement level and this site has earned that endorsement.

  29. Such writing is increasingly rare and worth supporting through attention, and a stop at creekharborartisanexchange extended that supportive attention across more pages, the conscious choice to spend time on sites that produce careful work rather than convenient consumption is itself a small form of patronage and this site is receiving that conscious patronage from me.

  30. Skipped lunch to finish reading, which says something, and a stop at directioncreatestraction kept me at my desk longer than planned, when content beats the lunch impulse the writer has done something genuinely impressive in an attention environment full of immediately satisfying alternatives competing for the same finite block of reader time.

  33. The clarity here is something I really appreciate, especially compared to sites that pile on jargon for no reason, and a look at directiondrivesexecution was the same, simple direct sentences that actually deliver information instead of dancing around the point for paragraphs at a time which wastes reader patience.

  34. Found the post genuinely useful for something I was working on this week, and a look at executeideasnow added more material I will reference, content that connects to my actual life and work rather than just being interesting in the abstract is the kind I will pay attention to and return to repeatedly.

  35. Reading this felt easy in the best way, no friction and no confusion at any point, and a stop at autumncovemerchantgallery carried that same comfort across more pages, the kind of editorial flow that lets you absorb information without fighting the format which is increasingly hard to find on the open web today across topics.

  38. Mobil bahis için doğru uygulamayı arıyordum uzun zamandır. Play Store’da resmi olanı bulamayınca üzüldüm. Güncel bilgileri kontrol edip süreci hatasız başlattım. En sonunda sağlam bir kaynağa ulaştım ve size de tüm detayları aktarmak istedim, güncel bilgilere buradan bakabilirsiniz: 1xbet mobile yukle 1xbet mobile yukle. Şimdi size kısaca özet geçeyim — mobil uygulaması gerçekten akıcı çalışıyor.

    güncellemeleri de düzenli geliyor. İşin doğrusunu söylemek gerekirse — kesinlikle pişman olmazsınız deneyin derim. Herkese hayırlı olsun…

  39. Now recognising that this site has earned a place in the small group of resources I treat as authoritative, and a stop at gildedgrovegoodsroom confirmed that placement, the difference between resources I trust and resources I just consume is real and this site has clearly moved into the trusted category through consistent quality over time.

  40. Worth pointing out that the writer made the topic feel more interesting than I had been expecting, and a look at directionbuildsconfidence continued that elevation effect, content that improves the apparent quality of its subject through skilled treatment is doing something real and this site has clearly developed that kind of editorial alchemy throughout.

  42. 1xbet mobil indir nasıl yapılır diye çok araştırdım valla. Güncel apk dosyasını nereden indireceğimi bilemedim bir türlü. Adımları doğru sırayla uyguladıktan sonra erişim sorunsuz açıldı. En sonunda güvendiğim bir kaynağa ulaştım ve size de tüm detayları aktarmak istedim, güncel bilgilere buradan bakabilirsiniz: 1xbet mobii 1xbet mobii. Yani anlatmak istediğim şu — mobil uygulaması inanılmaz stabil çalışıyor.

    kurulumu da çok hızlıydı yani rahat olun. Kendi deneyimlerimi aktarıyorum size — en sağlam uygulama bu oldu artık. Şimdiden iyi şanslar ve bol kazançlar…

  43. Now adding this site to a small mental group of recommendations I keep ready for specific kinds of inquiries, and a stop at growstepbyintent extended the recommendation readiness, content that I can confidently point friends and colleagues toward in specific contexts is content with real social utility and this site has that utility clearly.

  44. This actually answered the question I had been searching for, and after I checked progressoverperfection I had a few more pieces I had not realised I needed, that is the sign of a site that knows what its readers want before they even know how to ask it which is impressive.

  46. Pleasant surprise, the post delivered more than the headline promised, and a stop at caramelharborvendorhall continued that pattern of under promising and over delivering, the rarest combination on the modern web where most content does the opposite by promising the world and delivering thin recycled summaries instead each time you click on something interesting.

  50. Such writing is increasingly rare and worth supporting through attention, and a stop at birchharbormerchantgallery extended that supportive attention across more pages, the conscious choice to spend time on sites that produce careful work rather than convenient consumption is itself a small form of patronage and this site is receiving that conscious patronage from me.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *