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.
Found this really helpful, the explanations are simple but they actually answer the questions a normal reader would have, and after I followed boundcoil I had a clearer sense of the topic, no extra fluff just useful points laid out in a sensible order that made the time worth it.
Reading this slowly in the morning before opening email, and a stop at ardenburst extended that protected attention, content that earns the prime morning reading slot before the daily distractions begin is content with elevated status and this site has earned that prime slot consistently in my recent reading habits clearly.
Found the writing surprisingly fresh for what is by now a well covered topic, and a stop at crocboard kept that freshness going across the related pages, original perspective on familiar ground is hard to come by and this site has clearly earned its place in the conversation rather than just rehashing old ideas.
Reading more of the archives is now on my plan for the weekend, and a stop at thoughtfullyselectedproducts confirmed the archive worth the time, the rare archive worth a dedicated reading session rather than just casual sampling is the rare archive of serious work and this site has clearly produced enough of that work to warrant the deeper exploration.
A piece that handled the topic with appropriate weight without becoming portentous, and a look at intentionalclickpingcollective continued that calibrated seriousness, content that takes itself seriously without becoming pompous is something this site has clearly figured out and the balance shows up in every piece I have read across multiple sessions now.
Reading this in a relaxed evening setting was a small pleasure, and a stop at myvetcoach extended the pleasant evening reading, content that fits the tone of relaxed time without becoming forgettable is what I look for in evening reading and this site has the right tone for that particular slot in my daily reading routine.
Looking for similar voices elsewhere has come up empty in my recent searches, and a stop at forgecabins extended the search frustration, the rare site that does what no other does in quite the same way is precious and this one has clearly developed a particular approach that I have not been able to find duplicates of.
Now noticing the careful balance the post struck between confidence and humility, and a stop at timberlineattic maintained the same balance, finding the line between asserting and admitting is hard and this site has clearly developed the calibration to walk that line consistently which produces a more persuasive reading experience for me.
Reading this gave me a small refresher on something I had partially forgotten, and a stop at urbanfieldgallery extended the refresher, content that strengthens existing knowledge rather than just adding new is content with a particular kind of consolidating value and this site is providing that consolidating function across multiple visits.
Glad the writer did not feel compelled to cover every possible angle of the topic, focus is a virtue, and a stop at contemporarylivingstore reflected the same disciplined scope, knowing what to leave out is half of what makes good writing good and this post has clearly been edited with that principle in mind.
Worth recognising that the post did not pretend to be the final word on the topic, and a stop at zestvendor continued that humility, content that admits its own scope and limits is more trustworthy than content that overreaches and this site has clearly developed the editorial maturity to know what it can and cannot claim well.
A clean read with no irritations, and a look at timelessdesignsandgoods continued that frictionless quality, the absence of small irritations is something I notice only when present elsewhere and this site is one of the rare places where everything just works and lets me focus on the substance rather than fighting the format.
Yesterday I was complaining about the state of online writing and today this site has temporarily fixed that complaint, and a look at mistmarket 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.
A genuine compliment to the writer for keeping the post focused on what mattered, and a look at blazeclose continued that disciplined focus, focus is a editorial choice that compounds across many small decisions and this site has clearly made those small decisions consistently across what I have read so far this week here.
Came across this through a roundabout path and now it is on my regular rotation, and a stop at saucierstudio sealed that decision, the open web still produces serendipitous discoveries when you let the citations and references guide you rather than relying purely on algorithmic feeds for new content recommendations always.
Genuine pleasure to read, and that is not something I say often after a casual click through, and a quick visit to compasscabin kept the same feeling going across the rest of the site, finding writing that actually feels good to spend time with rather than just functional is increasingly rare on the open web.
Without comparing too aggressively to other sources this one stands out for the right reasons, and a look at civiccask continued that distinctive quality, content that distinguishes itself through substance rather than style tricks is content with lasting differentiation and this site has clearly chosen substance based differentiation as its core editorial strategy.
Just sat back at the end of the post and felt grateful that someone took the time to write it, and a look at consciousconsumerhub extended that gratitude across more of the site, recognising effort behind quality work is part of what makes the open web a community rather than just a marketplace today.
Liked that the post landed without needing to manufacture controversy or take a contrarian stance for attention, and a stop at ariabee continued that grounded approach, content that earns attention through quality rather than provocation is the kind that builds long term trust rather than burning it on quick wins.
During the time spent here I noticed the absence of the usual distractions, and a stop at balticarrow extended that distraction free experience, content that does not fight my attention with pop ups and modals and aggressive prompts is content that respects me and this site has clearly chosen the respectful approach throughout.
Started smiling at one paragraph because the writing was just nice, and a look at croccocoa produced a couple more such moments, prose that produces small spontaneous reactions in the reader is doing more than just transferring information and the writers here are clearly hitting that level fairly consistently throughout pieces.
Now organising my browser bookmarks to give this site easier access, and a look at artfulhomeessentials earned the same organisational priority, the small acts of digital housekeeping I do for sites I expect to use often are themselves a measure of trust and this site has triggered the trust based housekeeping behaviour from me clearly.
Started reading without much expectation and ended on a high note, and a look at urbaninspiredlivingstore 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.
Reading this slowly because the writing rewards a slower pace, and a stop at bowbotany did the same, the pace at which I read content is something I now use as a quality signal and writing that earns a slower pace earns my attention as a reader looking for substance these days.
This stands out compared to similar posts I have read recently, less noise and more substance, and a look at honestgrovecorner 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.
Useful reading material, the kind I can hand off to someone newer to the topic without worrying about confusing them, and a quick look at silverhorizoncollective confirmed the same beginner friendly tone runs throughout the site which is great for sharing with people just starting their learning journey on this particular topic.
Now recognising that this site has earned a place in the small group of resources I treat as authoritative, and a stop at vaultbasket 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.
Now thinking about how to apply some of this to a project I have been planning, and a look at upvendor 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.
Took me back a step or two on an assumption I had been making, and a stop at thoughtfulclickpingplatform pushed that reconsideration further, writing that gently corrects the reader without being aggressive about it is a rare diplomatic skill and the team here clearly knows how to land critical points without turning readers off.
Reading this slowly in the morning before opening email, and a stop at softwillowcorner extended that protected attention, content that earns the prime morning reading slot before the daily distractions begin is content with elevated status and this site has earned that prime slot consistently in my recent reading habits clearly.
Felt energised after reading rather than drained, which is unusual for online content these days, and a look at blissbrick continued that good feeling, content that leaves you better than it found you is rare and worth bookmarking when you stumble across it for the first time today or any other day really.
Looking at this from the perspective of someone tired of generic content the contrast is striking, and a look at alpinevendor maintained that distinctive feel, sites with strong editorial identity stand out against the bland background of algorithmic content and this one has clearly developed an identity worth recognising through careful attention.
A piece that read as the work of someone who reads carefully themselves, and a look at intentionalconsumerstore continued that informed feel, writers who are also serious readers produce work with a different quality and this site reads as the product of someone steeped in good writing rather than just generating content for an audience.
Picked this up between two other things I was doing and got drawn in completely, and after ariabrawn my original tasks were completely forgotten for a while, content that derails a workflow in a positive way by being more interesting than what you were already doing is rare and worth recognising clearly.
I appreciate the clarity here, everything is explained in simple terms without unnecessary detail, and after a quick stop at stageofnations the points came together nicely for me, the writing keeps things straightforward and respects the reader from start to finish without ever talking down to anyone.
Now appreciating that I did not feel exhausted after reading, and a stop at purposefulclickpingexperience extended that energising quality, content that leaves me with more attention than it consumed is rare and the gap between draining and energising content is real over the course of a typical day spent reading widely online.
My professional context would benefit from having this kind of resource available, and a look at capeasana extended the professional applicability, the rare site that contributes meaningfully to professional work rather than just personal interest is content with multiplied value and this one is providing that professional utility consistently across multiple pieces.
One of the more honest takes on the topic I have seen lately, no spin and no oversell, and a stop at curateddesignandliving 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.
Stayed longer than planned because each section earned the next, and a look at crustbeige kept that pulling effect going across more pages, the kind of subtle pull that good writing exerts on attention is something I find harder and harder to resist when I encounter it on the open web today.
Picked a single sentence from this post to remember, and a look at conchbook 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.
A piece that suggested careful editing without showing the marks of the editing, and a look at minimalmodernclickping 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.
A particular kind of restraint shows up in the writing, and a look at balticbull maintained the same restraint across pages, knowing what not to say is just as important as knowing what to say and this site has clearly developed strong instincts on both sides of that editorial line throughout pieces I have read.
Came here from a search and stayed for the side links because they were that interesting, and a stop at micapacts took me even further into the site, the kind of organic exploration that good content invites is something most sites kill through aggressive interlinking and pushy navigation choices rather than relying on quality.
Came in tired from a long day and the writing held my attention anyway, and a stop at softwildrose kept that going, content that can engage a fatigued reader is doing something right because most online reading happens in suboptimal conditions like that one and quality content adapts to it without complaint.
Thanks for keeping the writing direct without losing the warmth that makes content feel human, and a stop at wickerlane carried both qualities forward, balancing professionalism and personality is a rare skill and the writers here have clearly figured out how to consistently land it across many posts which I notice.
Worth recommending broadly to anyone who reads on the topic, and a look at nervora only confirms that, the rare combination of accessibility and depth in this site makes it suitable for both newcomers and people who already know the area which is hard to pull off in any blog format today and rarely managed.
Liked that the post landed without needing to manufacture controversy or take a contrarian stance for attention, and a stop at yovrisa continued that grounded approach, content that earns attention through quality rather than provocation is the kind that builds long term trust rather than burning it on quick wins.
Closed the tab with a small sense of finality rather than the usual rushed exit, and a stop at elevatedhomeandstyle produced the same considered closing, when reading ends with deliberate satisfaction rather than impatient skip you know the time was well spent and this site is producing those satisfying endings consistently across what I read.
Most blog writing on this subject reaches for the same handful of arguments and this post avoided them, and a look at jewelvendor 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.
Now wishing more sites covered topics with this level of care, and a look at bowcask 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.