Two years ago, the brand awareness of AIPAC mostly swirled among political insiders. Today, AIPAC is an increasingly radioactive word and political liability.
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee is a powerful bipartisan, unapologetic pro-Israel lobby. The genocide in Gaza awakened the general public to the outsized influence AIPAC exerts on members of Congress to unconditionally fund Israel. In Tuesday’s Illinois primary, my colleagues reported AIPAC spent close to $25 million on four Democratic U.S. House races.
Dark money is hardly a new phenomenon, but this election cycle opened up a number of seats — shaking the political landscape for years to come. Through political action committees, money supports campaigns without working directly with candidates. AIPAC money backed winners Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller in the 2nd District and former U.S. Rep. Melissa Bean in the 8th District. PACS working in the 9th and 7th districts didn’t see their preferred candidates win; Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss and state Rep. La Shawn Ford, D-Chicago, won in two crowded races.
"AIPAC is trying to claim victory in the wake of an election in which it refused to be truthful about its own role in that election. They [AIPAC officials] are trying to convince the country that they are a powerful political entity, and yet they didn't have the backbone to tell voters what they were doing while they were doing it," said political strategist Jake Lewis. "Their brand is toxic."
Columnist
Columnist
The clandestine nature of AIPAC ads and mailers didn’t mention Israel. In fact, its PACS operated under progressive names to lure (or some say confuse) voters. Affordable Chicago Now supported Miller. Chicago Progressive Partnership worked against Kat Abughazaleh in the 9th District, while Elect Democratic Women Action Fund favored state Sen. Laura Fine, D-Glenview, in that race. United Democracy Project poured millions into backing Chicago City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-
