Progressives unleash fury on AIPAC after Bowman loss

Progressives are venting loudly about the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) after Rep. Jamaal Bowman’s (D-N.Y.) loss chipped away at the “squad’s” ranks.

AIPAC was one of the greatest forces working against Bowman, playing big by pouring millions into a successful long game to elect Westchester County Executive George Latimer in Tuesday’s primary.

In and out of Congress, progressives see the group as overly intrusive and increasingly damaging, arguing it is promoting an undemocratic way to win elections centered on money.

“I think we need to have a real conversation about the AIPAC,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) told reporters after Bowman’s defeat. 

Within the House chamber, progressive lawmakers unleashed their frustration as Democrats in both wings of the party sought to make sense of Tuesday’s results.

Some called out AIPAC by name, tracing parts of its funding to ultrarich Republicans, while others gave a more esoteric analysis of the broader problems with outside spending.

“What we do need to have a real conversation about is how a Republican — primarily Republican and largely Republican-financed — organization is playing and dumping money and playing an extremely divisive role in the Democratic Party,” added Ocasio-Cortez, who easily won her primary the same night.

The influential group has caused fierce debate among Democrats assessing special interest involvement this cycle. Centrist Democrats have been some of AIPAC’s biggest allies, built around the belief that their funding helps candidates who show loyalty to Israel after Hamas attacked it on Oct. 7. Others, largely in the more left-wing parts of the progressive coalition, worry such groups are creating a damaging precedent for outside spending of all kinds.

The GOP-linked donor approach, they say, could backfire. And some of those interests could work against the Democratic Party’s agenda.

“It may be right now, AIPAC and Democratic Majority for Israel and crypto money, they’re really the only groups that are in primaries, but if they’re successful, why wouldn’t the NRA or Big Pharma do this?” said Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), the former chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC). 

The relatively lower cost to help finance downballot races makes it easier for well-funded groups to jump into a variety of contests with little downside.

“Why wouldn’t everyone try to purchase candidates in primaries where the price is discounted?” Pocan said. 

Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas), one of the newest members of the CPC who joined the “squad” in 2022, shared similar thoughts in the wake of Bowman’s loss. 

“It becomes [a] very slippery slope where next it could be,” Casar said. “Big Pharma, next after that it could be Wall Street, it could be anyone with a, you know, enormous checkbook deciding to vastly outspend what grassroots donors can put into a race.”

“Obviously, $25 million … is a significant amount in a primary,” added Rep. Pete Aguilar (Calif.), the head of the House Democratic Caucus who, like other top Democrats, endorsed Bowman and was struck by the sheer number of dollars dropped.

Bowman’s defeat — just four years after joining the House by defeating a 16-term moderate — put progressives on alert for what unencumbered spending could mean for their shrinking team. Leftist strategists, campaign advisers and activists working to protect incumbents and recruit candidates have become more openly critical of AIPAC after observing the $20 million spent in New York’s 16th Congressional District, $15 million of which came from pro-Israel sources.  

“The more money AIPAC pours in, the more they are unifying everyone else against them,” said Hassan Martini, a Democratic operative who leads the group No Dem Left Behind. “The ramifications of these harmful actions will be felt far into the future for the pro-Israel lobby politically.”

Some Democrats see AIPAC and allies like the Democratic Majority for Israel and the United Democracy Project as helpful surrogates for President Biden’s approach to Israel, particularly in the wake of Hamas’s attack, which left more than 1,000 people dead.

Many on the far left, however, say Biden has become more hawkish during his first term and see pro-Israel spending as elevating what they view as a flawed policy in the region. 

Bowman’s ouster, one progressive activist said, demonstrates “how far back things have moved since we have acquiesced to Biden’s centrist and frankly prowar worldview.”

AIPAC plans to continue its engagement. And progressives are likewise working to protect another vulnerable “squad” member, Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.), in her Aug. 6 primary.

Bush was among the first House progressives to condemn the millions spent against Bowman as she contends with a hard reelection bid.

“AIPAC and their allies — backed by far-right Donald Trump megadonors — poured a tidal wave of cash into this primary race showing us just how desperate these billionaire extremists are in their attempts to buy our democracy, promote their own gain, and silence the voices of progress and justice,” Bush said in a statement.

“There should be no question about the need to get Big Money out of politics,” she added.

Bush, a Black Lives Matter activist who won her congressional seat the same year as Bowman, predicted a similar setup could play out in her race against prosecutor Wesley Bell, whom AIPAC endorsed.

“These same extremists are coming to St. Louis. They are bankrolling a faux-progressive, former Republican campaign operative to buy our deep blue Democratic seat,” Bush said. “But let me be clear: St. Louis will not be silenced or sold out. We will rise up, louder and stronger than ever to show that our voices, our votes, and our values are not for sale.” 

A spokesperson for AIPAC told The Hill its support spans the political spectrum, including many within the Progressive Caucus. The group has endorsed 28 CPC members. 

“We support candidates from both parties solely based on one criteria — their commitment to strengthening the US-Israel relationship,” the spokesperson said. “We support scores of progressive candidates including the Democratic leadership and nearly half of the membership of the congressional Progressive Caucus, Black Caucus and Hispanic Caucus.”

“We are the largest PAC contributor to Democratic candidates and Progressive Caucus members,” the spokesperson added.

Bush and Bowman have both shown disapproval of the Israeli military and government while expressing solidarity with Palestinians amid the ongoing war in Gaza, which estimate show has killed more than 30,000 people. Their defiance has created new political vulnerabilities as Democrats continue to struggle to find common ground on the issue.

Bush’s demands for a cease-fire and criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government have given AIPAC and related groups an opening to work to replace the progressive congresswoman with Bell, who is avowedly pro-Israel.

“AIPAC’s grassroots members are proud to support strong pro-Israel progressive Democrats like Wesley Bell,” the AIPAC spokesperson added. “Cori Bush has been one of the most hostile critics of Israel since she came to Congress in 2021 and has actively worked to undermine mainstream Democratic support for the U.S.-Israel relationship.”

Mychael Schnell and Mike Lillis contributed.