Four Democratic House primaries in Illinois on Tuesday delivered mixed results for an array of super PACs tied to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee that spent more than $20 million to try to influence the outcomes.
The pro-Israel lobbying group and its allies became a focal point in several closely watched contests in safely Democratic districts where the party’s nominees will be heavily favored in November.
Two of the victors, Melissa Bean, a former U.S. representative, and Donna Miller, a Cook County commissioner, were buoyed by a barrage of cash from groups linked to AIPAC. But two other winners, Daniel Biss, the progressive mayor of Evanston, and La Shawn K. Ford, a state legislator, triumphed over candidates favored by the PACs.
In some cases, other big-money groups aligned with the cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence industries also failed to achieve their desired outcome. Former Representative Jesse Jackson Jr., for instance, was backed by A.I. money and lost on Tuesday.
The results showed the complex role that well-funded outside groups are playing in this year’s midterm elections. In some cases, they are able to tip the balance of close races in their favor through big spending — but their presence in closely watched contests can also serve as a rallying point for their opponents.
Ninth District: A face-saving effort by AIPAC
In the House primary that got the most attention, groups tied to AIPAC spent at least $5.8 million backing Laura Fine, a state senator who favored no restrictions on military aid to Israel, and opposing Mr. Biss, the grandson of Holocaust survivors and a critic of the Israeli government who has stopped short of terming Israel’s war in Gaza a genocide.
But with Ms. Fine trailing in polls and Kat Abughazaleh, a progressive influencer much more critical of Israel, on the rise, the PACs appeared to shift strategy, boosting a long-shot progressive, Bushra Amiwala, in what many saw as a closing effort to dilute Ms. Abughazaleh’s support. In her concession speech, Ms. Abughazaleh assailed the “millions in AIPAC spending, dark-money smear campaigns, institutional power tipping the scales.”
And Mr. Biss, at his victory party, proclaimed that “the Ninth District is not for sale.”
In a social media post, AIPAC alluded to the mixed nature of its results on Tuesday, acknowledging its presence in the contest and seeking to portray the outcome in a positive light.
“While disappointed that Laura Fine did not prevail, voters rejected two anti-Israel candidates in this race — Kat Abughazaleh and Bushra Amiwala,” the group wrote. “We were especially proud to help defeat Abughazaleh, who centered her campaign on attacking Israel and demonizing pro-Israel Americans.”
Eighth District: A decisive win for AIPAC and tech dollars
Ms. Bean, making a comeback bid for her old district, was bolstered by millions of dollars from Elect Chicago Women, an AIPAC-linked group, which backed her while attacking Junaid Ahmed, a progressive tech entrepreneur who finished second and was supported by Senator Bernie Sanders. Ms. Bean also got more than $1.5 million in support from an A.I. super PAC and a cryptocurrency group.
“The voters have spoken, and tonight, we begin the work necessary to take our democracy back into our own hands,” Ms. Bean said in a statement after her win. “Our victory tonight is just one more step in turning our country around.”
Second District: Jesse Jackson Jr.’s comeback bid falls short.
Ms. Miller was endorsed by both The Chicago Tribune’s editorial board and Representative Brad Schneider, an Illinois Democrat, in her bid to blunt Mr. Jackson’s comeback attempt. Mr. Jackson was aiming to return to Congress more than a decade after a corruption scandal upended his career and sent him to federal prison.
Even as Ms. Miller has not supported unconditional military aid for Israel, she got help from Affordable Chicago Now, one of the PACs tied to AIPAC. That spending helped overcome Mr. Jackson’s deep-pocketed allies in the A.I. industry.
In a recent interview, Ms. Miller said that “everyone has the right to run,” but she described herself as the candidate of the people.
In his concession on Tuesday, Mr. Jackson, the son of the late Rev. Jesse Jackson, said that Ms. Miller “will do a fine job on behalf of the people.”
Seventh District: A retiring congressman’s pick survives an AIPAC and crypto onslaught.
AIPAC funding was not enough to lift Melissa Conyears-Ervin, the Chicago treasurer who was backed by United Democracy Project, the group’s super PAC. She still lost to Mr. Ford, who was also assailed by Fairshake, a PAC aligned with the cryptocurrency industry.
Mr. Ford had a powerful endorsement: Representative Danny Davis, the veteran congressman whose decision to retire kicked off the competitive race for his seat.
“We have big responsibilities to protect his legacy, build on his legacy,” Mr. Ford told CBS News Chicago after his win.
In her concession statement, Ms. Conyears-Ervin said she had congratulated Mr. Ford. “While this is not the outcome we were hoping for, I am comforted by the words of Scripture: ‘I have fought the good fight, I have run the race, I have kept the faith,’” she wrote.
Kellen Browning is a Times political reporter based in San Francisco.
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