The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a powerful pro-Israel organization, is masking its involvement in competitive Illinois Democratic primaries, according to candidates in those races, who accuse the interest group of trying to quietly maintain its influence as Democrats reexamine their stance on Israel.
Democrats in the state say they have seen an influx of ads focusing on issues ranging from immigration to health care by groups named Elect Chicago Women and Affordable Chicago Now. None of the ads mention Israel, and none of the groups are publicly affiliated with AIPAC. But the ads benefit candidates favored by AIPAC donors.
AIPAC — which did not respond to a request for comment on the assertions made in this article — describes itself as a bipartisan organization; through its political arm, it has long supported Democrats and Republicans aligned with its mission.
In recent years, however, an increasing number of Democratic voters — including Jewish Democratic voters — have started to question their party’s traditional support of Israel. That trend accelerated during Israel’s war on Hamas, with Democratic leaders who previously refused to publicly criticize Israel calling for a new relationship with the nation.
Amid this shift, AIPAC has become a prominent antagonist for many Democrats, particularly those in the progressive wing of the party. Republicans have largely maintained a good relationship with the organization, and it is for that reason that candidates in Illinois say AIPAC, now unable to influence Democratic campaigns as it once did, is attempting to affect results through new groups.
“AIPAC has chosen to get intensely involved in this race knowing that they’re toxically unpopular,” said Daniel Biss, the mayor of Evanston, who is running for Illinois’ 9th Congressional District. “AIPAC has become a Republican-aligned organization, and Democratic primary voters know that, and so if they want to interfere as Republicans in Democratic primaries, the only way to get away with it is by hiding it.”
Elect Chicago Women is spending heavily in the district on ads supporting one of Biss’s primary opponents, moderate state Sen. Laura Fine.
The group has no public ties to AIPAC, but Biss — a supporter of Israel whose mother is Israeli — and other local officials assert it is working at AIPAC’s behest. It also appears to use operatives who have done work for AIPAC in the past. Fine denies knowing who is behind Elect Chicago Women and has not been formally endorsed by AIPAC. The group reportedly hosted a fundraiser for her in Los Angeles in December and a virtual fundraiser for her in November, according to an invitation obtained by The Washington Post.
Fine also raised more than $1.2 million last quarter, more $1 million of which came from donors who have given to AIPAC affiliated groups. The vast majority of those donors were from outside Illinois.
“Anything that happens outside of our campaign is just as much a surprise to me,” Fine said in an interview with Evanston Now. “Do I have a lot of Jewish donors who have donated to my campaign? Absolutely. Have some of these donors also donated to AIPAC? Most likely. But they’re supporting a Jewish woman who has stood up for what I believe is ‘tikkun olam,’ which is repairing the world, and for a strong U.S.-Israel relationship.”
In a statement to The Post, a Fine campaign spokesperson said her support came from her determination to “fight for Medical for All and to abolish ICE,” and from her history in Springfield tackling “the insurance industry, corporate polluters, the gun lobby and the extremists who tried to stop Illinois from becoming a one hundred percent pro-choice state.”
“Laura has called on every Super PAC in this race to disclose their donors. In Congress, she’ll vote for reforms like those included in the For The People Act to get dark money out of politics,” the spokesperson said.
Biss has faulted AIPAC for not engaging with the primary more overtly, and he is not alone.
“They know that AIPAC is unpopular, it’s associated with [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s] war machine,” said state Sen. Robert Peters, a candidate in the 2nd Congressional District. “So they’re trying to be slick and to use these shell organizations to be able to move money to support candidates who are willing to support the right-wing agenda.”
Elect Chicago Women and Affordable Chicago Now sprang into existence late last month. Neither declared ties to any candidate or organization, but they appear to use vendors who have worked with AIPAC-affiliated efforts in the past. Neither group responded to requests for comment.
Elect Chicago Women uses a mail vendor that shares identifying information with a mail vendor used by AIPAC’s super PAC, United Democracy Project. UDP’s vendor for phone banking also has the same address as the vendor listed by Affordable Chicago Now.
Elect Chicago Women is also investing in the 8th Congressional District to support former U.S. representative Melissa Bean, and Affordable Chicago Now is investing in the 2nd District to support Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller. Elect Chicago Women spent more than $1.2 million each on Fine’s and Bean’s races, while Affordable Chicago Now has spent more than $868,000 to benefit Miller. The investments were in the form of independent expenditure, meaning the groups cannot coordinate with the candidates.
Bean has reported more than $400,000 in donations from AIPAC donors, and Miller has reported more than $875,000. Both candidates are up against primary candidates who are critical of unconditional military aid to Israel. In statements, Miller’s and Bean’s campaigns stressed that they have wide-ranging support. Bean’s campaign said she backs a two-state solution.
AIPAC has used super PACs to mask its involvement in primaries before. In 2024, a super PAC called Voters for Responsive Government spent more than $3.2 million in attack ads against progressive candidate Susheela Jayapal in that year’s primary for Oregon’s 3rd Congressional District. (Jayapal is the sister of Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Washington), a critic of Israel who was then the chairwoman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.) After the election, Federal Election Commission filings showed that AIPAC had given $1.3 million to Voters for Responsive Government in May of that year.
One of Jayapal’s rivals in that race, Maxine Dexter, received positive ads from another super PAC, 314 Action, that was also later revealed to have received more than $1 million in AIPAC funding. She also saw a surge of donations from out-of-state donors affiliated with AIPAC, including Trump donors. Dexter went on to win the seat that November.
Fine’s campaign accused Biss of hypocrisy because he benefited from 314 Action, too. The group, which lists its mission as supporting scientists in politics, endorsed Biss early in his primary last year and supported him in his 2018 governor’s race and 2021 and 2025 mayoral races.
Biss said he contacted AIPAC early this cycle and submitted a document staking his positions on Israel, but he denied ever seeking the group’s endorsement. Erik Polyak, the executive director of 314 Action, cited Biss’s background as a mathematician for the group’s support but did not respond when asked whether it was working with AIPAC this cycle.
AIPAC has been more explicit in some of its recent political activities, including with donors in the region. In a September email to donors obtained by The Post, AIPAC called Biss and progressive candidate Kat Abughazaleh “dangerous detractors” working with “the far-left flank to undermine Israel.” Evanston Now first reported the email.
AIPAC’s deputy political director, Ed Miller, gave a presentation in December at Agudath Israel of Illinois, a Chicago nonprofit for the Orthodox Jewish community, where the group noted how early Illinois’ primaries are and said that losing to progressive candidates more critical of Israel could embolden other progressives around the country, according to a copy of Agudath’s newsletter obtained by The Post.
AIPAC is also overtly involved in the 7th Congressional District, where super PAC United Democracy Project, which is publicly affiliated with the pro-Israel group, is spending to support Chicago City Treasurer Melissa Conyears Ervin. The group has spent more than $753,000 in that race.
AIPAC was similarly directly involved in a recent New Jersey primary that led to a maelstrom in the state. Former U.S. representative Tom Malinowski, a pro-Israel moderate Democrat, lost to progressive candidate Analilia Mejia after United Democracy Project spent more than $2 million in the race.
Mejia is a staunch critic of Israel who has accused the Netanyahu government of committing genocide in Gaza. Malinowski was known as a supporter of Israel during his time in Congress but has considered placing conditions on U.S. aid to the country. He said AIPAC wanted to use his race to signal to incumbent Democrats that the group would punish lawmakers who have qualified their support for Israel — even if it means allowing a far less pro-Israel candidate to win.
“AIPAC defeats pro-Israel congressman and helped elect an anti-Israel progressive — that’s not something I ever expected to see,” Malinowski said in an interview.
Malinowski said he would not work with AIPAC in the future and would campaign against any candidate that has the group’s blessing. The special-election primary selected the candidate for an April 16 general election to complete the remaining term of former U.S. congresswoman Mikie Sherrill, who is now governor. Malinowski could rechallenge Mejia in New Jersey’s regularly scheduled June 2 Democratic primary to represent the seat in next year’s Congress, but said he has not yet decided whether he will. Malinowski said he would support Mejia in the April 16 general election.
“AIPAC’s definition of ‘pro-Israel’ has become so narrow that only somebody who agrees with them 100 percent of the time and who is willing to provide unrestricted and unconditional support to the current Israeli government qualifies,” Malinowski said. “And that definition excludes most Democrats and most of the American pro-Israel Jewish community.”
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