The American Israel Public Affairs Committee directed approximately $55 million of its $84 million midterm budget toward losing candidates, according to Responsible Statecraft. Massive financial interventions failed to prevent prominent critics of Israeli policy, including Michigan Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed, from winning their congressional bids. Observers and political leaders, including Vice President JD Vance, linked the unfavorable results to widespread public dissatisfaction with the US-Israeli war on Iran and domestic cost-of-living increases. Despite the high-profile defeats, the lobbying organization defended its broader record by highlighting over 234 member-backed victories nat…
Key points
Enormous campaign expenditures by political action committees faced diminishing returns a…: Enormous campaign expenditures by political action committees faced diminishing returns amid widespread voter frustration over military conflict.
Thirty incoming members of Congress successfully secured their seats after explicitly rej…: Thirty incoming members of Congress successfully secured their seats after explicitly rejecting affiliations with the pro-Israel organization.
Aipac maintained that its general influence remains intact by congratulating leaders Chuc…: Aipac maintained that its general influence remains intact by congratulating leaders Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries on their supported caucuses.
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The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (Aipac) spent more than $84m in the 2026 US midterms, but nearly two-thirds of those funds were spent on losing candidates, according to a new report from Responsible Statecraft.
Aipac’s Super Pac and other groups spent $55m on failed candidates. The largest portion of those funds, about $32m, was spent trying to defeat Democratic Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan.
The results marked one of Aipac’s worst performances in years, suggesting that the US-Israeli war on Iran, which has contributed to soaring cost-of-living issues, resonated strongly with voters.
In the 2022 midterms, Aipac’s Super Pac, United Democracy Project, saw 69 percent of its expenditure spent on races backed by the organisation that won. That number was even higher in 2024, after Israel’s genocide in Gaza, with 87 percent of its spending going to successful races.
Read more: Aipac spent $55m on losing congressional candidates in midterm elections: Report
Diplomatic intermediaries in Doha have relayed Tehran's latest terms regarding its atomic program directly to American officials. Discussion of the document remains strictly contingent upon Washington first satisfying a checklist of preliminary requirements established by the Iranian government. The exchange marks a conditional attempt to engage as both administrations assess the viability of renewed talks.
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