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.
In his victory speech earlier this week, Sayed pointedly called out Aipac, naming a higher figure spent against him, which may reflect the additional contributions of smaller Super PACs.
The talks in Moscow between Iranian security chief Mohsen Rezaei and Russian President Vladimir Putin focused on future stability across the broader region. While specific frameworks for the post-war arrangements were withheld, the diplomatic engagement highlights ongoing strategic coordination between the two governments. The dialogue also emphasized top-level political relations between the Kremlin and Tehran's leadership.
Internal friction within Jammu and Kashmir's ruling party has escalated following a contentious cabinet expansion that prompted accusations of regional or factional bias. A substantial faction of lawmakers is pressing for an immediate overhaul of the ministerial council alongside senior leadership changes. Friday's discussions aim to defuse growing internal dissent before it disrupts the stability of the administration.
Diplomatic sources indicate that the competition to select the next leader of the international organization is seeing clear momentum behind a single candidate. Rebeca Grynspan is drawing expanded support across informal balloting among decision-makers. Her growing advantage positions the Costa Rican official strongly as the selection process moves forward.