Democratic Israel Critics Win Key US Midterm Races

Democratic candidates who criticized Israeli government policies and rejected funding from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) won several key races in the US midterms. In Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed defeated Republican Mike Rogers by seven points, despite AIPAC spending nearly $30 million to oppose him.

Other victories for candidates endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America included Melat Kiros in Colorado, Darializa Avila Chevalier in New York, and Chris Rabb in Pennsylvania. In Texas, Senator-elect James Talarico also won his race after publicly rejecting AIPAC funding due to the conflict in Gaza.

AIPAC and its affiliated United Democracy Project spent approximately $84 million to support pro-Israel candidates. While the organization reported that 234 of its backed candidates won, the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft found that roughly $55 million—nearly two-thirds of the total spending—went to losing candidates. This included the losses of Mike Rogers in Michigan and Senator Susan Collins in Maine.

While some winners campaigned on explicit pro-Palestine platforms, others adopted more nuanced positions. J Street provided over $13 million to more than 200 candidates to promote a moderate, pro-peace approach. The results suggest a shift in sentiment among some Democratic voters toward Israel's wars and occupation, though domestic issues like affordability remained a higher priority for the general electorate.