AIPAC and crypto money falls short in Illinois primary races
Same show, different day.
A strong pro-Israel lobbying group and a cryptocurrency super PAC saw their influence fall short in Illinois’s Democratic primaries on Tuesday, with many of their preferred candidates failing to advance despite millions of dollars spent boosting their campaigns.
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee invested millions into several House contests, hoping to box out progressive, anti-Israel candidates from winning safe Democratic strongholds. Their efforts proved successful in two districts, but often at the expense of their own preferred candidate.
Only two of AIPAC’s four backed candidates are advancing to the general election: Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller in the 2nd District and former Democratic Rep. Melissa Bean in the 8th District. The group’s other two preferred candidates, Melissa Conyears-Ervin in the 7th District and state Sen. Laura Fine in the 9th District, did not win.
Big spending on behalf of cryptocurrency also seeped into Tuesday’s primaries in Illinois, with only one of the super PAC Fairshake’s four preferred contenders prevailing.
The millions of dollars seeking to influence the outcome of Illinois’s races have been met with criticism from both winners and losers of these contests, sending a warning signal to major PACs and industries that the 2026 elections may be harder to influence than in previous cycles.
In the 2024 election, AIPAC’s efforts successfully led to the ousting of two House Democratic incumbents. The group dumped over $100 million into either removing critics of Israel or preventing them from entering Congress.
In the 2025 and 2026 elections, the lobbying group has taken a much more muted approach, though AIPAC did put its thumb on the scale in two notable recent House races: a special election in New Jersey and a North Carolina primary involving longtime Rep. Valerie Foushee (D-NC) and her left-flank progressive challenger, whom she ultimately defeated.
But by and large, the pro-Israel group is keeping things relatively calm, as public opinion is shifting on Israel in the wake of the ongoing war in Gaza and the recent joint attacks on Iran by the United States and Israel.
A Quinnipiac University survey from last week found that 62% of Democrats think the U.S. is too supportive of Israel, with 22% thinking the support is just right and 8% arguing it is not enough. An NBC poll released Monday found just 32% of Americans view Israel positively, with most of the decline in approval due to opinions …
Same show, different day.
A strong pro-Israel lobbying group and a cryptocurrency super PAC saw their influence fall short in Illinois’s Democratic primaries on Tuesday, with many of their preferred candidates failing to advance despite millions of dollars spent boosting their campaigns.
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee invested millions into several House contests, hoping to box out progressive, anti-Israel candidates from winning safe Democratic strongholds. Their efforts proved successful in two districts, but often at the expense of their own preferred candidate.
Only two of AIPAC’s four backed candidates are advancing to the general election: Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller in the 2nd District and former Democratic Rep. Melissa Bean in the 8th District. The group’s other two preferred candidates, Melissa Conyears-Ervin in the 7th District and state Sen. Laura Fine in the 9th District, did not win.
Big spending on behalf of cryptocurrency also seeped into Tuesday’s primaries in Illinois, with only one of the super PAC Fairshake’s four preferred contenders prevailing.
The millions of dollars seeking to influence the outcome of Illinois’s races have been met with criticism from both winners and losers of these contests, sending a warning signal to major PACs and industries that the 2026 elections may be harder to influence than in previous cycles.
In the 2024 election, AIPAC’s efforts successfully led to the ousting of two House Democratic incumbents. The group dumped over $100 million into either removing critics of Israel or preventing them from entering Congress.
In the 2025 and 2026 elections, the lobbying group has taken a much more muted approach, though AIPAC did put its thumb on the scale in two notable recent House races: a special election in New Jersey and a North Carolina primary involving longtime Rep. Valerie Foushee (D-NC) and her left-flank progressive challenger, whom she ultimately defeated.
But by and large, the pro-Israel group is keeping things relatively calm, as public opinion is shifting on Israel in the wake of the ongoing war in Gaza and the recent joint attacks on Iran by the United States and Israel.
A Quinnipiac University survey from last week found that 62% of Democrats think the U.S. is too supportive of Israel, with 22% thinking the support is just right and 8% arguing it is not enough. An NBC poll released Monday found just 32% of Americans view Israel positively, with most of the decline in approval due to opinions …
AIPAC and crypto money falls short in Illinois primary races
Same show, different day.
A strong pro-Israel lobbying group and a cryptocurrency super PAC saw their influence fall short in Illinois’s Democratic primaries on Tuesday, with many of their preferred candidates failing to advance despite millions of dollars spent boosting their campaigns.
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee invested millions into several House contests, hoping to box out progressive, anti-Israel candidates from winning safe Democratic strongholds. Their efforts proved successful in two districts, but often at the expense of their own preferred candidate.
Only two of AIPAC’s four backed candidates are advancing to the general election: Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller in the 2nd District and former Democratic Rep. Melissa Bean in the 8th District. The group’s other two preferred candidates, Melissa Conyears-Ervin in the 7th District and state Sen. Laura Fine in the 9th District, did not win.
Big spending on behalf of cryptocurrency also seeped into Tuesday’s primaries in Illinois, with only one of the super PAC Fairshake’s four preferred contenders prevailing.
The millions of dollars seeking to influence the outcome of Illinois’s races have been met with criticism from both winners and losers of these contests, sending a warning signal to major PACs and industries that the 2026 elections may be harder to influence than in previous cycles.
In the 2024 election, AIPAC’s efforts successfully led to the ousting of two House Democratic incumbents. The group dumped over $100 million into either removing critics of Israel or preventing them from entering Congress.
In the 2025 and 2026 elections, the lobbying group has taken a much more muted approach, though AIPAC did put its thumb on the scale in two notable recent House races: a special election in New Jersey and a North Carolina primary involving longtime Rep. Valerie Foushee (D-NC) and her left-flank progressive challenger, whom she ultimately defeated.
But by and large, the pro-Israel group is keeping things relatively calm, as public opinion is shifting on Israel in the wake of the ongoing war in Gaza and the recent joint attacks on Iran by the United States and Israel.
A Quinnipiac University survey from last week found that 62% of Democrats think the U.S. is too supportive of Israel, with 22% thinking the support is just right and 8% arguing it is not enough. An NBC poll released Monday found just 32% of Americans view Israel positively, with most of the decline in approval due to opinions …
