Republicans Begin to Distance Themselves from Pro-Israel Lobby AIPAC?

Mike Rogers, the Republican Senate candidate in Michigan, a state with one of the largest Arab American communities in the U.S., has asked the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) not to run campaign ads for him ahead of the November election. Officials within Rogers' team worry that public support from AIPAC could backfire.

According to U.S. media, the request came after a meeting between Rogers and AIPAC President Michael Tuchin in Los Angeles last week.

What is AIPAC?

AIPAC is officially a nonpartisan organization that lobbies the U.S. to support Israel unconditionally and to oppose any criticism of the Israeli government and its human rights record. Founded in 1954 as the American Zionist Committee for Public Affairs, its initial aim was to convince Congress to fund Israel's economy and accept Jewish refugees, framing this as a U.S. national interest rather than a favor to a particular group.

After the Six-Day War in 1967 and the Arab-Israeli War in 1973, AIPAC expanded its focus to military aid, urging U.S. lawmakers to back military assistance and joint defense cooperation for Israel. By the early 1980s, AIPAC began using a network of pro-Israel political action committees (PACs) to raise and donate funds for campaigns. These donations were bipartisan, giving AIPAC significant influence in both parties until divisions emerged within the Democratic Party when progressive lawmakers like Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar entered Congress around 2018, advocating for conditions on military aid tied to human rights compliance.

In December 2021, AIPAC changed strategy, directly spending money through AIPAC PAC and a super PAC called the United Democracy Project (UDP). Super PACs, funded by individuals, unions, and corporations, can raise unlimited funds for independent groups supporting candidates. AIPAC said the shift was due to changes in Washington, including increased polarization, high congressional turnover, and soaring campaign costs.

AIPAC's Strategy Ahead of the November Election

AIPAC has focused on Democratic primaries in liberal-leaning districts where progressive candidates are likely to win. Track AIPAC, which monitors the group's funding, shows AIPAC spent over $6 million on a single Democratic candidate, Melissa Hernandez, who lost a special election in California's 14th district to progressive state senator Aisha Wahab.

UDP alone has raised about $104 million in the 2026 election cycle, up from $87.1 million in the 2024 cycle, according to factcheck.org. In Michigan's Senate primary, AIPAC spent over $30 million to support four-term Rep. Haley Stevens in her race against Abdul El-Sayed, an epidemiologist and former public health official. This was the largest amount AIPAC has ever spent on a single race. Despite that, El-Sayed, who focused on healthcare for all and Palestinian issues, won the primary and will face Rogers in November.

Shadow PACs

AIPAC has used shadow PACs to conceal spending in Democratic primaries. In Michigan's primary, a newly formed PAC called A Stronger Michigan raised $17 million, largely funded by a nonprofit called Center Forward. A Stronger Michigan also received money from another PAC created this year, Michigan Forward 2026. In mid-March, during an election in Illinois, AIPAC used three different PACs to promote candidate Bushra Amiwala, aiming to split votes among more viable progressive candidates, including Palestinian American activist Kat Abughazaleh, who ultimately lost narrowly.

AIPAC's Current Standing

AIPAC still holds significant influence in U.S. politics. Aid packages for Israel continue to pass Congress by overwhelming margins, and the group retains the largest lobbying war chest among single-issue advocacy groups in Washington. However, recent efforts to sway U.S. elections toward pro-Israel candidates have met with setbacks.

Part of the backlash stems from widespread public disillusionment with pro-Israel policies, including the joint U.S.-Israel war against Iran and the offensive in Gaza. Some politicians who once accepted the group's support now publicly distance themselves. Last October, Democratic Rep. Seth Moulton announced he would return a donation from AIPAC, criticizing the group's support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In a statement, Moulton said: "In recent years, AIPAC has become too tied to the government of Prime Minister Netanyahu. I am a friend of Israel, but not of its current government, and AIPAC's mission today is to back that government. I do not support that direction."

According to a June AP-NORC poll, 58% of Democrats believe the U.S. supports Israel too much, up from 45% in January 2024. Meanwhile, 60% of Republicans consider U.S. support "about right."

As Israel's wars in Palestine, Iran, and southern Lebanon continue, AIPAC is also losing support from Republican candidates. Besides Rogers' request in Michigan, last August the lobby accused Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of betraying "American values" for criticizing Israel. Greene responded that AIPAC serves the interests of a foreign government. "I am 100% American. I cannot be bought, and I will not back down," she wrote on social media.

However, AIPAC repeatedly rejects the notion that it is a foreign government lobbying group. It describes itself as a coalition of Americans actively engaged in politics, viewing a strong U.S.-Israel alliance as beneficial to both nations. In a recent email to supporters, the group wrote: "As proud, pro-Israel Americans, we will never apologize for participating in the political process and standing up to those who undermine our shared values," listing the Michigan Senate race as "critical."