2028 Dem hopefuls scramble for distance from AIPAC

Democrats considering presidential bids in 2028 are distancing themselves from AIPAC.

Sen. Cory Booker, who received financial support bundled by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee as recently as December, informed POLITICO of his decision to reject the group’s contributions, along with other PAC funds. California Gov. Gavin Newsom stated he never has and “never will” accept donations from the organization. Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) pledged last week to refuse AIPAC money going forward. A representative for Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro confirmed he has “never taken money or solicited support from AIPAC,” while a spokesperson for Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear declared “AIPAC has never contributed to Gov. Beshear and they never will.”

This distancing highlights how quickly AIPAC has become a target for Democrats aiming to critique the Israeli government, especially with the Netanyahu administration’s association with President Donald Trump’s activities in Iran. Many Democrats who once supported AIPAC now perceive the group as increasingly aligned with Netanyahu’s right-leaning government in recent times. Its role as an early point of contention in the 2028 presidential primary suggests a strategic judgment by leading Democrats that liberal voters’ growing disfavor toward the longstanding U.S. ally will persist.

“This will be a significant issue in the primary throughout 2027 and into 2028,” commented veteran Democratic strategist Mark Longabaugh, who advised Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign. “The party’s composition has changed significantly, as has the politics surrounding Israel.”

Some Jewish Democrats who previously backed AIPAC have also become critics of the organization.

Following AIPAC’s investment of $22 million into Illinois primaries with mixed outcomes, Gov. JB Pritzker, who does not accept external funds, criticized the group for becoming pro-Trump, stating he wants no association with the organization he once supported financially. A representative for Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) referenced a podcast where she confirmed her decision to reject AIPAC’s support in 2022.

Rahm Emanuel, former Chicago Mayor and a supporter of Israel whose father is Israeli, but also a critic of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, told POLITICO he “need not worry about AIPAC’s support. It will not be forthcoming.”

Various reasons were cited by Democrats for turning down AIPAC’s funds. Booker explained it was part of a broader commitment to refuse all PAC money, stating, “I don’t believe we should be accepting any PAC money at all from anybody.”

Gallego compared accepting the group’s support to “endorsing what’s happening right now” in Iran and Gaza during POLITICO’s “The Conversation.”

Progressives like Reps. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), who have been outspoken critics of the Israeli government and have clashed with AIPAC, have accused the group of targeting their campaigns and have long rejected its financial aid. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) bluntly stated to POLITICO: “I don’t take their money, they’re running ads against me.”

Other potential presidential candidates avoided the topic. Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) remarked that he has “individuals who support me” when questioned about rejecting AIPAC backing. Several others did not respond when contacted through spokespeople, including Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg, Sens. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) and Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), and Govs. Wes Moore of Maryland and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan.

The reluctance of many Democrats to comment on AIPAC reveals the organization’s lingering influence in Democratic politics. The group can still sway elections in favor of its preferred candidates, as demonstrated by its recent successes in two of the four Illinois House races where it spent significantly. Yet, notably, no potential 2028 candidate openly supported the group.

AIPAC and its supporters countered, accusing Democrats of attempting to suppress pro-Israel voices within the party. They committed to continue engaging in Democratic primaries to advance their goals. Deryn Sousa, a spokesperson for AIPAC, described efforts to exclude pro-Israel Democrats as “alarming and fundamentally undemocratic.”

Patrick Dorton, representing AIPAC’s super PAC, United Democracy Project, recognized the “difficult environment” the lobby is navigating after Gaza and the war in Iran. However, he stated, “we aren’t going to be deterred in ensuring that pro-Israel voices are heard in federal elections.”

“We are going to work with mainstream Democrats across the party to strengthen the U.S.-Israel relationship, and that includes presidential contenders,” Dorton said. “We’re going to remind everybody about the millions of pro-Israel Democratic voters who are part of the political process in federal elections.”

The rush by top Democrats to distance themselves from AIPAC comes as the party grapples with its stance on Israel, following the Biden administration’s approach to the war in Gaza, which was found to have cost Harris votes in 2024. Polls indicate Democratic voters are increasingly critical of Israel as it supports U.S. intervention in Iran. An NBC News poll reported that 57 percent of Democrats view Israel negatively, a significant shift from the 35 percent who held such views after Hamas attacked it on Oct. 7, 2023. A Quinnipiac University survey found that 62 percent of Democrats feel the U.S. is too supportive of Israel.

Democrats considering 2028 have been reassessing their stance on Israel for months as Gaza becomes a contentious issue in midterm primaries. Criticism of Israel and its U.S. allies has intensified as the Iran conflict continues with no apparent resolution from Trump.

Newsom recently compared Israel to an “apartheid state” and suggested the U.S. reevaluate its military support for Israel. Pritzker, a long-time advocate for a two-state solution, told the New York Times he feels “challenged” by current geopolitics, as the U.S. backs Israeli policies “that I don’t think the majority of Americans believe in and I don’t think a majority even of Israelis believe in.”

Shapiro, also a longstanding supporter of Israel and a two-state solution, has criticized Netanyahu and Trump’s support of his agenda in recent podcasts. He warned that denying Israel’s right to exist could lead to “permanent war.” A spokesperson for Shapiro stated the governor “has been clear that Donald Trump is failing to hold Netanyahu accountable,” while asserting that “Israel has a right to exist in security as a Jewish state, and we must find a path to peace in the Middle East that includes a safe homeland for the Palestinian people.”

Progressives like Ocasio-Cortez and Khanna have intensified their accusations against the Netanyahu administration, alleging genocide in Gaza and advocating for an end to U.S. arms sales to the country.

Democrats across the ideological spectrum argue that larger issues surrounding Israel exist beyond AIPAC. Shapiro, in a podcast last year, suggested that focusing on AIPAC is a “shortcut” to addressing views on Israel and a two-state solution. “Demanding answers on those questions is more important than ‘hey, what about this lobbying group or that lobbying group,’” he said.

Khanna told POLITICO, “What matters more is the clarity of calling what happened a genocide and stopping military sales to Israel used to kill civilians in Gaza and Lebanon.”

Nonetheless, progressive groups such as MoveOn and Justice Democrats are strategizing to make the rejection of AIPAC funds a decisive factor for those seeking the party’s nomination.

“We’re going to be demanding that anyone who deserves to get the Democratic nomination not only doesn’t take AIPAC support or donations, but actively speaks out against this lobby,” said Justice Democrats spokesperson Usamah Andrabi.

Amid the complex and volatile politics surrounding Israel, some Democrats rejecting AIPAC donations are refraining from urging their potential competitors to do the same.

Pritzker, when asked by POLITICO whether Democratic presidential candidates should accept AIPAC funding, criticized the influx of special-interest money in campaigns but left the decision to accept PAC cash as “a matter of values” for each candidate. Murphy remarked, “everybody will make their own decision about it.”

Booker expressed concern over the attention on AIPAC, calling it “problematic.”

“There are Iranian Americans that bundle money. There are Turkish Americans that bundle money. There are a lot of ethnic groups that bundle money, and often for things that I don’t agree with. But somehow AIPAC seems to be drawing a lot of attention, and that’s problematic to me,” Booker said. “[AIPAC] is not the problem in America. The problem in America is money in politics.”