The New York Times reports that AIPAC-affiliated political action committees have more than doubled their campaign spending in under five years, rising from $29.3 million to $67.2 million and pouring money into Democratic primaries. Since creating the super PAC United Democracy Project in 2022, AIPAC-related groups have funded 109 TV and digital ads between April 2022 and the end of last month and have spent more on TV, radio and digital ads over the past three cycles than any nonparty special interest, according to AdImpact data cited by the Times. The group has spent more than $30 million in Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary to promote Representative Haley Stevens over Dr. Abdul El‑Sayed, an expenditure recorded in Federal Election Commission filings. Many of the advertisements do not mention Israel and instead emphasize voter priorities such as abortion rights and the economy, a tactic that can obscure AIPAC’s role. Donations to United Democracy Project spiked after the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks, enabling the rapid expansion of its election work. The shift represents a move by AIPAC from decades of bipartisan legislative lobbying to becoming a major player in federal races, with Tuesday’s Michigan primary framed as the group’s biggest test so far.
