Several left-wing Democratic members of Congress have raised millions in their primary re-election campaigns despite criticism over their anti-Israel comments and efforts to oust them by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).
Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Rep. Jamaal Bowman of New York have been heavily criticized for their repeated condemnation of Israel’s handling of the war since Hamas murdered over 1,200 Israelis and kidnapped nearly 250 hostages in October 2023. Bowman raised nearly $730,000 and Tlaib brought in nearly $3.7 million for their respective campaigns since the terror attack on Oct. 7. regardless of AIPAC’s attempts to garner support for primary challengers, according to filings from the Federal Election Committee (FEC). (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Over 70 Activists, Former Lawmakers Demand Congress End Funding For UN Agency Over Hamas Scandal)
“(Muslim and Arab groups) are building an infrastructure that is financial and political and social, to fight back against AIPAC and to fight back against entities that continue to demonize them as Muslims as Arabs and as brown people,” Bowman told the Associated Press in a statement.
Democratic Reps. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Cori Bush of Missouri speak at a press conference on the Israel-Hamas war outside of the U.S. Capitol on December 7, 2023, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
The funding was record-breaking for both elected officials, with Bowman only able to raise $200,000 in 2021, according to the AP. The funding came largely from Arab and Muslim voters in their districts with a heavy emphasis on grassroots donors.
“We are proud of our grassroots campaign that is bringing people together to fight for justice for all, no matter where you live or who you are,” Carolina Toro-Román, Tlaib’s co-campaign manager, said in a statement to the AP.
AIPAC has been focused on funding Bowman’s competitor, George Latimer, and donated over $600,000 to his campaign in the last quarter. The group spent nearly $27 million on campaigns in 2022 and Marshall Wittman, a spokesperson for AIPAC, told the DCNF that “Our activists are deeply engaged in helping to elect pro-Israel candidates and defeat detractors.”
“Evidence of their enthusiastic involvement are the record level contributions to our pacs and pro-Israel candidates. The stakes are enormous in the upcoming election and the voice of the pro-Israel movement definitely will be heard,” Wittman said.
The super PAC has yet to find a primary challenger against Tlaib, who was censured by the House of Representatives in November for criticizing Israel’s response to the attack and for her failure to condemn Hamas. Tlaib has since repeatedly called for a ceasefire and recently voted against a bill that would have banned members of Hamas from immigrating to the United States.
Just days after the attack on Israel, Bowman demanded that the U.S. accept Palestinian refugees and in his statement on the attacks he condemned Hamas while also calling for an end to Israel’s “blockade in Gaza.” Bowman also voted against a resolution passed on Oct. 25 that condemned Hamas’ “unprovoked war on Israel.”
AIPAC, along with Bowman and Tlaib’s offices, did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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