Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) on Wednesday criticized the American Israel Public Affairs Committee for spending millions in various Democratic primaries across Illinois, calling the lobbying group's electoral involvement 'interference' in the state's political process.
AIPAC and affiliated shell committees reportedly spent more than $21 million in multiple Democratic races in Illinois, with mixed results. Pritzker, who is Jewish and previously donated to AIPAC before stopping his financial support more than a decade ago, accused the organization of straying from its initial goal to support peace in the Middle East and aligning with former President Donald Trump.
What the Right Is Saying
Supporters of AIPAC's political spending argue that the organization has a right to participate in American elections like any other advocacy group. The spending, they contend, reflects the legitimate political interests of supporters of Israel who want to elect candidates aligned with their views on foreign policy.
Critics of Pritzker's position note that AIPAC's spending, while substantial, did not guarantee outcomes in every race. In Illinois's 9th Congressional District, for example, pro-AIPAC spending backed state Sen. Laura Fine (D) through the Elect Chicago Women super PAC, but Fine finished third behind Democratic Mayor Daniel Biss of Evanston and progressive activist Kat Abughazaleh.
Some Republicans have defended AIPAC's role in Democratic primaries as a check on progressive candidates deemed too far left on Israel policy. The mixed results from the $21 million investment suggest that voters in Democratic primaries ultimately made their own choices on candidates.
What the Left Is Saying
Pritzker framed AIPAC's spending as a departure from the organization's historic mission. 'It became an organization that was supporting Donald Trump and people who follow Trump,' the governor said in an interview with The Associated Press. 'AIPAC really is not an organization that I think today I would want any part of.'
The governor's criticism extended to President Trump's foreign policy approach. Pritzker slammed Trump for abandoning a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine and accused him of 'following' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu into war with Iran. 'I do not know why the United States has walked away from [a two-state solution], except, of course, that Donald Trump doesn't seem to understand how to create Middle East peace and instead wants to go to war, as he has now done in Iran,' Pritzker said.
Pritzker's own electoral investment proved successful. He spent at least $5 million supporting Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton (D), who defeated Illinois Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Robin Kelly in the Democratic primary for the seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.).
What the Numbers Show
AIPAC and affiliated committees spent more than $21 million across multiple Illinois Democratic primaries, representing one of the largest independent expenditure campaigns in state political history.
Pritzker's campaign invested at least $5 million in support of Stratton's Senate bid, a investment that paid off with a primary victory over two sitting congressmen.
In the 9th Congressional District race, pro-AIPAC spending failed to deliver its preferred outcome. Biss won the Democratic primary with Fine finishing third behind both Biss and Abughazaleh.
The spending reflects a broader national trend of outside groups investing heavily in Democratic primaries, with AIPAC emerging as one of the most significant spenders on the pro-Israel side of the debate over U.S. Middle East policy.
The Bottom Line
The $21 million spent by AIPAC in Illinois represents a significant but not decisive force in Democratic primaries. While the organization achieved some victories, notably in the Senate race with Stratton, its losses in other races demonstrate that voters weighed multiple factors beyond AIPAC's endorsement. Pritzker's public criticism signals a growing divide between mainstream Democrats and the pro-Israel lobby, particularly as the party debates its stance on Israel policy amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The governor's own reelection campaign against former state Rep. Darren Bailey (R) will test whether his positions on foreign policy resonate with Illinois voters in a general election.