AIPAC's $4 million campaign badly backfires in NJ Democratic primary

[vanessa_ca]

AIPAC’s $4 million campaign badly backfires in NJ Democratic primary
The pro-Israel group's preferred candidate finished third as little-known progressive surged
By Jelinda Montes
Published February 6, 2026 2:07PM (EST)

A relatively unknown progressive candidate surged into the lead in the special New Jersey Democratic primary to replace Gov. Mikie Sherrill in Congress after pro-Israel groups spent millions attacking former Rep. Tom Malinowski, D-N.J.

Several news outlets like The Hill, Bloomberg and NJ Insider called the election for Malinowski Thursday night before a considerable number of day-of votes for progressive activist and union organizer Analalia Mejia overtook Malinowski’s early voting lead. As of Friday, the candidates are nearly tied with Mejia holding a slight lead. AIPAC’s preferred candidate, former Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way, sits in a distant third place with 17% of the vote on Friday.

The pro-Israel group’s super PAC previously supported Malinowski during his two terms serving New Jersey’s 7th District in Congress. Malinowski had received funding from AIPAC directly and nearly $400,000 in pro-Israel interests. However, the PAC turned its favor away after Malinowski said he wasn’t going to “unconditionally, unquestionably, blindly support any request for assistance that Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel might make.”

Directly and through subsidiary PACs, AIPAC launched a $4 million campaign against Malinowski, including attack ads that criticized his voting record on ICE funding in 2019, which a majority of Democrats voted for. Those ads may have sent the wrong message to voters who resonated with the anti-ICE message and gravitated toward Mejia, the most progressive and pro-Palestinian candidate in the field.

More: https://www.salon.com/2026/02/06/aipacs-4-million-campaign-badly-backfires-in-nj-democratic-primary/

[BeyondGeography]

1. A big fat flop

Now they’re saying it worked out because Mejia is more vulnerable in the general election than Malinowski would have been.

Anything to deflect from the real takeaway which is the dwindling audience for AIPAC’s message among Democratic voters.