AIPAC’s Biggest Targets: The Democrats It Spent Millions to Defeat
Most of AIPAC’s money isn’t in donations — it’s in opposition. Through
its super PAC, the United Democracy Project, AIPAC spent roughly $38 million in
independent expenditures to defeat candidates across 2022–2026, almost all of
it aimed at progressive Democrats in primaries. The single biggest target, Jamaal Bowman, cost
$9.83 million alone. Here’s every marquee race, ranked.
Source: FEC · United Democracy Project (C00799031)Cycles: 2022–2026Published:
$38M
Total Spent To Defeat
2022–2026
$9.83M
Against Bowman Alone
most expensive race
2024
Peak Cycle
$23.9M in opposition
3
Targets Who Won Anyway
Min, Lee, Thanedar
The Ranking
Every Marquee Target, by Opposition Spend
What this showsThe largest single-race independent expenditures against candidates from AIPAC’s super PAC (the United Democracy Project, FEC C00799031), cumulative 2022–2026, ranked by amount. Bowman ($9.83M) and Bush ($5.22M) are the most expensive interventions in the data; the full member-by-member ledger is on the AIPAC money page.
Candidate
Party
State
AIPAC Spent Against
Outcome
Jamaal Bowman
D
NY
$9.83M
Lost 2024 primary
Cori Bush
D
MO
$5.22M
Lost 2024 primary
Dave Min
D
CA
$4.62M
Won
Donna Edwards
D
MD
$4.22M
Lost 2024 primary
Summer Lee
D
PA
$3.27M
Won
Tom Malinowski
D
NJ
$2.33M
—
John Hostettler
R
IN
$1.57M
Lost 2024 GOP primary
Shri Thanedar
D
MI
$1.43M
Won
Jessica Cisneros
D
TX
$1.43M
Lost to Cuellar
Brandon Herrera
R
TX
$1.06M
Lost GOP runoff
The Races
The Marquee Fights
Jamaal BowmanNY-16 · 2024 Democratic primary
$9.83MSpent against Bowman
$4.86MSpent for Latimer
LostOutcome
The most expensive single intervention in the data. AIPAC’s super PAC spent $9.83 million
opposing first-term Rep. Jamaal Bowman, while the AIPAC PAC and supporting expenditures put roughly
$4.86 million behind challenger George Latimer, who won the June 2024 primary.
It was widely reported as among the most expensive U.S. House primaries on record.
Cori BushMO-01 · 2024 Democratic primary
$5.22MSpent against Bush
$3.65MSpent for Bell
LostOutcome
The second-largest target. The United Democracy Project spent $5.22 million against Rep. Cori
Bush, with about $3.65 million behind prosecutor Wesley Bell, who unseated her
in the August 2024 primary.
Donna EdwardsMD-04 · 2024 Democratic primary
$4.22MSpent against Edwards
$4.18MSpent for Elfreth
LostOutcome
A comeback bid that ran into the wall. AIPAC spent $4.22 million opposing former Rep. Donna
Edwards and about $4.18 million supporting state Sen. Sarah Elfreth, who won
the open-seat primary.
Dave Min & Summer LeeCA-47 & PA-12 · spent against, won anyway
$4.62MAgainst Min
$3.27MAgainst Lee
WonBoth seated
Opposition money doesn’t always work. AIPAC spent $4.62 million against Dave Min
(CA-47) and $3.27 million against Summer Lee (PA-12) — and both won and now
serve in Congress. Shri Thanedar (MI-13) is a third example, winning despite roughly $1.43 million
spent against him.
Brandon HerreraTX-23 · 2024 Republican primary
$1.06MAgainst Herrera
$0.15MFor Gonzales
LostOutcome
The exception that proves the pattern. AIPAC almost always plays in Democratic primaries — but in 2024 it
made two rare Republican-primary plays. In a TX-23 runoff it backed incumbent
Tony Gonzales and spent about $1.06 million against challenger Brandon Herrera,
who lost. Its larger GOP intervention came in Indiana’s 8th, where the United Democracy Project spent about
$1.57 million against former Rep. John Hostettler — a longtime Israel
critic — in what was the super PAC’s first foray into a GOP primary; state Sen. Mark Messmer won.
Why these totals are bigger than the “sitting member” leaderboard. Most of these
targets lost, so they never took office and don’t appear in the live leaderboard on the main
AIPAC money page. That ledger tracks current members; this page tracks the races, winners
and losers alike.
See the full AIPAC ledger
Every sitting member, ranked live by what AIPAC spent for and against them — searchable and sourced to FEC.
How much did AIPAC spend to defeat Jamaal Bowman?▼
About $9.83 million in independent expenditures from the United Democracy Project — the largest single-race intervention in GovGreed’s data. Bowman lost the June 2024 Democratic primary to George Latimer, who AIPAC supported with about $4.86 million. It was among the most expensive U.S. House primaries on record.
How much did AIPAC spend against Cori Bush?▼
About $5.22 million opposing Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO) in 2024. Bush lost her August 2024 primary to Wesley Bell, who AIPAC supported with about $3.65 million.
Did any of AIPAC’s targets win?▼
Yes. AIPAC spent heavily against several candidates who won anyway and now serve in Congress — Dave Min (~$4.62M against), Summer Lee (~$3.27M) and Shri Thanedar (~$1.43M). Opposition spending does not guarantee a defeat.
Has AIPAC spent against Republicans?▼
Yes, but rarely. In 2024 AIPAC’s super PAC made two GOP-primary plays: about $1.57 million against former Rep. John Hostettler in Indiana’s 8th — its first foray into a Republican primary, won by Mark Messmer — and about $1.06 million against Brandon Herrera in a Texas runoff while backing incumbent Tony Gonzales. The overwhelming majority of opposition spending targets progressive Democrats.
About this data. Figures are independent expenditures opposing or supporting each candidate, from
the United Democracy Project (C00799031) and the AIPAC PAC (C00797670), cumulative across 2022–2026 per FEC
filings. Race outcomes reflect widely reported primary and general-election results. Pro-AIPAC spending routed
through additional conduit PACs is not included. Source: FEC, Congress.gov.
Not financial advice. All data from public federal disclosures. GovGreed reports disclosed political spending and
does not allege that any committee, candidate or member violated any law. Source: FEC, Congress.gov.