WASHINGTON, D.C. – Moderate Democrat Tom Malinowski has conceded defeat to progressive Analilia Mejia in a crowded primary for the U.S. House of Representatives in New Jersey.
But the campaign is said to be a loss not only to Malinowski but also to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), an influential pro-Israel organization that opposed him.
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Mr. Malinowski, a former congressman, has in recent years offered only mild criticism of Washington’s unconditional support for Israel, suggesting conditions could be placed on U.S. aid.
But this was enough to trigger an onslaught of targeted attack ads from the United Democracy Project (UDP), a super PAC aligned with AIPAC.
Critics argue that the campaign against Mr. Malinowski represents AIPAC’s zero-tolerance strategy for any criticism of Israel, despite the risk of a backlash from Democratic voters who are increasingly wary of Israel’s actions.
In this case, UDP spending appeared to help Mejia, the most important candidate in the US-Israel policy race.
Malinowski’s concession on Tuesday came five days after the Feb. 5 Democratic primary and as officials finish counting outstanding votes.
As of Tuesday, Mejia, a former campaign manager for progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders, led by about 900 votes.
Former New Jersey Lieutenant Governor Tahesha Way came in a distant third place, despite being supported by conservative Israeli media in the final stages of the campaign.
Malinowski also previously supported AIPAC and describes himself as “pro-Israel.” He previously served as a member of the New Jersey House of Representatives from 2019 to 2023, representing a different district.
In a statement acknowledging defeat, Malinowski praised Mejia, saying he “deserves unequivocal praise and praise for running a positive campaign and inspiring so many voters on Election Day.”
But he nevertheless acknowledged the role AIPAC played in the outcome.
“The outcome of this race cannot be understood without also considering the huge amount of dark money that AIPAC has spent on fraudulent advertising over the past three weeks,” Malinowski wrote.
“The threat that unrestricted dark money poses to our democracy is far greater than one Congressman’s views on Middle East policy.”
An ineffective strategy?
Mejia’s victory led many observers to see AIPAC’s latest approach backfire.
Mr. Malinowski has long supported U.S. funding for Israel. However, he proposed The US government should not provide a “blank check” to the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he said.
Mejia, by contrast, was the only candidate to call Israel’s war in Gaza a genocide.
She will face two Republicans in a special election in April in a district that leans heavily Democratic on the 2024 ballot.
The progressive wing of the Democratic Party has long criticized AIPAC’s tactics, but the campaign against Malinowski drew criticism from the group’s more moderate wing.
The ads purchased by UDP did not specifically mention Mr. Malinowski’s support for Israel.
Rather, he attacked the former congressman over domestic issues, including his 2019 vote to support funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Rep. Brad Schneider, leader of the centrist New Democratic Party coalition, told the publication Politico that AIPAC’s strategy “raised eyebrows.”
He questioned how the group “spent money on candidates who were supposed to be New Democrats and instead elected far-left candidates.”
“Now, folks, this is not what we wanted here,” Schneider said. He himself enjoys support from AIPAC.
Meanwhile, Democratic Congressman Mark Pocan, a longtime critic of AIPAC, called the strategy a “catastrophic failure.”
He said the spending shows that Democratic voters are increasingly disgusted not only with AIPAC but also with groups associated with it, such as the UDP, as anger over Israeli atrocities in the Gaza Strip continues to grow.
“Their money is so toxic that the very people they are trying to help are now being harmed by their involvement, no matter how cleverly disguised,” Pocan wrote on social media.
Meanwhile, AIPAC sent a letter to its supporters last week downplaying the situation. The newspaper pointed out that Mejia is running in a special election, so even if he is elected in April, his term of office will end in January next year. She will face another Democratic primary in June before the general election.
I promised to take part in that race as well.
“Although this is not the outcome we had hoped for, her victory was an expected possibility,” AIPAC said in an email.
“The ultimate focus of this campaign remains the June primary, which will determine who will represent this district for a full term beginning in January 2027.”
Ali Harb contributed reporting.
