Super Pacs affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (Aipac) have injected more than $5 million into a California congressional race in a bid to derail the progressive campaign of state senator Aisha Wahab, who is vying for the East Bay seat vacated by former representative Eric Swalwell.
Big spending in the East Bay special election
Wahab, endorsed by the California Democratic Party, is widely seen as the frontrunner in the special election covering a broad swath of the East Bay. She outperformed her nearest rival, former Dublin mayor Melissa Hernandez, by over 20 points in both the June primary and the special election to fill Swalwell's remaining term. The two are set to face each other in a runoff later this month, followed by a November general election contest.
According to a Politico report on Thursday, Super Pacs have dropped more than $5 million in recent weeks on advertisements supporting Hernandez and attacking Wahab. This includes $1.2 million from the United Democracy Project, which is backed by Aipac, and $2.1 million from Bold America Pac, which has received substantial funding from the United Democracy Project.
Aipac's expanding political influence
Track Aipac, an organization that monitors Aipac's political contributions, reports that the lobby has spent over $4.4 million to support Hernandez in this race. Aipac, one of the largest Super Pacs and the most powerful pro-Israel lobby in the US, has significantly increased its political spending in recent years. The New York Times reported earlier this week that Aipac has doubled its spending, largely in Democratic primaries, to $67.2 million.
This surge in spending follows Aipac's involvement in Michigan's Democratic senate primary, where it supported moderate candidate Haley Stevens. The progressive Abdul El-Sayed ultimately won that primary, a race widely described as a defining contest for the party.
Wahab responds to attack ads
Wahab has addressed the negative advertisements directly, encouraging voters to ask her about her record. She criticized Hernandez for allegedly avoiding debates while "relying on dark money" to fund her campaign. In a video posted on social media, Wahab declared, "We're not going to let this race be bought by outside interests."
The Guardian has contacted Aipac, as well as the campaigns of Wahab and Hernandez, for comment on the spending and the allegations.
