AIPAC’s Millions Help Unseat Jewish Progressive Andy Levin in Michigan

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s sizable investments in Michigan’s 11th Congressional District paid off Tuesday when Rep. Haley Stevens defeated fellow Democratic Rep. Andy Levin, a Jewish progressive who has criticized Israel’s illegal and brutal occupation of Palestinian territory.

Stevens and Levin were forced into a primary contest by Michigan’s redistricting process, which provided an opportunity for AIPAC’s super PAC and other special interest groups to pour millions into the race to oust Levin, who has been described as the most progressive Jewish member of the House.

AIPAC’s intervention in the contest through the United Democracy Project—a super PAC funded by Republican billionaires—drew outrage from progressives and liberal Jewish organizations such as J Street, which lamented Levin’s defeat in a statement late Tuesday.

“It is alarming that this race, like many other Democratic primaries this cycle, was heavily impacted by the aggressive outside spending of AIPAC and its super PAC, the United Democracy Project,” J Street said. “They spent nearly $5 million to target and defeat Levin, far more than was spent by any other group.”

J Street went on to highlight AIPAC’s endorsement and funding of “109 Republicans who voted to overturn the 2020 election on January 6th, promoters of the Big Lie like Jim Jordan, Scott Perry, and more—while attacking candidates like Andy Levin… as extremists.”

In a statement congratulating Stevens and conceding the race, Levin said he was “the target of a largely Republican-funded campaign set on defeating the movement I represent no matter where I ran.”

Originally published at Commondreams.org.