How AIPAC funding affects local Iran war support
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
Democratic politicians are largely condemning the U.S.-Israel airstrikes on Iran, including Illinois congressional hopefuls backed by funders linked to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).
Why it matters: Critics argue that AIPAC-linked fundings could make candidates —including state Sen. Laura Fine, Chicago Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin, Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller and former U.S. Rep. Melissa Bean — more sympathetic to Israeli government interests.
- All four of those candidates have released statements denouncing the bombings.
What they're saying: "Donald Trump is leading us into another military conflict to distract from his own failures," Fine said on social media.
- "Even before today, I thought Trump had lost his mind. But now I know for sure. What president sends tweets declaring war in the middle of the night?" Conyears-Ervin posted on Facebook.
- "Congress has the sole power to authorize acts of war, but the President continues to overstep and undermine that authority," Bean said on Facebook. "I have many questions about the scope of the operation and what imminent threats to the United States precipitated this attack."
- Miller called the bombings "reckless, dangerous and unconstitutional."
Yes, but: When asked specifically whether they'd support strict limits on U.S. military aid to Israel in a WBEZ/Sun-Times survey, none of the four Illinois candidates receiving AIPAC-linked money would answer.
The other side: "In a time of war, clarity is not optional. Will these candidates finally and unequivocally reject AIPAC's pro-war agenda?" asked Progressive Caucus PAC candidates Robert Peters, Anthony Driver Jr., Junaid Ahmed and Daniel Biss in a Monday statement.
- "I think it shows that they understand that their positions are wildly unpopular," Illinois 9th candidate Kat Abughazaleh, who proudly proclaims her opposition to AIPAC, tells Axios. "I mean, in my race, Laura Fine was celebrating Israel's bombing of Iran this past summer, so it's quite a tone shift."
- While Fine supported Israel's June 2025 bombings of Iran, she condemned U.S. bombings of Iranian nuclear facilities the same month.
The bottom line: Giant super-PAC donations are shifting the conversations around U.S congressional campaigns from largely local concerns to national and international issues.