The American Israel Public Affairs Committee said Wednesday that it will no longer endorse candidates or make direct contributions to their campaigns, reversing a strategy it adopted five years ago, while its affiliated super PAC will keep operating.1,3
The change was disclosed in a letter to members that CNBC obtained, and Jewish Insider first reported it. Under the plan, AIPAC will stop making endorsements, direct PAC contributions and earmarked contributions to candidates. It will continue operating the United Democracy Project, its super PAC, and will put greater emphasis on getting individual donors to give directly to candidates, according to the letter.3
In a statement to CNBC, AIPAC spokesperson Deryn Sousa said, "We're looking to dramatically expand our political involvement as a community and to heighten our activists' direct impact. That will be our focus in the next two years."3
The letter described 2026 as "one of the most challenging environments in recent memory" and warned that those challenges "will continue to grow."3
When The Daily Caller asked for comment, AIPAC referred its reporter to an email from the group's leadership with the subject line "Announcing Changes; Building a Stronger Political Operation." The email said, "To win the fight for the future of the country and the U.S.-Israel alliance, we must build a more strategic, consequential, and nimble political operation." It added, "We will prioritize increasing direct, organized contributions from individual Americans to candidates—expanding upon our current efforts—and maximizing the emerging political fundraising tools."4
The email continued, "Endorsements, direct PAC contributions, and earmarking will no longer be part of our approach so we can expand individual giving and utilize new tools to help our friends win." It said the group believed the approach "positions us to capitalize on new innovations and deliver even greater political impact to influence policy."4
The shift could make AIPAC's influence harder to see in campaign finance records. Donations routed through the group are currently disclosed as AIPAC-earmarked contributions, while direct donations from its members would not carry the same label, CNBC reported. The overhaul preserves the group's ability to move large sums of money, even as it strips away some of AIPAC's most visible political activity.3
The change comes as AIPAC support has become a liability in some Democratic primaries amid the war in Gaza, CNBC reported. Candidates have attacked rivals for accepting the group's support, and some lawmakers have pledged to reject money tied to it. A Pew Research Center survey this year found that 80% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents held an unfavorable view of Israel, up from 53% in 2022.3
According to a CNBC analysis of Federal Election Commission filings, AIPAC has deployed about $105.1 million this cycle through its traditional PAC and affiliated super PAC. The United Democracy Project reported $53.4 million in independent expenditures through the end of September. AIPAC's traditional PAC was the nation's largest PAC contributor to candidates and other political committees in 2025, giving $26.8 million, more than four times the $6.1 million given by the National Association of Realtors' PAC, the next-largest contributor.3
The group's largest intervention this cycle was in Michigan's Democratic Senate primary, where, CNBC's analysis found, the super PAC spent more than $30 million supporting Rep. Haley Stevens and opposing Abdul El-Sayed. El-Sayed narrowly won the nomination. The super PAC also spent millions in House primaries opposing Democrats Cori Bush and Tom Malinowski and Republican Thomas Massie. CNBC's analysis put the spending at more than $3 million in the Bush race, roughly $2.3 million against Malinowski and more than $4 million in the Kentucky primary where Massie was defeated.3
The Daily Caller, citing Jewish Insider, wrote that the group would be absorbed into its sister super PAC, the United Democracy Project PAC. CNBC and NPR instead described the super PAC as continuing to operate alongside the changes. The Daily Caller also wrote that multiple legislators, including New Jersey Senator Corey Booker, had rejected outside PAC donations or refused AIPAC donations, a point it attributed to Jewish Insider.4,1
The email closed by describing the group's "mission and commitment to pro-Israel policy and politics" as its "generational fight," saying it "will never back down."4
