The pro-Israel powerhouse AIPAC is making a final stand in the special election to replace former Rep. Eric Swalwell in California's 14th Congressional District, pouring millions into a contest that has become a proxy war over the party's direction on Israel and campaign finance.
The group's super PAC, United Democracy Project (UDP), has injected roughly $2.5 million to boost BART board president Melissa Hernandez and undercut state Sen. Aisha Wahab, the frontrunner who led Hernandez by 26 points in the June special primary and by 21 points in the primary for the full term. The lopsided spending has raised eyebrows even among Democratic operatives who have worked with UDP in the past.
"What I wish that AIPAC would do is sort of read the room that — for better or worse — they have become a flashpoint, and they have become less helpful not just to themselves, but unfortunately to the cause itself," said one national Democratic strategist who has previously collaborated with UDP.
An AIPAC spokesperson pushed back, noting that more than 250 candidates backed by the group won their primaries. "Our community of 7 million Americans is focused on helping ensure pro-Israel Democratic and Republican candidates win in November," the spokesperson added.
The California race is one of several contests where AIPAC's influence has surfaced as the party grapples with questions over U.S. support for Israel and the role of outside money in elections. Similar dynamics have emerged in Florida and New Hampshire, where the 2026 primary calendar is winding down.
Wahab has been a vocal critic of unconditional aid to Israel, introducing a resolution in the state legislature calling for an end to the Israel-Hamas war and describing the conflict as a "genocide." Hernandez, by contrast, has stopped short of that language, condemning "the destruction into Gaza" but declining to label it genocide. Wahab has accused her opponents of targeting her due to racism and prejudice, telling The Hill: "There is also a need by the powers that be in D.C. to control every voice on very critical votes, and I've been very vocal about my stance on human rights and doing what's best for the American people."
UDP spokesman Patrick Dorton dismissed those allegations as "100 percent ridiculous," pointing to the group's endorsements of members of both the Congressional Black and Hispanic Caucuses. Bold America, a separate group that has received UDP money and was founded by former Hispanic Caucus staffers, has spent an additional $1.8 million in the race but did not respond to requests for comment.
Hernandez, in a statement, emphasized her campaign's "thousands of supporters" and said "no single supporter sets [her] agenda." She added: "My opponent wants to nationalize this race when it really should be about how we best serve the voters here in the East Bay and Tri Valley."
The heavy spending comes on the heels of UDP's costly effort in Michigan's Senate primary, where it backed Rep. Haley Stevens, who narrowly lost to progressive Abdul El-Sayed. That outcome has fueled criticism that AIPAC's interventions may backfire, a sentiment echoed by longtime California strategist Garry South, who has advised independent expenditure efforts.
"In many cases, my advice as a political operative was we shouldn't go into this particular race because we're going to become an issue and it's going to hurt the candidate we're trying to help," South said. "I think AIPAC is reaching that point to be honest."
The contest has also turned contentious in recent days. A Hernandez supporter filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission alleging that Wahab's state Senate committee made an illegal in-kind contribution by funneling money to a county party that supported her congressional bid. Wahab said her campaign had not heard from the FEC, and the Alameda County Democratic Central Committee insisted it was "in compliance with federal election laws." Wahab called the complaint "nothing more than a political allegation being pushed by our opponents."
Meanwhile, Wahab's campaign plans to file its own FEC complaint over social media posts it calls defamatory, questioning whether the online activity is coordinated to influence the election and should be reported, according to KQED.
The California race is not the only Tuesday contest drawing AIPAC's attention. In Florida, activist Oliver Larkin, a democratic socialist and vocal critic of AIPAC, is challenging Rep. Jared Moskowitz in the newly drawn 25th District, a battleground seat covering parts of Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, and Broward counties. Larkin's campaign has made AIPAC's influence a central issue, echoing broader concerns about the group's role in Democratic primaries.
