Why is a moderate Democrat’s primary loss being called an AIPAC backfire?

Tom Malinowski, a moderate Democrat, conceded to progressive Analilia Mejia in a New Jersey primary race for the US House of Representatives in February 2026. Malinowski's loss is being viewed as a setback for AIPAC, which funded attack ads against him through the United Democracy Project (UDP) due to his mild criticism of unconditional US support for Israel. Critics argue AIPAC's strategy of targeting any criticism of Israel backfired, potentially boosting Mejia, who is more critical of US-Israel policy. Despite Malinowski's previous support from AIPAC and self-described "pro-Israel" stance, UDP's spending appeared to contribute to Mejia's victory by a narrow margin. Malinowski acknowledged AIPAC's role in the election outcome.

Analilia Mejia, a progressive activist and former Bernie Sanders advisor, is poised to win the Democratic primary for a US House seat in New Jersey's 11th congressional district, after Tom Malinowski conceded. The special primary was held to fill a vacant seat. With 93% of ballots counted, Mejia holds a lead of 889 votes. Malinowski, a former congressman, attributed his loss partly to negative advertising from a Super Pac tied to Aipac, due to his stance on conditioning aid to Israel. Mejia's victory, endorsed by prominent progressives, could encourage other progressive candidates nationwide ahead of the midterm elections. The outcome of the race remains uncalled by the Associated Press.