California House Primary Offers First Major Test of Pro-Israel Lobby’s Sway with Democrats

The Democratic primary contest in California’s 47th congressional district, the seat currently held by outgoing incumbent Katie Porter, will provide the first real test of the pro-Israel lobby’s influence with Democrats since the war in Gaza broke out — not because the two leading candidates have vastly different public stances on U.S. support for Israel, but because the most powerful pro-Israel lobbying group in the country chose to flex its muscles in the race.

The district, which encompasses a large portion of Orange County, is expected to be competitive in November, but Tuesday’s primary contest could go either way. The United Democracy Project — the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s (AIPAC) independent-expenditure arm — has spent over $600,000 targeting state senator David Min, who has secured endorsements from prominent public figures such as Porter and organizations like the California AFL-CIO, the American Federation of Teachers, and the Los Angeles Times.

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Zach Kessel

Zach Kessel was a William F. Buckley Jr. Fellow in Political Journalism and a recent graduate of Northwestern University.

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The Democratic primary contest in California’s 47th congressional district, the seat currently held by outgoing incumbent Katie Porter, will provide the first real test of the pro-Israel lobby’s influence with Democrats since the war in Gaza broke out — not because the two leading candidates have vastly different public stances on U.S. support for Israel, but because the most powerful pro-Israel lobbying group in the country chose to flex its muscles in the race.

The district, which encompasses a large portion of Orange County, is expected to be competitive in November, but Tuesday’s primary contest could go either way. The United Democracy Project — the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s (AIPAC) independent-expenditure arm — has spent over $600,000 targeting state senator David Min, who has secured endorsements from prominent public figures such as Porter and organizations like the California AFL-CIO, the American Federation of Teachers, and the Los Angeles Times.