A new super PAC, American Priorities, has emerged as a significant force in House Democratic primaries, spending at least $5.6 million to boost Democrats critical of Israel and AIPAC’s influence. The group’s spending is still dwarfed by AIPAC’s super PAC, the United Democracy Project, which has spent at least $34 million this election cycle.
Countering AIPAC’s Influence
American Priorities has helped democratic socialists like Darializa Avila Chevalier and Claire Valdez win in recent primaries, and also supported Melat Kiros in her primary challenge to Colorado Rep. Diana DeGette. The group’s spending has been crucial in individual races, with operatives saying its aggressiveness was key in Avila Chevalier’s primary win.
The super PAC’s top donors, Omer Hassan and Mohammad Waqas Javed, have each contributed $1 million. Little is publicly known about them, but they were also top donors to a super PAC that supported New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s 2025 mayoral campaign.
American Priorities’ willingness to spend upwards of $1 million in individual races has given the anti-AIPAC left a new capacity to counter the influential lobbying group. The super PAC has spent the most so far in the Democratic primary for New Jersey’s 12th District, backing Adam Hamawy, a plastic surgeon who volunteered at a Gaza hospital during the war.
Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.
