Pro-Israel America, a bipartisan PAC, has designated 30 congressional endorsements for "key races" the organization will focus on in the 2022 election cycle.
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According to Pro-Israel America, these races include competitive primaries and general elections, as well as races between pro-Israel champions and anti-Israel opponents. They include four Senate races and 26 House races with candidates endorsed on both sides of the aisle, including 17 Democrats and 13 Republicans.
The focus comes amid growing concern over bipartisan support for Israel.
Last May, during Israel's 11-day conflict with Hamas in Gaza, several progressive lawmakers in the Democratic party accused Israel of becoming an "apartheid state" and called for conditioning US aid to Israel.
More recently, emergency funding for Israel's Iron Dome was stripped from a budget bill after an objection by progressive lawmakers.
"Our work at Pro-Israel America of helping elect pro-Israel candidates to Congress remains more critical than ever, as evidenced this past month when a few anti-Israel members of Congress forced House leadership to strip $1 billion for Israel's Iron Dome defense system from the must-pass House government funding bill," said PIA executive director Jeff Mendelsohn.
"While the House ultimately approved a stand-alone Iron Dome supplemental funding bill by an overwhelming majority of 420-9 to provide Israel with $1 billion in supplementary funding to replenish the Iron Dome, we must make sure that these dangerous and purposeful political stunts from a small but vocal chorus of anti-Israel members are strongly condemned and never allowed to happen again."
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"That's why today we have designated 30 'key races.' These candidates, some of whom face vocal anti-Israel primary opponents, are running in some of the most competitive primary and general elections across the country in 2022. We look forward to bringing the power of the grassroots pro-Israel community to help all of them cross the victory line," he said.
The races include Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), who is running in a competitive primary, in addition to three senators who will be running in competitive general elections: Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.).
They also include 11 members running in competitive or potentially competitive House primaries: Reps. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-Wash.), Daniel Hernandez (D-Ariz.), John Katko (R-N.Y.), Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), Peter Meijer (R-Mich.), Kurt Schrader (D-Ore.), Dina Titus (D-Nev.) and Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.).
Additionally, 15 representatives to be supported in expected competitive or potentially competitive general elections include Reps. Colin Allred (D-Texas), Don Bacon (R-Neb.), Andy Barr (R-Ky.), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), Andrew Garbarino (R-N.Y.), Jared Golden (D-Maine), Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas), Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), Young Kim (R-Calif.), Elaine Luria (D-Va.), Michael McCaul (R-Texas), Stephanie Murphy (D-Fla.), Haley Stevens (D-Mich.), Fred Upton (R-Mich.) and Susan Wild (D-Pa.).
According to Pro-Israel America, it helped elect 70 pro-Israel members of Congress in 2020, including 39 Democrats and 21 Republicans. More than 90 percent of the PAC's endorsed candidates in the November 2020 elections won their congressional races.
In total, Pro-Israel America raised $3 million-plus for pro-Israel candidates in the 2020 election cycle.
Just last month, Pro-Israel America endorsed Democrat Shontel Brown, who defeated progressive anti-Israel candidate Nina Turner in an Ohio special election.
Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.
