A Super PAC connected with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), has involved itself in a big way in the hotly contested Democratic primary race to replace the retiring Danny Davis in the 7th Congressional District.
The United Democracy Project (UDP) has reportedly committed to spending $2.8 million in television ads supporting Chicago City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin in the March 17 Democratic primary. That commitment far surpasses the spending of any of the 13 other candidates in the race, many of whom condemn the Super PAC money.
The cash infusion could give Conyears-Ervin an edge in the race but might also raise concerns among some voters.
The first Conyears-Ervin ad paid for by UDP praises Conyears-Ervin as someone who understands the issues facing the voters of the 7th District and makes no mention of Israel, the Middle East or foreign policy.
State Rep. La Shawn Ford, who has been endorsed by Davis to succeed him, said he had held discussions with representatives from UDP, including an in-person meeting last month. But Ford said he was unwilling to commit to supporting unconditional aid to Israel which was, he says, the requirement to get support from UDP.
“I’ve also had meetings with the very people that’s spending this money,” Ford said. “They want you to say ‘yes’ to everything that they have requests for. There’s no gray lines as it relates to their beliefs. It’s a yes or no. …. Don’t have a conversation; that this is what we want. We want you to vote with us in Washington 100% of the time, and we want to control our member, and that’s what this is about. And I refused that type of relationship. My relationship will, and always has been, to the constituents and representing the needs of the district.”
Anabel Mendoza, a self-proclaimed progressive candidate, said the Super PAC funding “is disgraceful. We’ve seen how AIPAC has infiltrated elections all across the country. Now they’re setting their sights on Illinois 7th District, that this seat is for sale. AIPAC and their shell PACs have poured millions of dollars of dark money into our elections. And their goal is really simple. It’s simple, but it’s also insidious. It’s to buy seats. They want to be able to control who is in those seats, and they want to do so so they can bankroll genocide and war crimes and violence and that is something that I will always stand against. So I think it is a disgrace that AIPAC is getting involved and that there is a candidate in this race who is willing to sell out their values.”
Kina Collins ran unsuccessfully against Danny Davis in 2020, 2022 and 2024. She’s running again this year, again as a progressive candidate.
“This is not the first time that AIPAC has eyed this seat, as some folks would know,” Collins said. “They came in the 2024 race, and I was actually the only candidate in the entire state of Illinois that AIPAC spent money against, opposing. And I think that this is a perfect example of why we need campaign finance reform in our country.”
“I think it exposes the type of campaign that Melissa Conyears-Ervin is willing to run,” Collins added. “It is not going to help her case that AIPAC is backing her.”
Ford said the UDP spending on behalf of Conyears-Ervin is an attempt by a special interest group to buy the election.
“This money dwarfs, or tries to dwarf, the voice of the voters in the 7th Congressional District, and it would tell you immediately who this candidate will be beholden to, follow the money,” Ford said. “This is them buying their candidate, literally.”
Ford said that he didn’t believe that the tactic would work. “It’s not a district that’s for sale,” he said.
In a statement issued by her campaign, Conyears-Ervin said that, if elected, she will work “to get all dark money out of politics.” She said she had traveled to Israel and has seen threats it faces on its borders while also saying, “I believe the United States must do more to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.” She said that if elected “nobody will tell me how to vote.”
Up until AIPAC announced its spending on Conyears-Ervin, it was widely believed that most pro-Israel donors connected with AIPAC were supporting Jason Friedman, a Jewish candidate in the race. According to an article in the left-leaning American Prospect magazine, more than 35 people who are donors to AIPAC contributed approximately $140,000 to Friedman’s campaign last year.
The American Prospect also reported that AIPAC helped organize online fundraisers for both Conyears-Ervin and Friedman, sponsored by something called Pro-Israel Network.
But now it appears that AIPAC’s related PAC, UDP, has shifted its support to Conyears-Ervin. Friedman’s campaign issued a statement Wednesday responding to rumors that he was being pressured to drop out of the race.
“I joined this race to fight and deliver results for everyone,” Friedman said in a statement released by his campaign. “The people of the 7th District deserve a representative with integrity, not career politicians with ethical baggage who sell out their constituents to the highest bidder. I won’t be bullied, and I won’t back down from doing what’s right — not now, not ever.”
Reed Showalter, another progressive candidate in the race, has staked out a very anti-AIPAC and pro-Palestinian posture. He also condemned the UDP spending in support of Conyears-Ervin.
In a statement issued by her campaign, Conyears-Ervin said that, if elected, she will work “to get all dark money out of politics.” She said she had traveled to Israel and has seen threats it faces on its borders while also saying, “I believe the United States must do more to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.” She said that if elected “nobody will tell me how to vote.”
Up until AIPAC announced its spending on Conyears-Ervin, it was widely believed that most pro-Israel donors connected with AIPAC were supporting Jason Friedman, a Jewish candidate in the race. According to an article in the left-leaning American Prospect magazine, more than 35 people who are donors to AIPAC contributed approximately $140,000 to Friedman’s campaign last year.
The American Prospect also reported that AIPAC helped organize online fundraisers for both Conyears-Ervin and Friedman, sponsored by something called Pro-Israel Network.
But now it appears that AIPAC’s related PAC, UDP, has shifted its support to Conyears-Ervin. Friedman’s campaign issued a statement Wednesday responding to rumors that he was being pressured to drop out of the race.
“I joined this race to fight and deliver results for everyone,” Friedman said in a statement released by his campaign. “The people of the 7th District deserve a representative with integrity, not career politicians with ethical baggage who sell out their constituents to the highest bidder. I won’t be bullied, and I won’t back down from doing what’s right — not now, not ever.”
Reed Showalter, another progressive candidate in the race, has staked out a very anti-AIPAC and pro-Palestinian posture. He also condemned the UDP spending in support of Conyears-Ervin.
