43 of 61 PAC-endorsed Candidates Already Declared Winners, More Likely
WASHINGTON – JStreetPAC announced today that it distributed over $1.5 million to 61 candidates in 2010, shattering its goals and making it the country’s largest pro-Israel political action committee for the second cycle. 43 of the PAC’s 61 candidates were elected Tuesday, and three additional candidates are in races that are too close to call at this point (Gerry Connolly [VA-11], Dan Maffei [NY-25], and Raul Grijalva [AZ-07]).
“JStreetPAC’s success demonstrates the deep hunger among American Jews and friends of Israel for a political voice that represents their beliefs that American leadership is critical to achieving a two-state solution and securing Israel’s future,” said JStreetPAC President Jeremy Ben-Ami. “Over the last two election cycles, we’ve sent a clear message to Washington: a deep well of support exists for candidates who stand up for the pro-Israel, pro-peace policies that Israel, the Palestinians, and America need. Candidates like Jan Schakowsky and Rush Holt who took our endorsement and shared our positions did come under attack from right-wing groups – and still won convincingly.”
In 2008, JStreetPAC’s first election cycle, the PAC raised $578,186, making it the largest pro-Israel PAC, and endorsed 41 candidates, 33 of whom went on to win their elections. In 2009, the PAC helped now-Congressmen Bill Owens and Scott Murphy win their hotly contested special elections. JStreetPAC’s innovative use of online fundraising mobilized thousands of small donors in parallel to a network of high-level political givers. In total, over 7,000 people have contributed to pro-Israel, pro-peace candidates through JStreetPAC.
In response to her opponent’s attempts to turn Israel into a wedge issue, including endorsements from Daniel Pipes, Jennifer Rubin and Alan Dershowitz, JStreetPAC organized a number of online fundraisers for Rep. Jan Schakowsky and, in total, brought in over $75,000 for her campaign.
JStreetPAC launched in April 2008 as the first and only federal political action committee established to explicitly promote meaningful American leadership to end the Israeli-Palestinian and Israeli-Arab conflicts peacefully and diplomatically. The PAC provides political and financial support to candidates for federal office from Americans who believe an active American role in the Middle East will best advance U.S. interests in the region and promote real peace and security for Israel and its neighbors. The PAC is legally unconnected to J Street, a 501(c)(4) lobby and advocacy organization, and the J Street Education Fund, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization for education and outreach.