Sen. John Fetterman’s (D-PA) unwavering support for Israel has made him a favorite target of progressive Democrats who accuse him of being too close to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. Yet the Pennsylvania senator has taken no money from the group — unlike several Democrats considering challenging him in 2028.A Washington Examiner review of Federal Election Commission filings dating back to Fetterman’s successful 2022 Senate run found no direct contributions from AIPAC’s political action committee and no individual contributions earmarked for him through the group’s fundraising portal. Fetterman is also not included on AIPAC’s political portal, which allows individuals to donate to lawmakers backed by the organization. The same cannot be said, however, of some of the potential primary challengers to Fetterman should he seek reelection to the Senate as a Democrat in 2028.
The Washington Examiner found that Fetterman’s potential Democratic rivals have taken at least $1.6 million from AIPAC in both direct donations and individual earmarked contributions. The analysis is limited to AIPAC-related contributions and does not include support from other pro-Israel groups.Topping the list of biggest recipients is Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-PA). The northeast Philadelphia lawmaker, who recently told Semafor he’s not ruling out anything for 2028, has raked in over $1.05 million from AIPAC. Boyle publicly supported Israel’s right to “defend itself against Hamas while delivering vital humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza” at the height of the war between Israel and Hamas in 2024. This month, Boyle was also the only House Democrat from Pennsylvania to vote against a measure by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) to cut U.S. aid to Israel. The vote is why AIPAC has not rescinded its endorsement of Boyle, and still has him on its fundraising portal. The same cannot be said of the other Democrats in the Pennsylvania congressional delegation who are thinking of challenging Fetterman in two years’ time.
