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The vote is why AIPAC has not rescinded its endorsement of Boyle, and still has him on its fundraising portal.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.
Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-PA), who represents the suburbs of Pittsburgh, has accepted more than $108,000 from AIPAC since first winning office in 2022, according to FEC records. In recent months, however, the Democrat has emerged as one of Fetterman’s sharpest critics over Israel.
“I’ll tell you what’s un-American: putting Israel or any foreign country ahead of America,” Deluzio wrote on X in response to a Fetterman appearance on Fox News criticizing the Democratic Party’s anti-Israel turn. “We should be focused on Americans’ prosperity at home, not carrying water for [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu’s genocidal and reckless wars.”
A representative of Deluzio’s campaign told the Washington Examiner that “the Congressman said earlier this year that he would not accept any money from AIPAC.”
Another likely Fetterman challenger, Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), has taken $153,000 in AIPAC contributions. The suburban Philadelphia Democrat also voted in favor of ending U.S. aid to Israel earlier this month and no longer appears on AIPAC’s fundraising portal.
Meanwhile, former Democratic Pennsylvania Rep. Susan Wild, who lost reelection in 2024, took $313,500 from AIPAC. Before losing her bid for another term, Wild was slammed by Republicans for mixed messaging on Israel and the conflict in Gaza. The Washington Free Beacon reported in August 2024 that Wild’s office had sent contradictory letters to constituents on the topic of Israel.
According to the Washington Free Beacon, “a mother-daughter pair wrote the Pennsylvania Democrat urging her to support Israel in its fight against Hamas,” and “they received not one but two letters in response.” One of the missives asserted Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas terrorism, while the other claimed that “Israel’s military response has inflicted devastation on staggering numbers of innocent Palestinian children, families, and civilians in Gaza.”
Wild told a local Pennsylvania television station in March that she’s been “approached by a number of people encouraging” her to challenge Fetterman and “nothing is off the table.”
The findings underscore an unusual dynamic taking shape inside Pennsylvania Democratic politics. While Fetterman has become the face of the party’s pro-Israel wing, much of the institutional financial support from AIPAC has flowed instead to other members of the state’s congressional delegation — some of whom have since moved left on Israel or are openly criticizing Fetterman’s positions.
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Not all of Fetterman’s potential challengers have taken AIPAC money. Rep. Summer Lee is one of the few prominent Pennsylvania Democrats to mirror Fetterman’s lack of support from the group, though for the opposite reason. The Pittsburgh Democrat is among Israel’s fiercest critics in Congress and has been vocal in attacking AIPAC.
A staunch Democratic socialist who has been tipped by members of the “Squad” as a progressive challenger to Fetterman, Lee has taken no money from AIPAC, according to FEC records.