Democratic Majority for Israel (DMFI) PAC—a leading pro-Israel Democratic political action committee—announced its third round of primary endorsements of 12 incumbent U.S. congressional candidates on Monday, bringing the total number of candidates endorsed by the organization to 50.
DMFI PAC president Mark Mellman said in a news release that the candidates on the list all demonstrate a willingness to fight for a strong U.S.-Israel relationship, and that the group is well-qualified and diverse.
He added that the candidates understand that “being pro-Israel is both good policy and good politics.”
The candidates for Senate include incumbent Sens. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Alex Padilla (D-Calif.).
Incumbent members of the House include Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), Derek Kilmer (D-Wash.), Elaine Luria (D-Va.) and Adam Smith (D-Wash.).
Non-incumbent candidates endorsed during this round include Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia, who is running to represent California’s 42nd Congressional District; former Maryland Attorney General Glenn Ivey, who is running to represent Maryland’s 4th Congressional District; and Ohio State Rep. Emilia Sykes, who is running to represent Ohio’s 13th Congressional District.
According to the release, several of the Senate candidates endorsed—Kelly, Hassan and Masto—are running in critical battleground states. Their re-election has a direct effect on the control of the Senate.
DMFI PAC also announced the release of its first TV advertisement of the 2022 midterm election cycle, supporting incumbent Rep. Shontel Brown (D-Ohio) in Ohio’s 11th Congressional District. Brown is again being challenged by former State Sen. Nina Turner after Brown defeatedTurner in a special election primary last fall, with most Jewish pro-Israel organizations, including DMFI, strongly backing Brown for her pro-Israel positions compared to Turner, who has been critical of Israel.
More endorsements from DMFI are expected during the campaign cycle.