(JTA) — Rep. Adam Schiff, the California Jewish Democrat who has the backing of AIPAC, advanced to the runoff for the U.S. Senate after Tuesday’s primary.
But the Israel lobby appeared to score a loss in a closely watched California House race where it had spent more than $4 million opposing the winning candidate.
And protesters interrupted Schiff’s victory speech on Tuesday night with cries of “Free Palestine” and “Ceasefire now.”
Together, the results in California underscore the limits of pro-Israel campaign finance, which often gets outsize attention in elections.
Schiff’s win is a boost for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s affiliated political action committee, AIPAC PAC, and other mainstream pro-Israel boosters.
Schiff — who is running for the seat formerly held by Dianne Feinstein, the state’s longtime Jewish senator who died last year — is a star among Democrats for his lead role in impeaching former President Donald Trump, and he had the backing of much of the party’s California establishment, including Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the former speaker who continues to wield influence.
He will now face Steve Garvey, a Republican and onetime baseball star, in the November election in California’s “jungle primary” system, which requires all candidates regardless of party to compete in a single primary, and advances the two top winners to the general election.
