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AIPAC allies picked a candidate to target in New Jersey. They may have boosted a stronger critic of Israel

Malinowski was targeted by AIPAC-aligned ads and was trailing Mejia as votes were counted.

AIPAC allies picked a candidate to target in New Jersey. They may have boosted a stronger critic of Israel
Image · Yahoo News

SOURCE CHECK

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Host credibilityYahoo News74/100 HIGH
This article1 analysis · Oct 10, 2026

Credibility rates Yahoo News, which republished this story. The other scores rate the article itself.

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Republished from CNN, with credit to the original publisher.

CNN84/100 HIGH

103 stories · 84–85 · updated Oct 11, 2026

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Yahoo Newsvia CNN
Feb 7, 2026
tl;dr

Analilia Mejia narrowly led former Rep. Tom Malinowski in New Jersey’s 11th District Democratic special-election primary as votes were still being counted. The article reports that an AIPAC-aligned super PAC spent about $2 million targeting Malinowski, possibly helping a stronger critic of Israel.

Community verdict

VOTING CLOSED
How does this story look for
Tom Malinowski Former U.S. Representative (D-NJ)
NOT RATEDCLOSED

No good or bad look here

This story reports what happened without casting Malinowski in a good or bad light, so readers don’t rate it and it doesn’t count toward Malinowski’s record.

● INFORMATIONAL

People in this story

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Tom Malinowski
Former U.S. Representative (D-NJ)

Former representative and Democratic candidate in New Jersey’s 11th District special-election primary

PRIMARY SUBJECT
Analilia Mejia
D · NJ-11

Democratic candidate in New Jersey’s 11th District special-election primary

Mejia's version of this story ↗
Cori Bush
Former U.S. Representative (D-MO)

Former representative cited as an example of a candidate who lost a primary in 2024

Bernie Sanders
I · VT · SEN

Senator who previously employed Mejia as a campaign political director

Former lieutenant governor and Democratic candidate in the primary

Mikie Sherrill
Former U.S. Representative (D-NJ)

Governor of New Jersey whose former seat is being filled

Evanston mayor and Democratic candidate opposing Fine in the Illinois 9th District primary

Jamaal Bowman
Former U.S. Representative (D-NY)

Former representative cited as an example of a candidate who lost a primary in 2024

Representative who criticized AIPAC’s role in Democratic primaries

Elizabeth Warren
D · MA · SEN

Senator who backed Mejia

Laura Fine
D · IL

State senator and candidate in the Illinois 9th District Democratic primary

Part of a bigger story

4 OUTLETS
United Democracy Project Spends $2 Million Targeting Tom Malinowski

In New Jersey’s Democratic special primary, an AIPAC-linked super PAC spent more than $2 million targeting Tom Malinowski. As votes were counted, Malinowski and Analilia Mejia were closely matched. Center outlets frame the spending as an apparent electoral miscalculation, with some suggesting it may have helped Mejia; their accounts differ on whether she narrowly led or was in a dead heat.

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