A California Democratic candidate supported by spending from a pro-Israel advocacy group has lost her chance to advance to a congressional runoff after a progressive critic of Israel overtook her in the vote tally more than a week following the primary election.

State Assembly member Jasmeet Bains, viewed as a moderate, received roughly $500,000 in advertisement purchases from Democratic Majority for Israel, based on a Sacramento Bee examination of Federal Election Commission records, as she sought to represent California's 22nd Congressional District in the Central Valley.

In the period after California's June 2 primary, Bains seemed positioned to place second and move forward to a November matchup against Republican incumbent Rep. David Valadao, who holds support from the pro-Israel lobby group AIPAC.

Yet late Tuesday, the Associated Press declared the race for school board member Randy Villegas ahead of Bains. At the time of reporting, Villegas held 32 percent of the vote compared to Bains' 27 percent, with 90 percent of total votes counted. Valadao led with 40 percent.

Israel Becomes a Key Campaign Topic

The outcome creates another point of contention in the Democratic Party's push to secure control of Congress amid changing voter views on Israel. Democrats aim to flip the 22nd District, home to a majority Latino population, following this year's statewide redistricting.

Villegas, supported by Jewish progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders, advocated for a ceasefire in Gaza in January 2024 and has described Israel as a genocidal regime.

Per FEC records, he gained assistance from American Priorities PAC, a pro-Palestinian super PAC. Several media reports also indicated Villegas received support from a Republican PAC.

During the campaign, Democratic Majority for Israel president Brian Romick told Jewish Insider that Villegas consistently has an anti-Israel record.

However, most of the group's expenditures in the contest avoided direct references to Israel. The organization instead ran advertisements implying Villegas had helped conceal abuse of minors in his local school district. Local media indicated the ads were misleading.

Varied Outcomes for Pro-Israel Expenditures

In an indication of how widespread anti-Israel views have become among Democrats, Bains also stated that Israel committed genocide in Gaza prior to Democratic Majority for Israel joining the race. Following receipt of its support, the candidate later reversed that stance.

While we are disappointed at the outcome of this race, we remain enthusiastic about our record so far this primary cycle, Romick told JTA in a statement.

He highlighted the group's support for Texas Democrat Johnny Garcia against Maureen Galindo, along with the success of another Democratic Majority for Israel-backed candidate in another part of California.

For Democratic Majority for Israel, the loss contributes to a varied performance in a primary season marked by Democrats shifting sharply away from pro-Israel spending. Other candidates backed by pro-Israel groups in Illinois, New Jersey and additional states have fallen to critics of Israel.