AIPAC and Auchincloss

[Uncle Joe]

Today on TAP: Why is a Democratic congressman from Massachusetts attacking Graham Platner?

Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-MA) attends a committee hearing on Capitol Hill, January 22, 2026. Credit: Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call via AP Images

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Auchincloss has been attacking Platner for months, but now the significance has changed. Since Platner’s opponent in the Democratic primary, Janet Mills, has folded her campaign in the face of Platner’s overwhelming lead, in effect Auchincloss has endorsed the Republican incumbent, Susan Collins.

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Auchincloss as the incumbent hasn’t faced a serious primary challenge since then. This year, Auchincloss has two progressive challengers, who have both questioned his funding from political action committees associated with AIPAC and his extensive corporate funding. They are Jason Poulos, an AI researcher and critic, and Chris Boyd, a public school teacher. If one dropped out and endorsed the other, the September 1 primary might be close.

Auchincloss’s outrageous attack on Platner sure looks like a doubling down on his bid for the AIPAC vote. But Auchincloss’s timing is terrible. Increasingly, AIPAC support is becoming a mark of Cain. AIPAC support for a candidate has backfired in primary after primary.

Even in Newton and Brookline, there is plenty of criticism of Israel’s genocidal actions in Gaza and the West Bank. Slavish support for “Israel right or wrong” is no longer a surefire tactic for winning the Jewish vote, much less for winning elections generally.

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https://prospect.org/2026/05/29/aipac-auchincloss-massachusetts-platner-maine-congress/