Brad Lander Is Demanding an AIPAC-Free Congressional Race
Former NYC Comptroller Brad Lander is demanding Rep. Dan Goldman sign a “People’s Pledge” ahead of the congressional primary pitting the two against each other to limit the influence of lobbying groups like AIPAC on campaign funding and advertising.
The role of the pro-Israel lobbying apparatus has become a flashpoint in the race between Brad Lander and Dan Goldman for New York District 10. (Charly Triballeau / AFP via Getty Images)
A hotly contested primary battle for one of New York City’s coveted congressional seats has reached a breaking point over outside spending, with a progressive challenger Brad Lander demanding the incumbent Democrat, Dan Goldman, sign a joint pledge discouraging third-party advertising in their race.
The proposed pledge heightens scrutiny of campaign spending in the highly Jewish district by the pro-Israel lobby, which is dropping millions to influence Democratic primaries while it sheds support among voters and candidates amid its backing of hostilities in Gaza, Iran, and elsewhere.
There are also deep-pocketed cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence political action committees (PACs) that have backed Representative Goldman (D-NY) in the past and are now reportedly eyeing the New York race after leaving a money trail across Illinois, trying to defeat progressives.
As was revealed exclusively to the Lever, on Monday, former New York City Comptroller Lander challenged New York District 10 incumbent Representative Goldman to sign a “People’s Pledge,” a campaign agreement aimed at limiting the influence of PACS and super PACs.
The proposed pledge would deter third-party advertising by requiring candidates to make charitable donations equivalent to 50 percent of all outside PAC advertising money spent on their behalf, and 75 percent of related spending by “dark money” PACs that do not disclose donors.
Such donations would have to come from campaign funds, not personal wealth.
Available campaign finance data shows that Lander has raised roughly $623,000 in individual contributions and $5,000 from the Working Families Party PAC. Conversely, Goldman — a millionaire and heir to the Levi Strauss fortune — has raised more than $2 million, including $1.4 million from individuals and more than $668,000 from PAC contributions and transfers.
“NY-10 is not for sale,” Lander told the Lever. “Dark money super PACs and special interests have shown they’re willing to spend millions to buy Democratic primaries, and we can’t let that happen here. I’m challenging Dan Goldman to sign the People’s Pledge and commit to keeping this race between us and the people of this district.”
Record-Breaking Corporate Spending
According to the Washington Post, special-interest groups have spent more than $225 million so far this election cycle on the 2026 congressional elections, the most ever at this point. That includes millions from covert organizations connected to the powerful pro-Israel American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) lobbying group. The Democratic National Committee has floated limiting corporate and dark-money spending in the 2028 primaries.
The original “People’s Pledge” was pioneered by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) in 2012, when she and former Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) reduced outside ad spending in their hotly contested Senate battle by agreeing to effectively punish one another for third-party PAC ads benefiting their respective campaigns.
“Your spending will damage the candidate you intend to help,” Warren wrote to PACs at the time.
This primary cycle, Democratic insurgents like Lander have centered their campaigns on growing animus toward PAC influence on US politics and pledged to reject corporate PAC donations altogether. The pledges are “mostly symbolic,” but can be a way for challengers to level the playing field against incumbents, who tend to be the ones most awash in corporate PAC money.
AIPAC’s Shadow
The role of the pro-Israel lobbying apparatus has become a flashpoint in the race for New York District 10. The area covers parts of lower Manhattan and Brooklyn, and by share of the electorate is one of the most Jewish congressional districts in the country; both candidates are Jewish.
Lander has called himself a liberal Zionist and criticized Israel’s aggressive military campaign in Gaza as a genocide, while Goldman recently noted his “very strong support” for Israel but “serious opposition to the Israeli government.”
The “challenges we face can’t be solved . . . by doing AIPAC’s bidding,” Lander said in his candidacy announcement, making Goldman’s backing from the organization center to his campaign.
Over the course of his career, Goldman has accepted $1.7 million in donations from pro-Israel lobbying groups and their donors, according to campaign finance watchdog group Track AIPAC. Goldman has so far received more than $377,000 in direct and earmarked AIPAC donations for the 2026 primary and general elections, federal data shows. He’s also received the endorsement of the Democratic Majority for Israel (DMFI) PAC, which supports pro-Israel Democrats in Congress.
Goldman reportedly met his wife at an AIPAC conference in 2012. The congressman recently distanced himself from the views of Corinne Levy Goldman, who serves as his campaign treasurer, after she expressed anti-Palestinian sentiment on social media.
Goldman’s campaign did not respond to the Lever’s request for comment.
“I do think there is an undercurrent of antisemitism in the degree to which AIPAC seems to be vilified,” Goldman told NY Jewish Week in February.
“I have personally pushed AIPAC very much to recognize that it is an organization that supports first and foremost the State of Israel and the US-Israel relationship, but that does not mean that they should be unwavering in their support for the Israeli government.”