JTA — A Democratic congressional candidate heavily backed by pro-Israel spending has lost her spot in a California swing district’s runoff, after a progressive critic of Israel overtook her in the ballot count a week after the primary election.

State Assembly member Jasmeet Bains, a moderate, received around $500,000 in ad buys from the Democratic Majority for Israel group, according to a Sacramento Bee review of Federal Election Commission filings, in her bid to represent California’s 22nd district, in the state’s Central Valley.

In the days after California’s June 2 primary, Bains appeared on track to come in second, meaning that she would face off in November against Republican incumbent Rep. David Valadao — who has the backiing of AIPAC, the pro-Israel lobby.

But late Tuesday, the Associated Press formally called the race for school board member Randy Villegas over Bains. As of press time, Villegas held 32 percent of the vote to Bains’ 27%, with 90% of total votes tallied. Valadao was in first place with 40% of the vote.

The result sets up another front line in the Democratic Party’s effort to gain control of Congress amid rapidly shifting voter sentiment about Israel. Democrats are hoping to flip the 22nd district, where most residents are Latino, after statewide redistricting this year.

Villegas, who is backed........

© The Times of Israel