Democratic Majority for Israel
US pro-Israel advocacy organisation and hybrid PAC working within the Democratic Party, founded in 2019
| Democratic Majority for Israel
| |
|---|---|
| Type | 501(c)(4) social welfare organisation (EIN 83-3298146); affiliated hybrid PAC, DMFI PAC (FEC C00710848) |
| Founded | January 2019 |
| Founder(s) | Mark Mellman |
| Headquarters | PO Box 3566, Washington, DC 20027 (address on IRS filings) |
| Location | Washington, DC, United States |
| Services | Advocacy for US support of Israel within the Democratic Party; electoral spending in primaries and general elections |
| Key people | Brian Romick (President and CEO, from 2025); Kathy Manning (Board Chair, from 2025) |
| Website | https://demmajorityforisrael.org/ |
Democratic Majority for Israel (DMFI) is a US advocacy organisation, launched in January 2019, that works to "maintain and strengthen support for a strong U.S.-Israel relationship among Democratic leaders and grassroots progressives".[1] It was founded by the Democratic pollster Mark Mellman, who led it until April 2025 and died in November 2025.[2][3]
DMFI is two separate legal vehicles, and their figures should not be added together without care. The first is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit, registered with the IRS as "Democratic Majority For Israel D/b/a Dmfi", which files Form 990 returns.[4] The second is DMFI PAC, registered with the Federal Election Commission in July 2019 as a hybrid PAC with a non-contribution (super PAC) account.[5] The nonprofit has also filed with the FEC as an independent expenditure filer (C90022864) since October 2024.[6] Inside Political Money reported in October 2026 that DMFI PAC had received $3.85 million in transfers from its affiliated nonprofit.[7]
Foundation and early campaigns
DMFI was launched in January 2019, shortly after Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez entered Congress.[2] Mellman told The New York Times at the launch, as quoted by Jewish Insider: "Most Democrats are strongly pro-Israel and we want to keep it that way... we want to make sure that what's a very small problem doesn't metastasize into a bigger problem."[2]
In its first weeks the organisation issued statements calling a tweet by Omar about campaign finance and support for Israel "bigoted". It also condemned Representative Betty McCollum's description of the Netanyahu government's "apartheid-like policies", and mocked Tlaib for using an Israeli-made website platform.[1] Militarist Monitor's 2019 profile cites reporting that 11 of DMFI's 15 founding board members "have either worked or volunteered for [AIPAC], donated to it or spoken at its events".[1]
Mellman was a pollster and chief executive of The Mellman Group. He advised the Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid, who called him "one of the architects" of Yesh Atid's 2013 election success.[3]
Electoral spending
Jewish Insider described DMFI as "one of the first pro-Israel organizations to become a major direct spender in political campaigns, before AIPAC created its own political fundraising arm in 2022". One early success came in 2021, when DMFI spent $2 million backing Shontel Brown against Nina Turner in an Ohio special primary.[2] In 2024 DMFI was among the groups opposing Representative Jamaal Bowman, who lost his New York primary. Mellman told JTA: "We find fault with Jamaal Bowman because he's anti-Israel, but also because he's not supportive of a Democratic agenda."[3]
| Cycle | Receipts (US$) | Disbursements (US$) | Independent expenditures (US$) | Coverage to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 6,336,523 | 6,240,441 | 4,903,997 | 16 December 2020 |
| 2022 | 9,063,924 | 8,895,774 | 7,448,431 | 31 December 2022 |
| 2024 | 6,745,510 | 6,209,663 | 4,155,904 | 31 December 2024 |
| 2026 | 7,481,100 | 7,776,455 | 3,659,734 | 14 October 2026 |
Source: FEC committee totals for C00710848, retrieved 8 November 2026.[5] Independent-expenditure totals depend on reporting dates. For 2026, OpenSecrets recorded $10,708,279 in outside spending based on FEC data released on 6 November 2026, which is later than the committee totals above. OpenSecrets put spending in support of Democrats at about $2.3 million, and summarised the overall split as 55 per cent against Republicans, 23 per cent against Democrats and 21 per cent for Democrats.[8]
2026 cycle
In California's 48th district, redrawn under Proposition 50, DMFI endorsed Marni von Wilpert. By 28 May 2026 it had spent $2 million against her Democratic rival Ammar Campa-Najjar. Times of San Diego reported that this was $1.5 million more than DMFI had spent against any other candidate nationwide that year.[9] Campa-Najjar finished third with 10.6 per cent.[7]
Inside Political Money found that DMFI's 2026 primary results were mixed. Candidates it backed won in Southern California, Texas and Nebraska, but lost in California's Central Valley, New Jersey and the Michigan Senate primary. On 22 October 2026 DMFI announced $7 million of general-election spending for Representatives Don Davis (North Carolina 1st) and Shomari Figures (Alabama 2nd). Punchbowl News reported that Michael Bloomberg helped finance that effort.[7] The same report said DMFI PAC had received about $31 million since its founding. Its largest all-time super PAC donors were Deborah Simon and Stacy Schusterman, who had given close to $9 million between them.[7]
Leadership change, 2025
Mellman stepped down as president at the end of April 2025. DMFI gave no reason.[2] On 19 May 2025 DMFI announced that Brian Romick would become president and CEO and that former Representative Kathy Manning would chair the board.[10] Romick had worked for Representative Steny Hoyer for more than 28 years, latterly as his leadership chief of staff. Manning is a past chair of the Jewish Federations of North America.[10] JTA reported that Lisa Eisen, co-president of Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies, and Stuart Kurlander joined the board at the same time.[11] Mellman's death, aged 70, was announced on 21 November 2025. DMFI called him "our founding President and CEO".[3][12]
In October 2026 DMFI published a vision statement on "modernizing" the US–Israel relationship. It backed continued US aid and a two-state solution, and said that "the United States should speak directly when Israeli policies or actions undermine shared interests".[7]
Finances of the 501(c)(4)
For the fiscal year ending December 2024, the nonprofit reported revenue of $3,197,720, of which $3,194,973 was contributions. It reported expenses of $5,196,133 and net assets of $1,477,672 at year end.[4] Inside Political Money reported that the nonprofit's revenue totalled more than $20 million over fiscal years 2019–2024.[7]
People
| Name | Position | Dates and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mark Mellman | Founder; President and CEO | 2019 – April 2025; died November 2025. Reported compensation in fiscal 2024: $600,000 plus $22,126 other.[2][4] |
| Brian Romick | President and CEO (also described as president of DMFI PAC) | From 2025.[10][7] |
| Kathy Manning | Board Chair | From May 2025.[10] |
| Ann Lewis | Co-chair and Treasurer | In 2019–2024 filings; former White House communications director under Bill Clinton.[4][1] |
| Todd Richman | Co-chair and Secretary | In 2019–2024 filings.[4] |
| Shelley Berkley | Board member | Former member of Congress for Nevada; in 2019–2024 filings.[4][1] |
| Henry Cisneros | Board member | Former US housing secretary; in 2019–2024 filings.[4][1] |
| Alma Hernandez | Board member | Listed in recent filings.[4] |
| Michael Rosenzweig | Board member | Listed in fiscal 2024 filing.[4] |
| Lisa Eisen | Board member | Joined May 2025.[11] |
| Stuart Kurlander | Board member | Joined May 2025.[11] |
| Jennifer Granholm | Board member | Founding board; listed as board member until February 2019.[4] |
| Paul Begala | Board member | Founding board; listed until February 2020.[4] |
Other board members listed in the fiscal 2024 filing are Cliff Chenfeld, Archie Gottesman, Anton Gunn, Ed Kelly, Sam Lauter, Barry Porter, Meghan Stabler and Peter Villegas.[4] Staff listed in the same filing include communications director Rachel Goldstein and political director Joel Wanger.[4]
See also
- American Israel Public Affairs Committee
- Republican Jewish Coalition
- Israel lobby in the United States
External links
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Militarist Monitor, Democratic Majority for Israel, profile last updated 20 August 2019, accessed 8 November 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Gabby Deutch, Mark Mellman steps down as president of DMFI, Jewish Insider, 22 April 2025, accessed 8 November 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Ron Kampeas, Mark Mellman, pollster who championed Democrats and Israel, dies at 70, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, 21 November 2025, accessed 8 November 2026.
- ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, Democratic Majority For Israel D/b/a Dmfi (EIN 83-3298146), summary of IRS Form 990 filings, accessed 8 November 2026.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Federal Election Commission, DMFI PAC, committee C00710848, accessed 8 November 2026.
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, Democratic Majority for Israel, independent expenditure filer C90022864, accessed 8 November 2026.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 Gabe Stutman, DMFI's $10 Million Push to Keep Democrats Pro-Israel, Inside Political Money, 28 October 2026, accessed 8 November 2026.
- ↑ OpenSecrets, Democratic Majority for Israel: Outside Spending, 2026, spending data from FEC releases of 6 November 2026, accessed 8 November 2026.
- ↑ Tessa Balc, Times of San Diego, Late surge in CA-48 Super PAC money spend against Campa-Najjar, 29 May 2026, accessed 8 November 2026.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Democratic Majority for Israel, Democratic Majority for Israel announces new leadership, 19 May 2025, accessed 8 November 2026.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Grace Gilson, Kathy Manning to lead Democratic Majority for Israel board of directors, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, 19 May 2025, accessed 8 November 2026.
- ↑ Democratic Majority for Israel, DMFI Mourns Mark Mellman, 21 November 2025, accessed 8 November 2026.