Oct 17, 2023
Wrote to the Ambassador of Egypt calling for safe zones in southern Gaza, with humanitarian corridors for civilians fleeing the fighting in the north.
Where I Stand
I don’t take AIPAC money. Here’s why — and here’s the full record.
You may have seen that I accepted AIPAC-connected contributions years ago. I don’t anymore, and I haven’t for a long time. And here’s the part that usually gets left out: my position changed while I was still in Congress.
The short version
I stopped taking AIPAC money because it stopped reflecting where I am on these issues. While I was still in office, I was already pushing hard for humanitarian relief, for civilian protection, and against Netanyahu’s conduct of this war. That shift didn’t make headlines. So here’s the record, in full, and you can judge it for yourself.
What AIPAC has become
Let’s be honest about the group writing these checks. In the 2024 cycle, AIPAC spent more than $100 million on our elections — much of it traceable to Republican billionaires and Trump’s own donors — and poured it into Democratic primaries to take out members who criticized this war.
At this point, AIPAC looks less like a bipartisan pro-Israel group and more like a political operation that spends heavily to elect Republicans and to punish Democrats who step out of line. Years ago, I stopped taking any AIPAC contributions.
What I did in Congress
Nov 9, 2023
Called publicly for humanitarian pauses in the fighting.
Called publicly for humanitarian pauses in the fighting.
Nov 22, 2023
Backed the ceasefire deal to free hostages and get aid into Gaza.
Backed the ceasefire deal to free hostages and get aid into Gaza.
Nov 30, 2023
Wrote to Secretary Austin urging that the hospital ships USNS Mercy and Comfort be sent off Gaza to give civilians emergency medical care.
Wrote to Secretary Austin urging that the hospital ships USNS Mercy and Comfort be sent off Gaza to give civilians emergency medical care.
Jan 17, 2024
Wrote to Secretary Blinken demanding he address the rising civilian death toll and humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Wrote to Secretary Blinken demanding he address the rising civilian death toll and humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Feb 29, 2024
Wrote to President Biden backing a humanitarian pause and urging renewed diplomatic efforts toward a lasting peace.
Wrote to President Biden backing a humanitarian pause and urging renewed diplomatic efforts toward a lasting peace.
May 2024 — Floor vote
Voted against the Israel Security Assistance Support Act (H.R. 8369), a bill that would have forced immediate delivery of heavy weapons regardless of conditions on the ground, stripping any discretion to say no.
Voted against the Israel Security Assistance Support Act (H.R. 8369), a bill that would have forced immediate delivery of heavy weapons regardless of conditions on the ground, stripping any discretion to say no.
Jun 21, 2024
Publicly opposed Netanyahu’s invasion of Rafah, which went ahead with no plan to protect the civilians sheltering there.
Publicly opposed Netanyahu’s invasion of Rafah, which went ahead with no plan to protect the civilians sheltering there.
Post-Congress
Jul 2025 — On the record
Told the Washington Post that I’d vote against offensive weapons to Israel if I were still in Congress. I don’t support unconditional aid, and I back the Sanders resolutions to block offensive arms sales.
Told the Washington Post that I’d vote against offensive weapons to Israel if I were still in Congress. I don’t support unconditional aid, and I back the Sanders resolutions to block offensive arms sales.
Where I stand today
I don’t accept AIPAC contributions. I haven’t for a long time — the same as North Carolina House Democrats Deborah Ross and Valerie Foushee. It’s stated on the homepage of my website. I don’t accept corporate PAC contributions either.
Stop the sale of offensive weapons. I back the Senate efforts, led by Bernie Sanders, to block the offensive arms sales that are fueling the killing in Gaza.
Condition our support. I support the concrete steps former Ambassador Rahm Emanuel has laid out: end automatic, unconditional military aid; impose targeted sanctions on Israelis who attack Palestinians; and put financial pressure on the banks and construction companies building illegal settlements in the West Bank.
Netanyahu is the obstacle. You can stand with the people of Israel and Palestine while opposing the Netanyahu government’s conduct. I do. A negotiated peace between Israelis and Palestinians is the only path forward. I strongly oppose the Trump–Netanyahu plan, and the genocide unfolding against Palestinians in Gaza has to stop.
No place for hate. I oppose antisemitism and Islamophobia without exception, in every room.
Straight with you
I think you deserve to know exactly what I believe about this today. I got here by watching what this war became and deciding I couldn’t look away. You deserve leaders who are honest with you, and who are willing to change their mind when the data is clear.
This is my record from Congress and where I stand as a candidate. It’s separate from the work of the District Attorney’s office, where nothing I do will touch U.S.–Israel policy. But my record is my record, and if anyone wants to talk about any part of it, it’s fair game and I’ll always answer.
— Wiley Nickel
