Son of billionaire George Soros starts progressive Jewish PAC

Alex Soros, the 29-year-old son of liberal billionaire George Soros, launched a political action committee on Tuesday with the aim of rallying the Jewish community behind progressive congressional candidates.

The Bend the Arc Jewish Action PAC said in a statement that it will “leverage the Jewish community’s political resources” to offer financial support to progressive candidates. It intends to “send a clear message that political candidates cannot rely solely on their support for Israel to earn the support of the Jewish community.”

{mosads}“The Bend the Arc Jewish Action PAC will expand the definition of what it means to get Jewish political support,” Hadar Susskind, the director of the PAC, said in a statement. “Jews are among the most progressive and engaged constituencies in American politics. The way to win our political support is by standing up for issues like marriage equality, immigration reform, racial justice and the rest of the domestic progressive agenda our community cares about most.”

The PAC announced $200,000 in donations to 12 House Democrats, including Reps. Keith Ellison (Minn.), Jan Schakowsky (Ill.), Alma Adams (N.C.), Ruben Gallego (Ariz.), Barbara Lee (Calif.), Mark Takano (Calif.), David Cicilline (R.I.), Rick Nolan (Minn.), Xavier Becerra (Calif.), Mike Honda (Calif.), Bonnie Watson Coleman (N.J.), and Yvette Clarke (N.Y.).

The group said it will also “provide a vehicle for its donor community to contribute to presidential candidates.”

“There’s a tremendous hunger among American Jews for a political voice that is focused on their real priorities,” Soros said in a statement. “Until today, there has been no Jewish PAC focused on domestic issues.

“I think this is filling a very important role in the Jewish world and I think it’s filling an important role in the progressive world,” Soros added. “This PAC is tapping the political power and resources of America’s Jews and putting them to work for the progressive movement.”