How much did AIPAC spend to defeat Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan?

Dearborn, Michigan – “Down with AIPAC,” the crowd chanted at a campaign rally for Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed in a Detroit suburb.

AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, has become a major theme in Michigan's Democratic primary. Analysts say the race could shape the party's approach to Israel for years to come.

Michigan state Representative Alabas Farhat told the rally on Friday in the Dearborn suburbs that voters would make the pro-Israel group “burn” millions of dollars by sending El-Sayed to the Senate.

“The status quo has long told us there's no money for modern schools; no money for clean water, for health care, for affordable housing,” Farhat said at the rally.

“But when it's time to fund bombing children in Gaza, to carry out an ethnic cleansing campaign in southern Lebanon – this government always seems to find plenty of money.”

Several speakers, including Representatives Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar, also took the stage, but the name of El-Sayed's opponent in Tuesday's primary, Representative Haley Stevens, was barely mentioned.

Instead, AIPAC – which is spending record sums to defeat candidates who criticize Israeli policy like El-Sayed – was repeatedly invoked, booed, and condemned.

El-Sayed, a progressive epidemiologist and former public health official, is running against Stevens, a four-term congresswoman, to replace retiring Democratic Senator Gary Peters. The winner will face former Representative Mike Rogers, the likely Republican nominee, in November's general election.

How much are AIPAC and its allies spending?

According to Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings, AIPAC and other political action committees (PACs) have spent more than $54 million to help Stevens. A “dark money” group called Center for Democratic Priorities also spent about $6.5 million on ads supporting Stevens, bringing the total to more than $60 million. That group has not reported its spending to the FEC.

AIPAC's electoral arm, the United Democracy Project (UDP), has spent more than $30.6 million in the race, a record for the group. UDP is guided by AIPAC and is the PAC's largest donor. Of the $100 million UDP has raised, $30 million came from AIPAC, a social welfare nonprofit that operates as “dark money” and is difficult to trace for donors.

Beyond AIPAC, UDP is largely funded by wealthy Israel backers including hedge fund manager Paul Singer, Kraft Group Chairman Robert Kraft, asset management executive Marc Rowan, investment banker Blair Frank, Israeli-American entertainment executive Haim Saban, and real estate developer David Cordish.

The remaining roughly $30 million comes from other PACs, often funded by other PACs and “dark money” groups, like “nesting dolls.” A new group called A Stronger Michigan has spent more than $17 million, funded mainly by the nonprofit Center Forward. It also received money from Michigan Forward 2026, then from businessman Daniel Lubetzky, the American Chemistry Council, and the nonprofit American Foundation for Good Governance. Another PAC, Center Forward Committee, spent about $900,000, funded by Chevron and United Health Care. Additionally, the new PAC Unite to Win has appeared with nearly $4 million, funded only by Democracy Matters.

How much have the candidates themselves raised?

PACs operate independently and are legally barred from coordinating with campaigns. Individual contributions are capped at $3,500 per person per election. El-Sayed has raised more directly than Stevens: $14.5 million versus $11.9 million.

PACs supporting El-Sayed have spent only about $3.5 million, mostly from the group Fighting for Michigan, funded by progressive and pro-Palestinian activists, including the Middle East Institute, El-Sayed's father-in-law ($300,000), and activist Saikat Chakrabarti ($250,000). Several unions and progressive groups have also spent small amounts on activities like phone banking.

Reactions

Stevens has recently downplayed the millions AIPAC has spent on her behalf and avoided answering questions about the group. In a debate, she said: “I don't think there is a big difference between the super PAC supporting Abdul and the super PAC supporting me. We have a problem with campaign finance reform.” El-Sayed supporters were quick to point out that the gap is more than $56 million. Stevens's website has a “media” section offering talking points for AIPAC and PAC ads, along with a silent video of her interacting with voters that appears intended for television ads.

The El-Sayed campaign has made AIPAC's support for Stevens a central focus, as support for Israel among Democrats is at its lowest point. “Donald Trump is not the disease; he is just the first symptom of the underlying disease in our politics,” El-Sayed said on Friday. “That disease is a system that allows billionaires, corporations, and special interest groups like AIPAC to buy politicians and rig the system against us.” In a debate last month, he criticized Stevens for voting against cutting aid to Israel: “Last week, our friend voted to send $3.3 billion of your tax dollars to a foreign government. That's the 'pro quo' that comes with the 'quid' of $30 million that AIPAC spent.”

AIPAC rejects the accusation that it is a lobby group serving a foreign government. It describes itself as a coalition of dedicated Americans who view the US-Israel alliance as beneficial to both nations. “As proud pro-Israel Americans, we will never apologize for participating in the political process and fighting those who undermine our shared values,” the group wrote in a recent email to supporters, listing the Michigan Senate race as “critical.”

Pro-Palestinian activists say that if El-Sayed, who is leading in polls, defeats Stevens and AIPAC, it would be a major blow to the pro-Israel movement in the US. “Progress is happening. People are waking up. Truth is coming out,” Vivian Moghni, an El-Sayed supporter in Dearborn, told Al Jazeera.

Michigan, a state of more than 10 million people, voted for Trump in 2016 and 2024. Many progressives have won House races in heavily Democratic areas, but if El-Sayed wins, it could be a “political earthquake” on the Israel question within the Democratic Party. The race could also determine which party controls the Senate after November's general election.