AIPAC Spending Record $30M in Michigan Senate Primary
AIPAC and its affiliated groups have poured close to $30 million into Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary backing Rep. Haley Stevens — their largest single-race investment ever — as progressive heavyweights Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez campaign for challenger Abdul El-Sayed in what has become a high-stakes battle for the soul of the Democratic Party. The Aug. 4 primary will determine who faces Republican Mike Rogers in November for the open seat left by retiring Sen. Gary Peters.
A Clash of Political Visions
The race has emerged as the clearest test yet of whether record-breaking outside spending can overcome a grassroots insurgency. According to AP News, AIPAC’s super PAC, the United Democracy Project, has led the spending surge alongside allied groups. Stevens herself spent roughly $1 million of her own campaign funds on advertising, while outside organizations have poured close to $50 million into boosting her candidacy. One such group, A Stronger Michigan, has spent approximately $12 million without disclosing its donors.
El-Sayed, a former Detroit and Wayne County health director and the son of Egyptian immigrants, has made AIPAC’s influence a centerpiece of his campaign. He would become the first Muslim U.S. senator if elected.
“The reason that we’ve seen this war fought is because of the impact of AIPAC in our politics,” El-Sayed said during a recent debate, referring to the war in Gaza that has deeply divided the Democratic Party.
Sanders and AOC Bring the Fight to Michigan
On July 18, Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez rallied with El-Sayed at the Detroit Opera House, the first stop on a statewide tour that included Lansing and Grand Rapids. NBC News reported that the progressive duo framed the primary as a referendum on corporate influence in American politics.
“It is about democracy versus oligarchy, and we are on the side of democracy,” Sanders told the crowd. “This is an election between Abdul and the billionaire class.”
Ocasio-Cortez, who made her first contested Senate primary endorsement in this race on July 2, told reporters that the contest is an opportunity to prove that grassroots organizing can overcome unprecedented spending. “One of the laws of nature in politics is whoever spends the most money wins,” she said. “It is an opportunity to show that things other than money can win in America.”
UAW President Shawn Fain also spoke at the rally, accusing too many Democrats of failing to stand with working people. The union has endorsed El-Sayed.
The Money Divide
Despite the outside spending advantage favoring Stevens, El-Sayed has demonstrated significant grassroots fundraising strength. According to The Detroit News, El-Sayed raised $4.57 million in the latest fundraising quarter — more than double Stevens’ $2.1 million and the highest quarterly total of any Michigan Senate candidate since the race began. His campaign reported 39,500 Michigan donors compared to Stevens’ 22,000.
Stevens, a four-term congresswoman from Birmingham, closed the quarter with $3.4 million in cash reserves to El-Sayed’s $2.7 million. But her campaign has burned through 98% of what it raised, while El-Sayed spent 95%.
AIPAC’s Growing Role in Democratic Primaries
The scale of AIPAC’s investment in Michigan reflects a broader strategy. The organization spent $4 million to defeat Jewish Rep. Andy Levin in a 2022 primary against Stevens, and its total 2026 cycle spending is expected to exceed $100 million. AIPAC’s ads in Michigan never mention Israel, instead highlighting Stevens’ work on manufacturing and featuring former President Barack Obama.
“AIPAC never runs on AIPAC. They never even talk about Israel and Palestine,” Levin told AP News. “If you’re just a voter and you see a million ads, you don’t know who paid for it.”
Stevens has largely avoided discussing AIPAC directly. When asked about the group during a campaign stop, she responded for more than 800 words without mentioning it once. “Anyone who supported me is supporting me because of my dedication to the people of Michigan,” she told the Associated Press.
The Broader Democratic Divide
The Michigan primary is unfolding against a backdrop of deepening divisions within the Democratic Party over Israel policy. The war in Gaza, now in its 1,000th day, has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Earlier this week, 103 House Democrats voted to block $3.3 billion in U.S. aid to Israel — the clearest sign yet of the party’s fracture on the issue.
Michigan’s large Arab American population, concentrated in the Dearborn area, adds particular weight to the contest. Many in this community shifted away from Democrats in 2024 over Israel policy, contributing to Donald Trump’s narrow victory in the state.
What’s at Stake
The winner of the Aug. 4 primary will face Republican Mike Rogers, who lost the 2024 Senate race to Democrat Elissa Slotkin by fewer than 20,000 votes and has Donald Trump’s endorsement. Rogers is unopposed in the GOP primary and is sitting on $5.66 million in cash reserves — the largest war chest of any candidate in the race.
If El-Sayed wins despite the $30 million AIPAC campaign against him, it would deal a significant blow to the organization’s political influence. If Stevens prevails, it would affirm that record spending can still determine primary outcomes.
As El-Sayed put it: “This election will come down to the many versus the money.”