AIPAC and affiliated groups have spent close to $30 million backing U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens in Michigan's Aug. 4 Democratic Senate primary, the organization's largest investment in a single race.
Outside organizations have poured close to $50 million into boosting Stevens, with the group A Stronger Michigan spending roughly $12 million without disclosing its donors, and Stevens' campaign saying it has been "raising the resources we need to win this race."
Progressive rival Abdul El-Sayed and his allies have made outside spending a central critique of Stevens' campaign; Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said, "One of the laws of nature in politics is whoever spends the most money wins," and Sen. Bernie Sanders said, "She is nothing more than an employee of these billionaires."
El-Sayed has spent about $3.2 million from his campaign account on advertising and had around $1 million in outside spending, and his campaign says it has recruited more than 10,000 volunteers statewide; Stevens' campaign said it has "hundreds across Michigan."
Stevens has largely avoided discussing AIPAC on the campaign trail — at a July stop she spoke for more than 800 words without mentioning the group — and when asked whether she welcomed AIPAC's support she told The Associated Press, "Anyone who supported me is supporting me because of my dedication to the people of Michigan, and the things that I have done for Michiganders." AIPAC did not respond to a request for comment, and its super PAC, United Democracy Project, declined to comment.
The two candidates have taken sharply different positions on Israel and Gaza: Stevens has called herself "a proud pro-Israel Democrat" and said during a Hanukkah celebration that "Israel comes to me in my dreams," while criticizing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu because he "has not made us safer, has not brought us closer to peace, and he’s endangered Jews here in America and around the world." El-Sayed has called Israel's military campaign in Gaza a "genocide," described the Israeli government as "evil," and said during a debate, "The reason that we've seen this war fought is because of the impact of AIPAC in our politics." The story noted the war in Gaza began after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 attacks that killed about 1,200 people and took 251 hostage, and that Gaza’s Health Ministry says Israel has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians.
Michigan's large Arab American population frames the contest for some voters, and the campaign has drawn national attention: El-Sayed would become the first Muslim U.S. senator if elected. Political strategist Adrian Hemond said, "But this doesn't even register as an issue that’s influencing voting behavior for the overwhelming majority of primary voters."