Michigan Democrats Pick Nominee in High-Profile Senate Primary Amid Record Pro-Israel Spending
El-Sayed is drawing strong support from Arab-American voters while AIPAC and allied groups have spent more than $52 million backing Stevens, filings show.
- On Tuesday, August 4, 2026, Michigan voters will choose between progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed and Congresswoman Haley Stevens in a Democratic Senate primary centered on the Gaza war and AIPAC's political influence.
- The United Democracy Project, an AIPAC-affiliated super PAC, has spent $30.6 million backing Stevens, stating its mission is to elect candidates who strengthen the U.S.-Israel relationship and defeat those it considers hostile to it.
- El-Sayed has centered his campaign on challenging corporate and special interest spending, arguing that tax dollars should prioritize domestic healthcare and schools over military aid abroad.
- Stevens has condemned what she called 'inflammatory rhetoric' from El-Sayed, while some Jewish community leaders expressed concern that the campaign's focus on AIPAC risks fueling antisemitism.
- Regardless of Tuesday's outcome, the Democratic nominee must face Republican Mike Rogers in November in a competitive general election with significant implications for U.S. Senate control.
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Responsible Statecraft
If Americans Knew BlogEl-Sayed overcomes $30 million AIPAC spend, wins Michigan primary
Abdul El-Sayed became the latest progressive insurgent to win a Democratic nomination contest on Tuesday, when he bested sitting House Rep. Haley Stevens to become the party’s nominee for Senate in Michigan. At the time of writing, with 95% of the votes counted, El-Sayed had 48.6% to 47.3% for Stevens. Major media networks have called the race for El-Sayed, the former Wayne County health department director.Similar to recent races in New York an…
Michigan’s Senate Primary Is About Israel
One political story transfixes the nation: today’s Senate primary in Michigan. Americans are watching intently to see who wins. Will it be Abdul El-Sayed, an insurgent left-winger, or Haley Stevens, a Congresswoman favored by the Democratic establishment? The stakes are widely acknowledged. According to one analyst, the “socialist fever rage” is on the ballot. This is true but incomplete. El-Sayed’s economic radicalism—he backs Medicare for All …
A primary in Michigan puts big money and a pro-Israel lobby in the spotlight
A highly competitive and bitter Democratic Senate primary playing out in Michigan this week is being viewed as a kind of proxy fight for big money in politics, the power of the pro-Israel lobby and the future of U.S.-Israel relations within the party.
Michigan primary offers key test of Democratic voters' views on Israel
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