MICHIGAN—Abdul El-Sayed has outraised Haley Stevens in the race for US Senate. Records show he has pulled in more small donors, more Michigan money, and more cash overall.
But none of it may matter—because the super PACs and outside groups boosting Stevens’ campaign this year have been outspending El-Sayed’s backers 12-to-1 on TV ads. And the single biggest spender is tied to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, a pro-Israel group that has become toxic among the Democratic electorate.
The AIPAC-affiliated group, a super PAC called the United Democracy Project, is slated to spend $28.5 million either supporting Stevens, or attacking El-Sayed, the Detroit News reports. Stevens is vocally pro-Israel, while El-Sayed believes Israel has committed a genocide in Gaza.
All told, more than $52 million and counting in ad time has now been reserved for Stevens, compared to $4 million for El-Sayed. The lopsidedness is striking given how the two candidates are actually raising money.
El-Sayed reportedly pulled in $4.6 million last quarter to Stevens’ $2.1 million—most of it from small donors and Michiganders—while Stevens has relied largely on super PACs and outside help. Some of that money is easy to trace through ad-tracking firms like Ad Impact and through regular federal disclosures. But other money in this race has been nearly impossible to follow.
One group called A Stronger Michigan didn’t exist eight weeks ago. It reportedly registered with the FEC in June, started buying TV ads almost immediately, and has since spent more than $12 million supporting Stevens—without disclosing a single donor. Its federal paperwork lists an address in Virginia. The group has also drawn a cease-and-desist letter from the United Auto Workers (UAW) for using the union’s logo in pro-Stevens ads. The UAW endorsed El-Sayed in June.
A third group, the Center for Democratic Priorities, spent more than $5 million on pro-Stevens ads and never registered as a political committee at all—meaning there’s no receipts to follow.
Most of the outside money has poured in as a growing number of polls have shown El-Sayed leading Stevens in the primary.
Stevens has defended the spending as legal and maintains her vote can’t be bought. El-Sayed, however, has called it an attempt to “buy” a US Senate seat. And Sen. Bernie Sanders, who endorsed El-Sayed, has framed it as a test of whether “the billionaire class” can be stopped.
Absentee ballots are already in mailboxes. The polls close Aug. 4. Whoever wins the primary will face Republican Mike Rogers in a race that could decide control of the US Senate.
Click here to make sure you’re registered to vote and to find your precinct.
READ MORE: 3 ways Trump’s war picked Michiganders’ pockets this summer
Don’t miss Michigan’s biggest stories. Follow The ‘Gander on Instagram.
