Abdulrahman Al-Sayed Wins Michigan Senate Primary Despite AIPAC’s $30 Million Campaign Spend
Abdulrahman Al-Sayed, the Democratic candidate in Michigan, won his party’s Senate primary despite a costly campaign by pro-Israel groups, marking an unprecedented setback for the AIPAC lobbying group in a key race.
According to NBC News, groups affiliated with AIPAC spent more than $30 million supporting Haley Stevens, a U.S. Congresswoman, in an effort to block Al-Sayed’s victory. This amount is the largest election expenditure by the lobby in a primary race.
Al-Sayed will face former Republican Congressman Mike Rogers in the November general election. This race is one of the few decisive Senate seats in the midterms and could influence the balance of power in the chamber throughout Donald Trump’s current presidency.
If elected in November, Al-Sayed, who is of Egyptian descent, will become the first Muslim senator in U.S. history. He has previously described the Israeli war in Gaza as a “genocide” and argued that funds allocated to the conflict should instead be used to improve health services, housing, and domestic infrastructure in the United States.
Michigan is considered a battleground state and voted for Donald Trump in the 2024 election. Analysts view this primary result as an indicator of growing divisions within the Democratic Party over how to support Israel.
Meanwhile, in Missouri, AIPAC spent about $2 million to prevent the return of former Congresswoman Cori Bush to politics. Earlier, a joint poll by the Associated Press and NORC research center showed that nearly 60 percent of Democrats believe their party supports Israel excessively.
