After Michigan upset, Aipac looks to back Republican candidate against Abdul El-Sayed

After Michigan upset, Aipac looks to back Republican candidate against Abdul El-Sayed Yasmine El-Sabawi While this was a race where Israel loomed large, the focus was on how the candidates were funded US Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed speaks to supporters and the media during a campaign rally in Detroit, Michigan, on 2 August 2026 (Rebecca Cook/Reuters) After spending more than $30m on a candidate who lost the Michigan Democratic Senate primary on Wednesday, the leading pro-Israel lobbying group in the US has now indicated it will pivot to the Republican in that race come November. The move highlights how the one-issue behemoth does not see itself as ideologically bound to one party or the other. "Our members remain determined to ensure that voters reject Dr El-Sayed and his radical anti-Israel agenda," the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee (Aipac) said in a statement. "Our community is proud to support pro-Israel Democrats and Republicans who stand for our values." The race between pro-Israel Congresswoman Haley Stevens and former Detroit public health official Abdul El-Sayed quickly became the most expensive Democratic primary race of all time. Stevens was backed by a further $30m from outside groups who bankrolled round-the-clock attack ads on Sayed. Sayed, an Egyptian-American Muslim who has never held elected office, won the exceptionally tight race by one percentage point, in what was a stunning upset for establishment Democrats, and a boon to the progressive wave taking hold across the country. Half a million more Democratic voters showed up to the polls than in previous primary races, which typically see low turnouts, Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel said on Wednesday. Sayed has repeatedly said he's never met with corporate lobbyists. Last quarter, he out-fundraised Stevens in small-dollar donations, according to data analysed by the campaign finance tracker, OpenSecrets. "An average of $95 was spent for every vote against Abdul, more than 10 times as much as Abdul’s $9 per vote average," his campaign said in a statement. But outside spending by groups that don't coordinate with the candidate - which, according to US law, can be unlimited - is how Aipac and other special interest outfits have gained what seemed like a permanent foothold in US politics. Craig Holman, government affairs lobbyist for the non-profit consumer advocacy group Public Citizen, told Middle East Eye that in 95 percent of US electoral races, "whoever spends the most, wins". middleeasteye.net Thomas Massie's defeat shows Aipac's enduring grip over US Republicans "Yes, money buys elections. It's very effective, and that's why these candidates work overtime continually raising money," he said. Few groups are willing to spend as much as Aipac does - especially in a climate where emboldened criticism of Israel has proliferated both the left and the right of the political spectrum in the US. In 2022, Aipac helped Stevens secure her seat in the House of Representatives by ousting longtime lawmaker Andy Levin for his support of US policies to punish violent Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank. "Today, Michigan launched a new chapter in our political history," Levin wrote on his Instagram account on Wednesday, accompanied by a photograph of him hugging Sayed. "Out with all the big money, dark money and corporate and special interest control of our politics. We the people hunger for authenticity." Earlier this year, Aipac [helped oust](middleeasteye.net › anti aipac congressman unseated