Story summary
The Democrats are locked in a heated primary battle in Michigan's Senate election, with Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive candidate backed by Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, facing off against Haley Stevens, a more moderate candidate supported by establishment Democrats like Gretchen Whitmer. The winner will go on to face former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers in the general election.
The Michigan Senate primary has become a high-stakes battle within the Democratic Party, with some seeing it as a test of whether progressive candidates can replicate their success in other parts of the country. El-Sayed's campaign has focused on issues like climate change and racial justice, while Stevens has emphasized her experience as a moderate Democrat.
The primary election is being held on Tuesday, with voters in Michigan and four other states - Kansas, Missouri, Virginia, and Washington - heading to the polls to choose their candidates for November's elections. The outcome of the Senate primary could have significant implications for the balance of power in Congress, with Democrats needing to flip four Senate seats to regain control.
Abdul El-Sayed has been gaining support from Arab American voters, who are increasingly centering Palestine in their electoral choices. El-Sayed's campaign has also received endorsements from groups like the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Arab American Institute. However, he is facing opposition from pro-Israel groups like AIPAC, which has spent millions of dollars to defeat him.
The Michigan Senate primary has become a national story, with many seeing it as a test of whether progressive candidates can win in traditionally moderate districts. The outcome will have significant implications for the balance of power in Congress and the Democratic Party's future direction.
Written for “Michigan Democratic Primary Results” on 2026-08-31,
grounded in this article and the 13 other(s) covering the same event.
Michigan's Democratic Senate primary puts spotlight on big money and pro-Israel lobby
American Israel Public Affairs Committee spending has become a campaign issue in more than just Michigan
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.
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primary → put → party
while the four-term Congresswoman Haley Stevens and her challenger, Abdul El-Sayed — a more progressive public health official endorsed by the likes of Sen. Bernie Sanders — have traded jabs over health care and ICE, campaign finances and foreign policy have become major flashpoints.
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finances → endorse → care
More than $60 million US has been spent on Stevens's behalf by various groups, according to Ad Impact.
uncertain
US → spend → Impact
Half of it — more than $30 million US — has come from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and its affiliated groups.
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Half → come → Committee
"The image of AIPAC has changed in the Democratic Party; it's highly polarizing now," said Doug Rossinow, a history professor at Metro State University in Saint Paul, Minn.
Spending by the group has become an issue elsewhere this election cycle, including in Minnesota, Rossinow said.
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Rossinow → change → Minnesota
There are still people in the party who see AIPAC's support as a seal of approval, he said, and those are the people supporting Stevens.
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those → be → Stevens
But in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, there are large numbers of voters, "particularly in its liberal base," who now see it as a "black mark."
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who → be → mark
AIPAC, which has said it is focused on strengthening the U.S.-Israel relationship, did not respond to a request for comment from CBC News.
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it → say → News
Neither did its affiliated super PAC, the United Democracy Project, which has been running ads in support of Stevens.
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which → do → Stevens
The Michigan primary
The issue has come to a head in Michigan in part because of the candidates themselves and their starkly different views on what the U.S.-Israel relationship should look like.
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relationship → come → what
Stevens is a longtime supporter of Israel and once said "Israel comes to me in my dreams."
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Israel → say → dreams
She has said that she does not think Israel has committed genocide in Gaza and recently voted to continue funding Israel's military without conditions, though she said such a measure would also hinder humanitarian and peacekeeping aid.
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measure → say → aid
El-Sayed advocates for the end of unconditional U.S. military aid and weapons sales to the country.
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Sayed → advocate → country
He has called Israel a "rogue state" and has accused it of committing a "horrific genocide" in Gaza.
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He → call → Gaza
El-Sayed has also been linking U.S. foreign policy to affordability.
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Sayed → link → affordability
"Maybe we should keep our money here instead of sending it there to drop bombs on people's schools or their hospitals.
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we → keep → schools
That's our money," he said in late July on a podcast with political analyst Anand Giridharadas.
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he → say → Giridharadas
El-Sayed, like other left-leaning Democrats advocating for systemic economic and political change, has also been critical of any big money in politics, arguing it distorts the democratic process.
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it → lean → process
So AIPAC checks two boxes in his platform.
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AIPAC → check → platform
At a July 27 debate between the candidates, AIPAC came up repeatedly.
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AIPAC → come → candidates
"The difference between us is … AIPAC spending," El-Sayed said.
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Sayed → say → us
"They've set a record in this race to help elect my opponent because they know that she'll be a reliable vote."
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she → set → opponent
Stevens says she supports two-state solution
Stevens, on the other hand, often avoids talking about AIPAC directly, including during the debate.
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Stevens → say → debate
When the moderator asked whether voters should be concerned about the amount of money the organization is spending on her campaign, she said:
"I want to see long-term peace.
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I → ask → peace
I want to see a two-state solution.
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I → want → solution
I am deeply proud to represent one of the largest Jewish populations in a congressional district in the country."
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I → represent → country
What does it mean for upcoming midterm elections?
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it → mean → elections
In other moments, like in a recent post on X, she said El-Sayed wants to "blame all of your problems on Jewish Americans.
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Sayed → say → Americans
That's a message that worries many voters, says Jordan Acker, who backs Stevens and serves as one of eight elected regents at the University of Michigan.
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who → worry → Michigan
, is that there is a campaign running a race that if you don't have health care, if
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you → be → care
there's something wrong in your home, there's something wrong in society, it's because of Israel, it's because of AIPAC, and that's simply not true," he said.
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he → be → AIPAC
Is debate over pro-Israel lobby group swaying voters?
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debate → sway → voters
Political strategists, including Adrian Hemond of Michigan's Grassroots Midwest, aren't so convinced the issue is moving voters amid a tight race.
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issue → include → race
"AIPAC is not a top-of-mind issue for most voters in Michigan, even voters in the Democratic primary in Michigan, partly because our state is in such dire economic straits right now," he said.
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he → say → straits
Matt Duss, executive vice-president at the Center for International Policy and a former foreign policy advisor to Sanders, disagrees.
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Duss → disagree → Sanders
While it's not the "defining issue," he said, how the U.S. government responded to Gaza "connects to a broader sense of the establishment having failed.
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establishment → define → sense
"
Whether it's the economy, jobs, medical care or foreign policy, Duss said, "they see a corrupt, ineffective establishment."
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they → say → establishment
How is AIPAC's money playing out in other races?
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money → play → races
Michigan is fertile ground for this debate since it is home to an established Jewish population and a large Arab population, particularly in Dearborn, a suburb of Detroit.
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it → establish → Detroit
But the controversy over AIPAC spending has played out in other races.
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controversy → play → races
…and 11 more, not listed.
