MICHIGAN — U.S. Representative Haley Stevens faces a primary challenge as she seeks the Michigan Democratic Senate nomination ahead of the August 4, 2026, contest. AIPAC and its affiliated groups have directed close to $30 million toward supporting her candidacy.

Outside organizations have spent close to $50 million supporting Stevens' candidacy. United Democracy Project, a super PAC funded by AIPAC, has spent nearly $30 million backing Stevens, marking the organization's largest investment in a single race. Another group, A Stronger Michigan, has spent roughly $12 million supporting Stevens without disclosing its donors.

In contrast to the outside spending backing Stevens, her own campaign advertising expenditures were modest through early July 2026. Stevens spent close to $1 million on advertising during that period, using only $12,000 of her own campaign funds. Abdul El-Sayed, a former Detroit public health official, spent about $3.2 million from his own campaign account on advertising and has received around $1 million in outside spending for advertising.

In the fundraising period ending June 30, 2026, Stevens raised half the amount El-Sayed raised. El-Sayed has sworn off corporate PAC money and his campaign has recruited more than 10,000 volunteers statewide, while Stevens' campaign stated it has hundreds of volunteers across Michigan.

The financial dynamics have drawn commentary from prominent national figures. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who has been campaigning for El-Sayed in Michigan, said, "One of the laws of nature in politics is whoever spends the most money wins." She added in a podcast interview, "It is an opportunity to show that things other than money can win in America." Abdul El-Sayed and his allies have accused Stevens of being a mouthpiece for her large donors.

Stevens has addressed the outside support by emphasizing her record rather than the sources of the funding. During a July campaign stop in West Michigan, Stevens responded for more than 800 words without mentioning AIPAC when asked about the group twice. In a statement, Stevens said, "Anyone who supported me is supporting me because of my dedication to the people of Michigan, and the things that I have done for Michiganders." Her campaign team said in a statement that the campaign "is raising the resources we need to win this race." Stevens has also said she supports comprehensive campaign finance reform.

A portion of the outside spending has focused on connecting Stevens to former President Barack Obama. Supporters of Stevens spent $5 million airing an advertisement featuring Obama nearly 4,000 times. The advertisement featuring Obama praising Stevens is the most-run political ad in Michigan over the last year, according to AdImpact data.

However, former President Barack Obama has not endorsed Stevens in the Michigan Senate primary. The ads utilize a clip from a 2018 rally where Obama said she was there and was a critical part of my team that helped the American auto industry come roaring back. Stevens served as chief of staff for the US Auto Rescue Task Force during the 2008 financial crisis. A pro-Stevens ad features a voiceover saying if President Obama trusts her, so do I.

The primary contest is intertwined with the war in Gaza and differing views on U.S. policy toward Israel. Michigan is home to the nation's largest Arab American population. The war in Gaza has waged on for over 1,000 days following Hamas’ Oct.

7, 2023 attacks in Israel that killed about 1,200 people and took 251 hostage. Israel has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians in its retaliatory offensive, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Stevens described herself as a "proud pro-Israel Democrat" and said during a Hanukkah celebration that "Israel comes to me in my dreams." She also said she "wanted to see the U.S. and Israel working together to rebuild Gaza." During a recent debate, Stevens criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying he "has not made us safer, has not brought us closer to peace, and he’s endangered Jews here in America and around the world."

El-Sayed, who is the son of Egyptian immigrants, has taken a different tone. If elected, he would become the first Muslim U.S. senator. During a recent debate, El-Sayed called Israel’s military campaign in Gaza a genocide and described the Israeli government as evil.

He said during that same debate that "The reason that we’ve seen this war fought is because of the impact of AIPAC in our politics." In an email to supporters, El-Sayed wrote that "When they raise questions about my ‘electability,’ they are usually pointing to the most obvious thing about me that makes me ‘different’ — that’s my name and my Muslim faith." He added that "Faith, to me, isn’t just about an identity. It’s about the choices that I make every single day about how I live my life." He concluded that "This election will come down to the many versus the money." Black voters made up around a quarter of Democrats in Michigan in the 2022 midterms.

The race also carries the legacy of a previous contest involving AIPAC spending. Stevens defeated former Rep. Andy Levin in a 2022 Democratic primary after redistricting. AIPAC spent millions opposing Levin in that 2022 primary.

Levin is Jewish. AIPAC works to elect lawmakers who support its mission of strengthening the U.S.-Israel relationship and advancing policies it says enhance the security of both countries. Stevens is not Jewish. AIPAC did not respond to a request for comment, and United Democracy Project declined to comment. The winner of the Michigan Democratic Senate primary will face former Rep. Mike Rogers, the frontrunner for the Republican nomination, in the general election.