The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and its affiliated groups have spent nearly $30 million backing Congresswoman Haley Stevens in her Michigan Senate campaign, marking the organization’s largest investment ever in a single race, according to fortune.com. The spending aims to help Stevens defeat progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed in the August 4 primary.
Stevens has largely avoided discussing AIPAC’s involvement directly during her campaign. When asked about the group at a July event in West Michigan, she responded at length without mentioning AIPAC, only referencing Israel once in the context of U.S.-Israel cooperation to rebuild Gaza. Stevens told The Associated Press that her supporters back her for her dedication to Michigan residents rather than any specific group.
AIPAC’s substantial financial support highlights the organization’s strategic push to elect lawmakers who strengthen U.S.-Israel relations and promote policies enhancing both countries’ security. The group’s involvement has reshaped the Michigan Senate race amid divisions within the Democratic Party over U.S. support for Israel following the war in Gaza. AIPAC did not respond to requests for comment on its spending in the race.
The Michigan primary is scheduled for August 4, when voters will decide between Stevens and El-Sayed in a contest influenced heavily by AIPAC’s unprecedented financial backing.