Senator Bernie Sanders and Dr. Abdul El-Sayed address students at the University of Michigan and members of the local community during a town hall rally in support of Dr. Abdul El-Sayed’s campaign for the U.S. Senate in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States, on October 26, 2026. [Katie McTiernan – Anadolu Agency]
Independent US Senator Bernie Sanders said on Tuesday that the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the leading pro-Israel lobbying group in the United States, had spent $39 million to oppose Egyptian-American Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed in the Michigan Senate race.
Sanders made the remarks in a post on the US social media platform X, as voters headed to the polls in the congressional midterm elections. El-Sayed is running against Republican candidate Mike Rogers.
“AIPAC spent $30 million against Abdul El-Sayed in the primary, then poured another $9 million into supporting Mike Rogers,” Sanders said.
“Here’s the good news: In response to AIPAC, ordinary Americans donated $12 million to Abdul,” he added.
READ: AIPAC signals fresh spending against El-Sayed after humiliating $32m Michigan defeat
“They have the money; we have the people. Let’s win,” Sanders concluded.
Sanders’ remarks come amid a closely fierce race for Michigan’s Senate seat. El-Sayed won the Democratic Party nomination in August, defeating Representative Haley Stevens, who had received substantial financial backing from pro-Israel groups.
According to The Washington Post, AIPAC’s independent political action committee spent more than $30 million during the Democratic primary to support Stevens and oppose El-Sayed, before providing about $9 million to a political group backing Rogers in the general election.
El-Sayed, an Egyptian-American doctor, has taken positions critical of Israeli policies, particularly Israel’s genocide in the Gaza Strip. He has called for an end to US military aid to Israel and enjoys the support of Sanders and several progressive political figures.
READ: Anti-Muslim hate targeting Michigan Senate nominee El-Sayed surged after primary win: Study
US senator reveals ‘staggering’ sum AIPAC spent to defeat Abdul El-Sayed: They have the money; we have the people
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