<p>The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) has spent over $30 million attempting to prevent Michigan's Democratic Senate candidate Abdul el Sayed from appearing on the November ballot, but was unsuccessful.</p>
<p>Following this, AIPAC's super PAC, the United Democracy Project, reported new expenditures of nearly $95,000 aimed at attacking el Sayed in the general election. This spending provides el Sayed with an opportunity to highlight his Republican opponent's connections to AIPAC.</p>
<p>The new spending was disclosed in a filing with the Federal Election Commission and targets 130,000 Jewish voters in Michigan. It revisits a controversy surrounding el Sayed's response to a March attack on Temple Israel in West Bloomfield.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img alt="Republican nominee for U.S. Senate Mike Rogers, right, speaks during a televised debate with Democratic opponent Abdul el Sayed." class="wp-image-4763124" height="682" src="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/AP26281845181207.jpg?w=696" width="1024" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Republican nominee for U.S. Senate Mike Rogers, right, speaks during a televised debate with Democratic opponent Abdul el Sayed, at WOOD-TV, on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. (Paul Sancya/AP Photo, Pool)</figcaption></figure>
<p>The funding comes with less than a month until Election Day and follows reports of tension between AIPAC and allies of GOP Senate candidate Mike Rogers, who expressed concerns that the group's involvement could backfire and bolster el Sayed's campaign.</p>
<p>Despite trailing in the polls, Rogers has publicly welcomed AIPAC's support. El Sayed has responded by holding Rogers accountable for this association.</p>
<p>“You know Mike Rogers is in trouble when he begs AIPAC to start spending against me,” el Sayed stated on X. “Why do they hate me? Because I want to keep your tax money here to spend on your kids rather than spend it to kill kids somewhere else.”</p>
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">You know <a href="https://x.com/MikeRogersForMI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@MikeRogersForMI</a> is in trouble when he begs <a href="https://x.com/AIPAC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@AIPAC</a> to start spending against me. <br /><br />Why do they hate me? Because I want to keep your tax money here to spend on your kids rather than spend it to kill kids somewhere else. <a href="https://t.co/M47dgH4GRg" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://t.co/M47dgH4GRg</a></p>— Dr. Abdul El-Sayed (@AbdulElSayed) <a href="https://x.com/AbdulElSayed/status/2108658650906755270?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">October 9, 2026</a></blockquote> </div></figure>
<p>At a campaign stop on Friday, Rogers dismissed concerns regarding the UDP’s mailer spending and accused el Sayed of antisemitism.</p>
<p>“He is so anti-Jewish that one mail piece sends him into orbit,” Rogers stated.</p>
<p>The mailers highlight el Sayed’s comment that “Hurt people hurt people,” made while discussing the Temple Israel attack, which the FBI labeled as a “Hezbollah-inspired act of terrorism.” This remark drew criticism, leading el Sayed to apologize in late August.</p>
<p>He stated that his words “may have been misconstrued to justify something I did not mean to justify.”</p>
<p>The controversy provides Rogers and his allies a means to keep el Sayed on the defensive regarding terrorism and his stance on Israel, while also allowing el Sayed to argue that external interests are attempting to influence Michigan’s Senate race.</p>
<p>This dynamic has previously played out, with AIPAC not succeeding in its efforts against el Sayed during the primary.</p>
<p>The UDP had spent over $30 million opposing el Sayed and supporting Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) in the Democratic primary, where Stevens, a strong supporter of Israel, lost to el Sayed by approximately 1 percentage point despite the financial backing.</p>
<p>During a recent televised debate, Rogers indicated his acceptance of AIPAC’s support, despite earlier concerns from his campaign team urging the group to refrain from involvement.</p>
<p>“Anybody that wants to help my campaign stop a guy who can’t condemn terrorism in our own country because he’s so close to the people who are supporting the Muslim Brotherhood, again, I’ll take all of that help,” Rogers said.</p>
<p>El Sayed countered, “Again, I’ve condemned [the Muslim Brotherhood].”</p>
<p>This exchange highlighted the central strategy of the race, with Rogers attempting to frame el Sayed’s views on terrorism and Israel as liabilities, while el Sayed counters that his criticism of Israel is not an indication of a lack of condemnation of violence.</p>
<p>During the debate, the candidates also debated U.S. military assistance to Israel. When asked if he would support funding for defensive weapons if Israel were attacked, el Sayed expressed his opposition to American tax dollars being used to purchase weapons for other countries.</p>
<p>“I don’t know what’s so hard about that,” he stated.</p>
<p>He also refrained from determining whether Iran or Israel posed a greater threat to the United States, labeling the question as “a ridiculous hypothetical.”</p>
<p>For AIPAC, the new mailers represent a relatively modest investment compared to the millions spent during the primary. The decision to intervene is politically significant for a group that has historically sought to exert influence across party lines and is currently facing criticism regarding its unwavering support for Israel amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza.</p>
<p>The group's influence has become a complex consideration for some Republicans, who are concerned that publicly aligning with AIPAC could alienate voters opposed to its political role.</p>
<p>Concerns about AIPAC’s involvement were reportedly raised within Rogers’s campaign following the primary, as allies worried that it could provide el Sayed with a powerful political argument, allowing him to frame an attack on Israel as part of a broader narrative about outside money and political influence.</p>
<p>Rogers has since indicated his willingness to accept AIPAC’s assistance. The new spending demonstrates AIPAC's readiness to support him. However, whether this financial backing can alter the race's trajectory after its previous failure to prevent el Sayed's primary victory remains uncertain.</p>