By Breitbart News Network | Created at 2026-08-05 18:37:22 | Updated at 2026-08-05 20:13:21
2 hours ago
Establishment Democrats in Washington spent over $60 million in support of Rep. Haley Stevens’ bid for the Michigan U.S. Senate nomination. It wasn’t enough.
The messy primary pitting their pick, Stevens, against progressives Abdul El-Sayed and Mallory McMorrow (before she abandoned her bid) saw a record amount of outside spending. AdImpact, which tracks campaign advertising, called the 2026 race the most expensive on the Democrat side in history.
Rep. Haley Stevens speaks during a Senate debate with Abdul El-Sayed, Monday, July 27, 2026, in Southfield, Michigan. (Robin Buckson/Detroit News via AP)
“Stevens (MI-11) has seen a majority of ad support targeting the primary, at $63.9M. In total, 78% of all spending targeting the primary went towards supporting Haley Stevens. Her opponent, El-Sayed has seen $7.5M in ad support. Prior to dropping out, McMorrow saw $9.0M,” said the company in a summary of the race.
The pro-Israel organization AIPAC spent the most of any group, backing Stevens with more than $30 million in spending over the past year. That funding came via United Democracy Project, doubling the amount it spent to defeat former Democrat Rep. Jamaal Bowman of New York in 2024.
Stevens’ bid was heavily supported by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).
The New York Times wrote in June that Schumer asked party donors to support Stevens, calling her the “strongest candidate” in private conversations and spawned efforts giving her a sizeable edge from big-spending Democrats.
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) talks with reporters outside of the Capitol during votes in Washington, Thursday, July 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Allison Robbert)
In spite of the record spending, Stevens could not match El-Sayed on the campaign trail.
The public health official toured the state with a cast of far-left supporters including Hasan Piker, who said America deserved 9/11, along with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders (I) and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D).
El-Sayed also brought in more contributions to his own campaign than Stevens. Pre-primary FEC reports showed El-Sayed raised $14.4 million to Stevens’ $9.9 million. The enthusiasm from Democratic Socialists of America-aligned activists delivered one of the most stunning upsets in Democrat politics and a warning to Michigan voters who now face the choice between El-Sayed and Republican nominee Mike Rogers.
Democrats quickly fell in line behind El-Sayed, with Schumer and Stevens both publicly backing him in Wednesday statements.
“Abdul El-Sayed has run an energetic campaign that inspired thousands of Michiganders across the state, with a clear focus on lowering costs and standing up for working families. Democrats are united by a common purpose: putting a check on Donald Trump by defeating his Republican enablers and taking back the Senate. We look forward to working with Abdul and Democrats across Michigan to win this seat in November,” read a statement from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
