The United Democracy Project, a major political spending committee linked to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), has begun funding a campaign against Abdul El-Sayed, also known as Abdulrahman El-Sayed, the Democratic candidate for the US Senate from Michigan.
The initial spending amounted to $94,000, according to a disclosure filed late on Friday and reported by The Associated Press. The move marks the group’s entry into the general election race, after it stayed out of it during the preceding period. The group previously spent around $30 million against El-Sayed during the Democratic primary, in which he competed against Representative Haley Stevens.
El-Sayed secures Michigan Democratic nomination
El-Sayed is known for his outspoken criticism of Israel and its positions towards the Palestinians. He won the primary in August, securing the Democratic Party’s nomination for Michigan’s Senate seat. He will therefore face Republican candidate Mike Rogers in the general election scheduled for November.
During a Senate candidates’ debate held last Thursday, Rogers indicated that he would accept support from AIPAC, in response to a direct question about his position on receiving such backing. A committee spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press. In an earlier interview on a podcast produced by The New York Times, El-Sayed called for Israel to be subject to international law and accountability.
He also described its control over the Palestinian territories as an apartheid system, and described the war on Gaza as genocide.
