Super PACs pour millions into Abdul el Sayed's Michigan Senate campaign

Abdul el Sayed publicly attacked the influence of dark-money super PACs while running for the open Michigan Senate seat and said he would not support Sen. Chuck Schumer for Democratic leader. Despite this stance, groups aligned with Schumer have poured millions into his campaign, including WinSenate, which booked $6.6 million in television ad slots from early September through the November midterms, following an earlier $3 million TV push.

In the primary, el Sayed also benefited from American Priorities PAC and Fighting for Michigan PAC, the latter receiving a $300,000 contribution from his father-in-law. The candidate’s campaign reported raising an additional $2.3 million after his August 4 primary win, emphasizing that the money came from “real Michiganders.” Nonetheless, the Senate Majority PAC pledged an initial $20 million in ad reservations against Republican Mike Rogers and signaled more extensive fall advertising. El Sayed has used Rogers’s reliance on outside groups as a campaign weapon, contrasting it with his own claimed grassroots fundraising.