AIPAC-affiliated groups spend nearly $30 million on Michigan Senate primary

The spending is the largest AIPAC-affiliated investment in a single race to date. The groups aim to defeat the progressive candidate in favor of the four-term congresswoman.

The congresswoman has spent $1 million on advertising through early July. Outside groups supporting her have spent close to $50 million total, including roughly $12 million from one organization that has not disclosed its donors. When asked twice about the AIPAC spending at a July campaign stop in West Michigan, the congresswoman responded for more than 800 words without mentioning the group.

She told The Associated Press that anyone supporting her does so because of her work for Michigan residents. The progressive candidate has made the outside spending a focus of his campaign. He and his allies have described the congresswoman as aligned with large donors.

The candidates have taken sharply different positions on Israel's war in Gaza. The congresswoman has long been an outspoken supporter of Israel in Congress while criticizing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The progressive candidate has called Israel's military campaign a genocide and described the Israeli government as evil.

The war began after Hamas attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, that killed about 1,200 people and took 251 hostages. Israel's retaliatory offensive has continued for over 1,000 days, with Gaza's Health Ministry reporting more than 73,000 Palestinian deaths.

context Michigan has the nation's largest Arab American population.

The progressive candidate, the son of Egyptian immigrants, would become the first Muslim U.S. senator if elected. His campaign has raised less outside money but reports recruiting more than 10,000 volunteers. He has spent about $3.2 million from his own account on advertising. AIPAC did not respond to a request for comment. Its super PAC, United Democracy Project, declined to comment.