Michigan Democratic Senate Primary Focuses on Dark Money and Israel Policy

Michigan's Democratic primary for a U.S. Senate seat has centered on questions of dark money, corporate political donations and policy toward Israel as the party prepares for midterm elections in which control of the chamber could be at stake. The contest features Rep.

Haley Stevens, state Sen. Mallory McMorrow and Abdul El-Sayed. A source with knowledge of the arrangement told The Independent that a fundraising page launched by a pro-Israel PAC that featured both Stevens and Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins was set up without the Stevens campaign's knowledge and was taken down after the campaign requested its removal.

The Independent reported that Stevens received 44 percent of her donations, minus PAC support and unitemized contributions, in the third quarter of 2025 through a network of pro-Israel groups including AIPAC. That support has come as a group strongly suspected to be linked to AIPAC spent $5 million on advertising to boost Stevens' image as an opponent of the Trump administration and ICE.

" — Spokesperson for Mallory McMorrow (The Independent) McMorrow's campaign also criticized Stevens for appearing alongside Collins on the pro-Israel PAC fundraising page. McMorrow wrote on X that Democrats in Michigan and around the country are organizing to win the seat and flip the Senate while her opponent was fundraising with a Republican senator who could block a Democratic majority.

El-Sayed's campaign similarly criticized the dark money spending. His spokesperson told The Independent that El-Sayed has been consistent on the issue and believes tax dollars should be spent at home rather than abroad. The candidates have also criticized each other over past ties to corporate PACs and pro-Israel groups.

El-Sayed have competed for support from the progressive lane of the primary. El-Sayed is the Bernie Sanders-endorsed candidate while McMorrow has won support from Elizabeth Warren. Both McMorrow and El-Sayed refer to Israel's war in Gaza as a genocide while Stevens does not.

The Detroit Metro Times reported on McMorrow's past comments defending taking money from corporate PACs including one tied to Michigan energy company DTE. The newspaper also reported that McMorrow reached out to pro-Israel Democratic groups, attended a private pro-Israel leadership event and traveled to Israel on a trip sponsored by a prominent pro-Israel organization.

El-Sayed's supporters have questioned whether McMorrow's repudiation of AIPAC is genuine given that her husband previously interned for the group.

No clear frontrunner has emerged with three months remaining until the August primary. El-Sayed's campaign has pointed to a recent polling uptick. Stevens has held fewer public events than her opponents and has faced questions about her campaigning style.

Polling has shown that inflation, high fuel prices and economic concerns remain the top issues for voters nationally. Michigan was the birthplace of the Uncommitted movement in 2024 that sought to pressure the Biden and later Harris campaigns on policy toward the Gaza Strip.

Support for Israel has declined among Democrats following the conflict in Gaza and resulting humanitarian issues. AIPAC has made clear which candidate it prefers in the Michigan race. The group has also supported some of the most right-wing pro-Trump members of Congress.

Groups like TrackAIPAC have worked to identify candidates with financial backing from AIPAC and related organizations.