ICYMI: As Abdul Leads in Grassroots Fundraising Gains, Special Interests Pour Record Tens of Millions into Race for Stevens

Courtesy Photo: Abdul El-Sayed candidate for U.S. Senate

MICHIGAN –  The closing weeks of Michigan’s highly competitive U.S. Senate race have laid bare a clear contrast: Abdul El-Sayed is building a people-powered campaign fueled by grassroots donors, while Haley Stevens is relying on an unprecedented flood of special interest money to carry her across the finish line. 

The numbers don’t lie: Abdul is fundraising with real voters looking to change the status quo, but AIPAC and corporate donors are attempting to buy themselves a U.S. Senate Seat. Abdul is being outspent by pro-Stevens super PACs by more than 12-1 on television ads, drumming up more than $50 million on her behalf.

And yet, Abdul’s campaign has raised over $2.5 million since July 1, more than Stevens’ entire second quarter, with over 38,000 unique donations, 65% of which are from first time donors. The grassroots momentum from Abdul’s movement is clear and growing. 

Over the last 24 hours, outlets across the political spectrum have zeroed in on the same story: the lopsided outside spending fueling Stevens’ campaign is not only historic, but questionable and impossible to ignore. While Michiganders are powering Abdul’s campaign with grassroots support, Washington special interests are flooding the airwaves trying to decide this election for Michiganders. 

Excerpts of pieces are noted below:

Todd Spangler, The Detroit Free Press: Outraised by El-Sayed, Stevens relies heavily on murky, outside support

“As of June 30, according to campaign finance reports filed by the midnight deadline on July 15, Stevens, a centrist four-term congresswoman from Birmingham, had raised a total of just under $11 million for her Senate bid, about $8.3 million of that from individual contributions. The rest came from political action committees and other sources, like a joint fundraising PAC she shares with the state Democratic Party. (That PAC has raised about $300,000 total.)

Compare that to El-Sayed, a never-before-elected Ann Arbor public health specialist who trained as a doctor and is running as a progressive. He’s raised $12.2 million to date, practically all of which has come from individual donations.

Hans Nichols, Axios: Stevens’ 12-to-1 Michigan spending advantage over El-Sayed

“Outside super PACs backing Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) are outspending Abdul El-Sayed on television by more than 12 to 1 during the final five weeks of Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary.

The total: $26.9 million for Stevens versus $2.1 million for El-Sayed, from July 1 to the Aug. 4 primary, according to AdImpact. United Democracy Project, the AIPAC-affiliated super PAC, has reserved roughly $19 million in broadcast television ad time in the closing five weeks, according to AdImpact. A Stronger Michigan, a pro-Stevens super PAC, has reserved about $5 million. Unite to Win, a new super PAC working for Stevens, has reserved another $2 million.”

Bret Wilkins, Common Dreams: AIPAC, ‘Murky’ Donors Spend $50 Million to Help Stevens Beat El-Sayed in Michigan

“According to Federal Election Commission (FEC) campaign finance filings, El-Sayed—the former director of Wayne County’s Department of Health, Human, and Veterans Services—raised more than double Stevens’ fundraising haul over the last three months. El-Sayed’s campaign reported $4.6 million for the second quarter, while Stevens’ team said it brought in $2.2 million.

However, outside spending for Stevens from what the Detroit Free Press described as “murky” groups has dwarfed the amount spent for El-Sayed. The political advertisement tracker AdImpact said that of the $46 million spent or reserved by the two campaigns for television ads, nearly three-quarters has been spent on behalf of Stevens or against El-Sayed.”

Craig Mauger, The Detroit News: Haley Stevens has a lopsided spending advantage against Abdul El-Sayed

“Groups backing U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens are currently poised to outspend committees supporting former health official Abdul El-Sayed by a $12-to-$1 margin on TV ads in Michigan’s contentious Democratic U.S. Senate primary, according to tracking data.

The difference in the amount of campaign commercials is potentially historic, said three longtime Michigan political observers, and could influence the primary election’s outcome.

The tracking data, reviewed by The Detroit News, covered both ads already aired and reservations leading up to the Aug. 4 election. The reservations could change. But as things stood Thursday, pro-Stevens groups were slated to fund $52.6 million in ad time, while pro-El-Sayed groups were scheduled to fund $4.1 million in ad time.”

Simon D. Schuster, Bridge Michigan: Abdul El-Sayed outraises Haley Stevens, but super PACs dominate Senate race

 “El-Sayed pulled ahead in nearly every financial metric:

• He raised nearly $4.6 million in the period, compared to $2.1 million for Stevens.

• He collected $1.2 million from donors who’ve given him less than $200; Stevens got about $227,000 from small-dollar donors.

• He raised about $987,000 from Michigan donors who gave $200 or more, compared to $376,000 for Stevens.

The new federal filings suggest Stevens “is showing major signs of weakness as her grassroot support lags,” El-Sayed’s campaign claimed in a statement, noting he received almost twice as many disclosed donations from Michiganders and is the top fundraiser on Democrats’ digital fundraising platform, ActBlue.”