In final debate, Michigan Senate Democrats spar over outside spending

Southfield, Michigan – Michigan Democratic Senate candidates Abdul El-Sayed and Rep. Haley Stevens clashed on issues of spending by outside groups, the tone of the race and electability in the last televised debate before a pivotal primary election next Tuesday.

The Democratic primary contest to fill the open seat of outgoing Democratic Sen. Gary Peters has turned into a proxy for a larger intra-party debate over whether candidates with progressive policy stances on Medicare for All and abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement — as well as aggressive criticism of U.S. financial support for Israel — are the best options to run in competitive races this November.

Stevens, who has represented parts of the Detroit area in the House since 2019, is part of the party's moderate wing. El-Sayed, a doctor by training who has held top health positions in Detroit and Wayne County, Michigan, is a progressive.

El-Sayed has hammered Stevens for the wave of outside funding that has backed her campaign, especially the tens of millions of dollars from groups affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC.

On Monday, El-Sayed cited her July vote against an amendment that would cut $3.3 billion in annual military aid to Israel. El-Sayed called military assistance to Israel the "worst use of our tax dollars."

Stevens denied that the influx of outside spending would influence her views on Israel as a senator. She said she supports a two-state solution to the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, and highlighted her recent criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, drawing pushback from Netanyahu in a CNN interview.

Stevens also responded by pointing to a super PAC supporting El-Sayed, the "Fighting for Michigan PAC," that has received $300,000 from his father-in-law, Jukaku Tayeb.

"I don't think there's much difference between super PACs going in for Abdul or super PACs going in for me. We have a problem with campaign finance reform in this country," Stevens said.

The Fighting for Michigan group has spent over $2.3 million to support El-Sayed.

By comparison, AIPAC's super PAC, the United Democracy Project, has spent over $19.9 million to support Stevens through July 20, according to campaign finance records. Another group, "A Stronger Michigan," has spent $16.8 million to support Stevens but has not disclosed who its donors are.

"My father-in-law does not want to send your tax dollars to the Israeli military to do genocide, I'll tell you that much," he told reporters after the debate. El-Sayed has frequently accused I