Skip to main content

Bernie Sanders and AOC back Abdul El-Sayed as AIPAC plans major spending in Michigan Senate race

For a cause

By Sanchari Ghosh Oct 27th, 2026, 3:45 pm

Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC)have now each donated $1 million to support Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee in Michigan’s U.S. Senate race. AOC confirmed the donation on October 16, 2026, in a statement, according to Al Jazeera,  while Sanders’ donation was made public last week. 

The effort comes amid attempts to counter AIPAC’s support for his opponent, former FBI agent and Republican nominee Mike Rogers. According to Al Jazeera, Federal Election Commission (FEC) data showed that, by early August, AIPAC and other super PACs had spent more than $54 million opposing Sayed and supporting Democratic nominee Haley Stevens ahead of the August primaries. AIPAC and other super PACs are now spending up to $9 million to support Rogers, according to Muslim Network TV.

Sanders has spoken in support of Sayed on multiple occasions, most notably last week, when he defended Sayed against racism. Speaking during an interview on The Detroit News Political Insider podcast on October 23, 2026, Sanders said of Sayed, “They are going after Abdul because he is a Muslim.” Speaking about the Republican campaign against him and in support of their candidate, former FBI agent Mike Rogers, he said, “And half of their campaign is based on calling this man a terrorist or a jihadist, or throwing all of those terrible names at him.”

AOC has also publicly supported Sayed. Ahead of the Democratic primary for the Michigan Senate, AOC broke with her party’s massive support for Haley Stevens and instead backed Sayed, campaigning alongside him in Michigan. 

What Sanders said about AIPAC

Sanders has long opposed accepting funding from outside sources such as AIPAC. According to WCAX, Sanders stood by his beliefs, saying, “AIPAC’s agenda is not the agenda of the American people. They want U.S. taxpayers to continue supporting the genocidal government of Netanyahu in Israel. They want a continuation of the horrific war in Iran, which has raised prices in the United States and cost us the lives of 19 U.S. service members. We have got to stand up to a PAC and their agenda.”

AOC, on the other hand, has recently shown a willingness to support progressive Democrats, most notably during Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral campaign and now Sayed’s campaign in the Michigan Senate race. After making the donation, AOC said in a statement, “I’m not waking up on November 4th wishing I did more to combat the smears aimed at Abdul. I’m leaving everything I can on the field,” CBS News reported.

Have a tip we should know? [email protected]

Filed Under:

Follow The Mary Sue:

Sanchari Ghosh

Sanchari Ghosh is a political writer for The Mary Sue who enjoys keeping up with what's going on in the world and sometimes reminding everyone what they should be talking about. She's been around for a few years, but still gets excited whenever she disentangles a complicated story. When she's not writing, she's likely sleeping, eating, daydreaming, or just hanging out with friends. Politics is her passion, but so is an amazing nap.