Stevens Gets Aipac Backing as Michigan Primary Splits
Haley Stevens, a Democratic U.S. Senate primary candidate in Michigan, received backing from AIPAC PAC after defining herself as a proud pro-Israel Democrat. The race is unfolding in a state with significant Arab and Jewish populations, and the three top candidates are making Middle East policy part of the contest.
Stevens’ support from the self-described largest pro-Israel PAC in America places her on one side of a split that also runs through the other leading candidates. Mallory McMorrow is supported by J Street PAC, while Abdul El-Sayed has touted the support of influencer Hasan Piker.
Stevens and AIPAC PAC
In March, an AIPAC video featured Stevens declaring support for “standing alongside the only democracy in the Middle East.” El-Sayed answered, “Good to know. I stand with Michigan.”
That exchange followed a fundraising appeal from AIPAC PAC supporting Stevens alongside Susan Collins. El-Sayed and McMorrow criticized that appeal, while McMorrow has sworn off money from AIPAC.
McMorrow and J Street PAC
J Street PAC is the electoral arm of J Street, which describes itself as pro-Israel and pro-peace. The group has expressed strong opposition to both the Iran war and to Israel’s actions in Lebanon, Gaza, and the West Bank.
All three top candidates have expressed opposition to the war with Iran. The overlap leaves their sharper differences focused on how each candidate talks about Israel, military aid, and the current war in Gaza.
Michigan Senate Primary
The contest has drawn sharper attention because campaigns are asking voters to sort through questions that reach beyond standard party lines. The article frames those choices around whether Israel is committing genocide, whether it deserves continued military aid, and how candidates balance those positions against support from AIPAC and J Street.
The broader conflict has already shaped the rhetoric. Hasan Piker said last month, “I would vote for Hamas over Israel every single time,” and both McMorrow and Stevens attacked El-Sayed for campaigning with him.
That clash leaves the Democratic primary defined less by a single issue than by which coalition each candidate can hold together as Middle East politics move from background issue to front-line test in Michigan.
