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US Senator Abdul El-Sayed launches ‘Habibi’ political action committee
Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed has launched Habibi PAC, a leadership political action committee, days after winning a historic Michigan Senate race and becoming the first Muslim member of the US Senate. The committee can raise and spend money to support other candidates and political groups, adding a new fundraising role for a lawmaker who made reducing money’s influence in politics a central campaign pledge.
A Federal Election Commission filing dated Thursday lists the PAC as sponsored by El-Sayed; leadership PACs are separate from a politician’s campaign and can help build influence with colleagues. In the 2024 election cycle, they gave $79.3m to federal candidates. The launch comes amid a record-cost midterm election: total spending is forecast at $11.9bn, while outside spending is projected at $3.9bn, up 85 per cent from 2022.
In short
- El-Sayed has registered Habibi PAC after his Michigan Senate win.
- Leadership PACs can fund other candidates and political groups.
- US midterm spending is forecast to reach a record $11.9bn.
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The case for
A leadership PAC could help El-Sayed support candidates who share his priorities and build the relationships needed to advance them in the Senate. Supporters might argue that participating in an established fundraising system gives him practical influence over elections and helps counter better-funded interests, even as he continues to advocate reducing money’s role in politics.
The case against
Launching a PAC so soon after campaigning to reduce money’s influence can reasonably appear inconsistent with that pledge, particularly when leadership PACs help politicians build influence through fundraising. Critics may argue that adding another channel for political money risks reinforcing the system he promised to challenge, rather than changing its incentives.