AXIOS
Mike Rogers-AIPAC rupture roils Michigan Senate race
Alex Isenstadt
August 22, 2026

Allies of Mike Rogers, Michigan’s GOP nominee for the U.S. Senate, have asked AIPAC not to advertise on his behalf, triggering a rupture with the powerful but polarizing pro-Israel group. Rogers spoke with AIPAC chair Michael Tuchin in Los Angeles last week. The next day, AIPAC shelved an already-cut video ad targeting Rogers’ Democratic rival, outspoken Israel critic Abdul El-Sayed. The extraordinary tension underscores how far AIPAC’s political standing has fallen amid voters’ anger over the war in Gaza. Even Rogers — a staunchly pro-Israel Republican — fears the group’s public support could be a liability in the Nov. 3 election. READ MORE

FREE BEACON El-Sayed Campaign Gets a $175,000 Boost From CAIR, Whose Leader Was ‘Happy’ About Oct. 7, After Alleging Primary Opponent’s AIPAC Support Constituted ‘Foreign’ Intervention in Election The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the anti-Israel group whose leader said he was “happy” about October 7, is quietly funding left-wing Democrat Abdul El-Sayed’s Senate bid in Michigan. That financial support comes after El-Sayed made demonization of the pro-Israel American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) a central pillar of his primary campaign against Michigan congresswoman Haley Stevens, maligning the American group’s support as foreign meddling in the election. 

JEWISH INSIDER Michigan Jewish Dems circulate letter endorsing Republican Mike Rogers for Senate The signatories say they ‘fear the far-left and anti-Jewish elements in the Democratic party would become dominant’ if Abdul El-Sayed is elected