EXCLUSIVE — Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed’s former political action committee spent only about 13% of the money it raised directly supporting candidates and ballot initiatives, according to campaign finance records reviewed by the Washington Examiner, while large sums instead went to consultants tied to his book and podcast projects.
The records show Southpaw MI PAC, which El-Sayed launched after his unsuccessful 2018 gubernatorial bid, raised roughly $422,806 during its time operating as both a Michigan state PAC and later a federal hybrid PAC, but only about $56,470 was reportedly spent supporting candidates or ballot initiatives.
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By contrast, Southpaw reported spending roughly $268,333, or about 63% of the money it raised, on consultants and related services that were not itemized as direct support for candidates or ballot initiatives.
The campaign disputed the significance of those figures, arguing Southpaw’s support for progressive candidates extended beyond direct financial contributions.
El-Sayed created Southpaw MI PAC in 2018 following a failed run for governor, describing the organization at the time as an effort focused on electing progressive candidates and supporting statewide ballot initiatives.
“There’s just so much momentum that we know is latent out there and we want to give it a focus and give it an opportunity to get behind really great candidates across the state,” El-Sayed told Politico following the PAC’s launch in 2018.
Southpaw’s own mission statement similarly said the PAC would support “candidates and causes that move us toward a more just, equitable, and sustainable Michigan” while focusing on “down-ballot races in local communities across the State as well as statewide ballot proposals.”
Campaign finance records show much of the PAC’s spending went toward consultants, communications firms, and political vendors rather than expenditures itemized as direct candidate support.
Among the largest recipients were Purple Tulip LLC and Bluefish Communications LLC, firms connected to individuals who also worked on El-Sayed’s book and podcast projects during the same period.
The filings show Southpaw paid approximately $75,455 to Purple Tulip and roughly $33,500 to Bluefish Communications during the PAC’s federal hybrid phase alone.
Michigan corporate records identified Purple Tulip as being controlled by Tara Terpstra, who El-Sayed thanked in the acknowledgements section of his 2020 book Healing Politics, writing that the book “would not have happened without your attention to detail, your care, and your support.”
Terpstra was also credited with “production support” and later listed as an associate producer for El-Sayed’s podcast America Dissected.
Bluefish Communications was linked to Austin Fisher, who was similarly thanked in Healing Politics and served as a producer on America Dissected.
The El-Sayed campaign disputed the characterization that direct contributions alone reflected Southpaw’s impact.
“Southpaw was created to give energized volunteers and supporters of Abdul’s campaign in 2018 a way to support like-minded candidates in Michigan,” an El-Sayed campaign spokesperson said. “Southpaw was not designed as a pass through, the way that many other Big Money PACs are, rather it was designed to coordinate direct outreach.”
The spokesperson said the PAC provided candidates with “tens of thousands of dollars worth in staff time, dialer, and text outreach support.” The campaign also said several part-time staff members were employed elsewhere but that “staff time was strictly segregated” to keep PAC activities separate from other roles. According to the spokesperson, the state PAC later transferred funds to the federal PAC as the state committee ceased operations and the federal PAC was ultimately shut down when El-Sayed entered public service in Wayne County.
The campaign finance records reviewed by the Washington Examiner do not allege any wrongdoing, and federal and state PACs are permitted to spend money on consultants, communications firms, compliance operations, and other political expenses.
The PAC’s spending history is receiving renewed attention as El-Sayed is one of the leading contenders for Michigan’s open Senate seat. The Democratic primary has increasingly become a broader ideological battle inside the party, with El-Sayed running to the left of Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) and state Sen. Mallory McMorrow.
El-Sayed, meanwhile, has emerged as the progressive standard-bearer in the race, winning backing from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and the Working Families Party, which recently pledged to go “all in” behind his candidacy. His campaign has embraced priorities including Medicare for All and higher taxes on the wealthy.
Stevens, a four-term congresswoman representing a district outside Detroit, has positioned herself as the more establishment-aligned Democrat in the race. She has rolled out endorsements from battleground-state senators including Ruben Gallego of Arizona and Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, while emphasizing her support for Israel and describing herself as a “staunchly pro-Israel Democrat.”
McMorrow, who first won election to the Michigan Senate in 2018, has attempted to position herself somewhere between Stevens and El-Sayed politically, pairing criticism of the Democratic establishment with a more pragmatic image. She has also said she would not support Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) remaining the Democratic leader in the Senate.
Polling in the race has suggested a fluid and competitive three-way contest, though recent averages have shown El-Sayed with a slight edge. The RealClearPolitics polling average currently shows El-Sayed leading the Democratic primary field with 24.3% support, followed by Stevens and McMorrow tied at 19.8%.
Individual surveys have painted a more mixed picture. A Detroit Chamber/Glengariff Group poll conducted in April showed Stevens narrowly ahead, while an Emerson College survey found El-Sayed and McMorrow tied for first. A more recent MIRS/Mitchell Research poll showed El-Sayed opening a wider lead over both rivals.
The eventual Republican nominee is expected to be former Rep. Mike Rogers, who narrowly lost Michigan’s 2024 Senate race to Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI). The race also represents a major opportunity for Republicans, who have not won a U.S. Senate race in Michigan since 1994.
MICHIGAN DEM ABDUL EL-SAYED TOUTS DOCTOR CREDENTIALS DESPITE LIMITED MEDICAL PRACTICE
El-Sayed has also faced criticism during the campaign over comments related to Israel and appearances with controversial political streamer Hasan Piker. At a “Jews for Abdul” event earlier this year reported by Jewish Insider, El-Sayed said he struggles with questions about whether Israel has the right to exist as a Jewish state, arguing the question raises broader concerns about how a Jewish state is defined.
Separately, Politico previously reported that El-Sayed, who frequently highlights his medical background on the campaign trail, does not appear to have ever held a physician’s license in either Michigan or New York despite often referring to himself as a doctor. El-Sayed graduated from Columbia University’s medical school and later earned a doctorate in public health from Oxford University.
