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Sanders Says El-Sayed Won Michigan Primary Despite $60M Super PAC

8/13/2026

35 5 Full Breakdown

Summary

El-Sayed Challenges

Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed (41) challenged Republican Mike Rogers (63) to a football tackle on X.
Rogers, a former FBI special agent, said on Fox News that El-Sayed “spent hours hating” football and fireworks.
Rogers’s campaign, along with James Blair and Tricia McLaughlin, mocked El-Sayed’s height on X.
El-Sayed defended his football past, noting he captained his University of Michigan lacrosse team and was listed at 5 ft 9 in.

Summary

Sanders Proposes Funding

Senator Bernie Sanders said El-Sayed won the Michigan primary despite a nine-to-one spending gap, with $60 million in super PAC money.
Senator Bernie Sanders mailed Democratic leaders a proposal for public election funding and a rule banning super PACs from primary contests.
Former House Judiciary counsel Julian Epstein announced he will support Republican Mike Rogers, arguing the Democratic Party has lost its moral center.

History

Historical Context

After the Watergate scandal, Congress passed the Federal Election Campaign Act amendments, which President Gerald Ford signed on October 15 1974, establishing a $1,000 per-candidate contribution limit and creating the Federal Election Commission. The reforms aimed to curb unchecked spending, a principle echoed today as Democrat Abdul El-Sayed faces Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan, highlighting calls for renewed caps.

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El-Sayed Challenges

Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed (41) challenged Republican Mike Rogers (63) to a football tackle on X.
Rogers, a former FBI special agent, said on Fox News that El-Sayed “spent hours hating” football and fireworks.
Rogers’s campaign, along with James Blair and Tricia McLaughlin, mocked El-Sayed’s height on X.
El-Sayed defended his football past, noting he captained his University of Michigan lacrosse team and was listed at 5 ft 9 in.

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