Lever Time

Michigan just proved that money has its limits in elections. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed beat out establishment sweetheart Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) in what was likely the most expensive Democratic primary in U.S. history.

El-Sayed’s win was a major blow to the super PACs and shadowy nonprofits that spent tens of millions against him, but the story is far from over. AIPAC and its affiliates claimed five other victories around the country this week, and dark money groups are now training their sights on the general election in November.

Today on Lever Time, Natalie Bettendorf speaks with David Dayen, executive editor of The American Prospect, about Abdul El-Sayed’s landmark win in Michigan, the must-watch primary races ahead, and the bizarre new landscape of political campaigns. They discuss the pop-up and shell PACs, billionaire-backed nonprofits, paid influencers pushing political messages, and the surprising lack of federal oversight in the 2026 midterms.

Want comprehensive 2026 midterm coverage? Check out The Lever’s new weekly newsletter, Midterm Madness, for election updates, analysis, and more.

More Lever reporting on AIPAC and the money influencing this year’s midterms:

The Pro-Israel Lobby’s Quiet Cash Shuffle

Inside The Israel Lobby’s New $90 Million War Chest

Operation AIPAC Fury

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Reed Galen was raised inside the Republican Party establishment, but in 2016, he left the party and later cofounded The Lincoln Project, an anti-Trump political action committee. Now he has a warning for the Democratic Party.

Today on Lever Time, David Sirota sits down with Galen to learn why the Democrats may be sleepwalking toward a dangerous point of no return.

Check out Reed’s Lever article, "Ignore Your Base, Lose Your Party."

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The Wisconsin Democratic primary for governor has gone haywire. Over the last week, Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez dropped out amid a campaign finance scandal, and a candidate who had suspended his campaign, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, rejoined the race — immediately nabbing an influential endorsement from Gov. Tony Evers. Meanwhile, state Rep. Francesca Hong, a democratic socialist, has surged in recent polls. Is this last-minute shakeup a coincidence, or part of a concerted effort to keep Hong from securing the nomination?

Today on Lever Time, David Sirota speaks with Hong, the candidate in the middle of it all. They discuss the opposition to her grassroots campaign, why she thinks her politics are better positioned to defeat Republicans, and why she believes the entire debate over “electability” misunderstands this political moment in the United States.

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Ten years ago this week, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) ended his first presidential run and endorsed Hillary Clinton. Now, his chief strategist says the primary process was rigged.

Today on Lever Time, David Sirota sits down with Tad Devine, longtime political consultant and chief strategist for Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign. Devine reveals why he believes the Democratic National Committee tilted the scales against Sanders, why his populist message has staying power, and why the biggest obstacle in future elections is the Democratic Party itself.

Check out Devine’s book, How The Democrats Screwed Bernie.

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Last week, The Lever’s David Sirota traveled to Michigan to meet with Democratic Senate candidate and former public health official Abdul El-Sayed, who has become a political lightning rod as he campaigns in one of the country’s most consequential primaries. 

Today on Lever Time, we’re airing Sirota’s exclusive interview with El-Sayed. Speaking at a coffee shop in Macomb County — the Michigan county that birthed the term “Reagan Democrats” and where Trump won twice — they discuss how El-Sayed plans to pass Medicare For All, why AIPAC is spending millions to defeat him, and why he doesn’t want corporate Democrats’ invitations to cocktail parties.

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