Michigan Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed has launched a new political action committee (PAC) known as “Habibi PAC”, just days after making history as the first Muslim elected to the United States Senate.
According to a filing submitted to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) on Thursday, November 5, 2026, Habibi PAC has been registered as a leadership political action committee sponsored by El-Sayed.
Political action committees are organisations established to raise and spend money in support of or against political candidates. Leadership PACs, in particular, allow elected officials to support fellow politicians, strengthen political relationships and build influence within their parties.
The word Habibi is an Arabic expression meaning “my dear” or “my beloved”. El-Sayed frequently used the term during his election campaign, including in his victory speech in Detroit, where he jokingly addressed US Vice President JD Vance.
“JD, habibi, there is this delicious irony in the fact that you're constitutionally obligated to swear me in in January,” he said.
El-Sayed is among several newly elected Democratic politicians who have established leadership PACs following the November 3 midterm elections. Others include Arizona Congressman-elect Amish Shah, who registered PACStreet Boy; Iowa Senator-elect Josh Turek, who established WheelPAC; and North Carolina Senator-elect Roy Cooper, who launched One NC PAC.
According to OpenSecrets, leadership PACs are commonly used by ambitious lawmakers to increase their influence in Congress and strengthen their chances of securing senior leadership positions or committee chairmanships.
During the 2024 election cycle, leadership PACs contributed approximately $79.3 million to federal candidates, with most of the donations going to Republicans.
Controversial Election Campaign
El-Sayed, the son of Egyptian immigrants, defeated Republican candidate Mike Rogers in Michigan following a heated campaign that attracted national attention.
During the election, President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Senator Ted Cruz questioned his loyalty and labelled him a “jihadist”, while attempting to associate him with the Muslim Brotherhood without providing evidence.
Before the election, El-Sayed told Al Jazeera that American taxpayers' money should be used to save lives at home rather than support foreign governments accused of committing genocide or apartheid.
He also argued that defeating Trump alone would not be enough, insisting that the political system responsible for producing his administration needed fundamental change.
One of his major campaign promises was to reduce the influence of money in American politics.
In his victory speech, he declared that the election demonstrated that when money confronts ordinary people, the people can emerge victorious.
Record Spending in the 2026 Midterm Elections
El-Sayed's historic victory came during what is projected to be the most expensive US midterm election in history.
An analysis of Federal Election Commission data by OpenSecrets estimated that total election spending could reach $11.9 billion, compared with $8.9 billion during the 2022 midterm elections.
Spending by outside political groups, particularly super PACs, is projected to reach $3.9 billion, representing an 85 per cent increase from 2022.
Meanwhile, political spending from undisclosed donors, commonly known as dark money, has already reached at least $1.47 billion, exceeding the previous 2024 record of $1.35 billion.
The figures highlight the growing influence of campaign financing in American elections, despite El-Sayed's promise to challenge the role of money in politics.
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