Sanders: ‘Ban super PACs from Democratic primaries now’

Campaign Sanders: ‘Ban super PACs from Democratic primaries now’ Comments: by Ryan Mancini - 08/09/26 8:03 PM ET Comments: Link copied by Ryan Mancini - 08/09/26 8:03 PM ET Comments: Link copied

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Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Sunday called for Democratic leaders to ban the involvement of super PACs in Democratic primary elections.

Sanders’s ask was part of a letter written to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin.

The Vermont senator’s call for a ban stems from campaign donations made by the pro-Israel lobbying group American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) to ensure that Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed (D) — whom Sanders supports — loses his race in November.

Sanders wrote that AIPAC, which backed Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) before she lost to El-Sayed, will reportedly back the Republican nominee, former Rep. Mike Rogers (Mich.), in his Senate campaign against El-Sayed. Sanders has been a staunch supporter of El-Sayed, stumping and campaigning for the physician.

“What is particularly obscene is not only the outrageous amount of money coming into Democratic primaries from billionaire-funded super PACs, but the reality that these special interests have no particular desire to see Democrats win,” Sanders wrote. “It is absurd that they spend tens of millions of dollars to try to determine who the Democratic nominee is and, if they fail, then proceed to support the Republican candidate in the general election.”

“That is not democracy,” he added. “That is not what Democratic voters want.”

The Vermont senator reiterated his calls to repeal the Supreme Court’s 2010 decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, which protects corporations and labor unions from political campaign spending. Sanders has been a longtime opponent of the decision and urged Democratic leaders to pass legislation to “move toward the public funding of elections.”

“While there are ideological differences of opinion within the big tent of the party, I would hope that we can all agree that Republican special interests should not play a role in determining the outcome of Democratic primaries,” Sanders’s letter concludes. “The time to act is now.”

Progressive Democrats like Sanders have pushed back against AIPAC’s involvement in the Democratic Party, which has seen an ideological split over support for Israel in response to the country’s war in Gaza.

El-Sayed, who is Muslim and has been critical of Israel’s government and the leadership of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by accusing him of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, has pushed back against the criticism of his views. He used the AIPAC issue against Stevens in a debate last month to point out her vote in Congress to send $3.3 billion in aid to Israel, a vote that 100 House Democrats voted against.

“That is the pro quo that comes with a quid of $30 million spent by AIPAC,” El-Sayed said during the debate.

Following the results of the Michigan Democratic Senate primary, AIPAC wrote that its “members remain determined to ensure that voters reject Dr. El-Sayed and his radical anti-Israel agenda in November.”