Staff Reports
Senator‑elect Abdul El‑Sayed of Michigan has quietly registered a leadership PAC called HABIBI PAC — a move filed with the Federal Election Commission (committee C00964767, Form 1 filed November 6, 2026). The filing lists El‑Sayed as the sponsor and Howie Stanger as treasurer. Critics say the name and timing undercut his campaign pledge not to make faith the centerpiece of his office; supporters call it routine political organizing. Either way, everyone should be watching what this PAC does next.
What Habibi PAC Is — and What It Can Do
Let’s start with basics: a leadership PAC is not a charity. It’s a political money machine. The FEC registration (committee C00964767) shows HABIBI PAC is set up to raise and spend money to help other candidates, pay for political work, and build influence inside the Democratic Party. That’s standard operating procedure for newly prominent lawmakers who want to move beyond their single office and start pulling strings.
Formal facts, plain language
The Federal Election Commission record is the primary source here: HABIBI PAC registered as a leadership PAC with El‑Sayed listed as sponsor and Howie Stanger as treasurer. The registration date on the Form 1 is November 6, 2026. That’s public record — so spin it how you like, the paperwork is real.
Promises vs. Political Reality
During the campaign El‑Sayed repeatedly pushed back on attacks about his faith, even saying he was not “running to be ‘the Muslim’ anything.” He used the Arabic term “habibi” publicly in his victory remarks — the word caught attention when he told Vice President J.D. Vance, “JD, habibi …” Now the PAC’s name echoes that very phrase. Critics on the right call that a spelling‑out of identity politics after telling voters the opposite. Supporters say naming the PAC after a campaign catchphrase is harmless and that the criticism is rooted in Islamophobia. Both sides can point to facts; the question voters should ask is simple: why lean into a culturally charged brand the moment you become a senator?
Why Conservatives Should Care — and What To Watch For
Leadership PACs are tools for building power. HABIBI PAC can bankroll friendly candidates, boost favored causes, and create loyalty networks. That’s politics — but it matters who those allies are and what kind of agenda they pursue. Conservatives should demand transparency: watch FEC disclosure reports, track contributions and expenditures, and ask the obvious questions about whether this money will fund purely political aims or push identity‑based priorities into the mainstream.
In short: launching a PAC is routine, but naming it HABIBI PAC the week after a high‑profile victory invites scrutiny. Voters and watchdogs should hold Senator‑elect El‑Sayed to the plain facts on his FEC filing and to his own campaign statements. If he promised not to make faith the story, he owes the country a clear explanation of how this PAC fits into that promise — not campaign catchphrases or partisan lectures about bigotry. Politics is about power, and power is about money. Keep an eye on the receipts.
