Michigan Sen.-elect Abdul El‑Sayed has launched a new leadership PAC named “Habibi PAC” days after his election, according to The Hill, which cited Federal Election Commission filings.
What the filings show
The Hill reported that “Habibi PAC” is a leadership PAC not connected to El‑Sayed’s campaign and designed to raise money for his political allies. The outlet framed the move as a sign El‑Sayed aims to influence Democratic politics going forward.
Why “Habibi”
The Hill noted that El‑Sayed often used the Arabic term “habibi” — commonly meaning “my beloved” — during the campaign. In his victory speech, The Hill reported he said, “JD, habibi,” addressing Vice President Vance, and added, “There is this delicious irony in the fact that you’re constitutionally obligated to swear me in in January.” The Hill also reported that supporters wore “Habibi for Abdul” shirts.
The account DSA Watch posted on Twitter that El‑Sayed “opens up ‘Habibi PAC,’” sharing a screenshot on November 6.
The criticism and the caveats
Gateway Pundit’s Mike LaChance argued the move conflicts with what he characterized as El‑Sayed’s months of campaigning to get “big money out of politics.” That portrayal is Gateway Pundit’s assertion; it was not substantiated in the materials provided from The Hill or FEC documents referenced.
The Hill also described El‑Sayed as the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate and attributed the PAC’s creation to newly filed FEC paperwork.
