Michigan Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed launches habibi PAC

Michigan Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed has launched a political action committee called Habibi PAC, days after becoming the first Muslim member of the United States Senate. A Federal Election Commission filing dated Thursday confirms the leadership PAC is registered separately from his own campaign.

Habibi, an Arabic term of endearment meaning "my dear," was a frequent word in El-Sayed's campaign trail rhetoric. He is one of several newly elected Democrats to register leadership PACs since Tuesday's vote, following filings by lawmakers from Arizona, Iowa, and North Carolina.

Leadership PACs allow ambitious lawmakers to gain clout by giving to colleagues and strengthening bids for leadership posts. In the 2024 election cycle, these committees gave $79.3 million to federal candidates, with most funds going to Republicans despite a Democratic leadership PAC being the biggest single donor.

Read the full story at aljazeera.com.