# El-Sayed says his campaign may face record spending

Markdown copy of https://realalpha.app/s/el-sayed-says-his-campaign-may-face-record-spending/ on Real Alpha, the best minutes from long interviews with the people building AI. Cite and link the page, not this copy.

- Speaker: [Abdul El-Sayed](https://realalpha.app/people/abdul-el-sayed/) · Abdul El-Sayed is a Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Michigan. · Rebuilt Detroit’s Health Department, restructured Wayne County’s health agency, and authored Medicare for All: A Citizen’s Guide.
- Host: [Jon Stewart](https://realalpha.app/people/jon-stewart/) · The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart
- Show: The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart
- Episode: [Abdul El-Sayed’s Progressive Policy Prescription | The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart](https://realalpha.app/v/fmodf-lNGEE/), Oct 21, 2026
- Moment: 1:03:50 to 1:07:32 of the episode (4 min), playing on https://realalpha.app/s/el-sayed-says-his-campaign-may-face-record-spending/; the episode from there: https://realalpha.app/v/fmodf-lNGEE/?t=3830

## Quote

> “by the time this is done, there's never going to have been a candidate in Michigan history who's had **more money spent against them**.”
> — [Abdul El-Sayed](https://realalpha.app/people/abdul-el-sayed/) at [1:06:52](https://realalpha.app/v/fmodf-lNGEE/?t=4012) · The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart

## Takeaways

1. He says more has been spent against him than any Michigan candidate.
2. He estimates the total at upwards of $300 million.
3. He supports efforts to address what he calls bought-and-sold politics.

## About this segment

Abdul El-Sayed says more money will be spent against him than against any Michigan candidate before, with the total approaching $300 million. He connects that experience to his call to address money in politics.

From “Abdul El-Sayed’s Progressive Policy Prescription | The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart”, Oct 21, 2026. [Watch the full episode](https://realalpha.app/v/fmodf-lNGEE/)

## Transcript

Transcribed by machine (Whisper) from the episode’s audio, so a word may be off here and there.

[1:04:02](https://realalpha.app/v/fmodf-lNGEE/?t=3842) And it's why my first point is always money out of politics. People say that. Can I ask you a question? Is there a possibility? Why, who can introduce an amendment? And I don't really know how the process works. I know you can introduce amendments. Does it have to come from a state? Why doesn't a state introduce an amendment to the constitution that makes these changes? I don't understand why partisan gerrymandering is allowed.

[1:04:33](https://realalpha.app/v/fmodf-lNGEE/?t=3873) I don't understand why I don't understand why Elon Musk can spend five hundred million dollars to avoid paying taxes to get, you know, it's just it's incredible to me. So why do you think there hasn't been a process to try and amend the Constitution based on that? Because clearly the process exists. I mean, I think too often I hate to say it, but there is, again, both parties play at that game. And I would love to see us do it.

[1:04:59](https://realalpha.app/v/fmodf-lNGEE/?t=3899) The other thing I'll tell you is I actually think that if we passed a law thinking like about belt and suspenders when it comes to Citizens United, like just a law to push back and make an act of Congress that says. But they've tried. I mean, McCain Feingold was sort of the reason why all those Citizens United bills came out. You know, that the reason why I say it is it looks like the law would be declared unconstitutional, which is why I think you have to approach it from the level of an amendment.

[1:05:26](https://realalpha.app/v/fmodf-lNGEE/?t=3926) It's the only reason why I say that. But I agree with you on the other if that would work. But overturning it feels like it would need an amendment, not another piece of legislation. What if, though, the way you thought about it, you said, okay, fine. If the Supreme Court has interpreted the 14th Amendment to say that a corporation is a person and money is speech, what if any support from a super PAC triggered equal opposite public funding?

[1:05:54](https://realalpha.app/v/fmodf-lNGEE/?t=3954) fine you we're not taking away your your your right to speak as a corporation flood it more yes there's just going to be public funding that that that that trucks in and says look like this is going to undo some of that i just don't then i think you're talking about public funding that is upwards of 10 billion dollars for each election so i just don't i don't think it's tenable on just the the nature of the amount of spending i think we have to find a limit somehow I would propose a constitutional amendment that limits election seasons to a certain amount of time, spending to a certain amount of limit, takes away partisan gerrymandering, and doesn't allow for, you know, the people that don't want any of their power.

[1:06:37](https://realalpha.app/v/fmodf-lNGEE/?t=3997) I'm talking about, you know, the technocrat class, any of their power regulated, removes their ability to create this vicious cycle where they get to buy political outcomes that they want. We have to do something. I would support you on that. Let's do it. Look, even when I get elected, let's go do it. Let's go. Money out of politics. I mean, look, I want to try any and everything that addresses the fact that our politics are bought and sold.

[1:07:01](https://realalpha.app/v/fmodf-lNGEE/?t=4021) Yeah. Right. And, you know, I know intimately, I'm seeing it happen to us. I mean, by the time this is done, there's never going to have been a candidate in Michigan history who's had more money spent against them. Primary and otherwise. Right. Upwards of $300 million. Primary general. Can I ask also, you know, $70 million on the primary. And I know Haley Stevens, she endorsed you immediately. I'm grateful for that.