United States Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed has registered Habibi PAC, a leadership political action committee, following his historic election victory, according to a Federal Election Commission filing dated Thursday.
The filing shows Habibi PAC is registered as a leadership PAC sponsored by El-Sayed. Such committees are separate from a politician's own campaign committee and allow El-Sayed to raise and spend funds independently to support fellow Democratic candidates and build broader political networks and influence.
Political action committees are organizations that raise and spend money to support or oppose candidates for office.
The name “Habibi”, an Arabic term meaning “my darling” or “my beloved”, leans into the cultural identity that featured prominently during his campaign, in which he embraced terms such as “Habibi” and “Inshallah.”
The launch comes just days after his landmark win made him the first Muslim American elected to the U.S. Senate. El-Sayed, the son of Egyptian immigrants, defeated Republican Mike Rogers after a campaign in which Trump, Vance and Sen. Ted Cruz questioned his loyalty, called him a “jihadist” and attempted to link him to the Muslim Brotherhood movement without providing any evidence.
The move has drawn notable attention given his campaign messaging, which frequently railed against the outsized influence of money in politics.
