Empowering Black America PAC's $1.5 Million Anti-El-Sayed Ads Launch; Michigan Public Traces Them to Mercury Public Affairs

Video ads aimed at Black Michiganders launched on Oct. 19 from a group the Michigan Public Radio Network calls Empowering Black America PAC, as part of what it reports is a $1.5 million campaign against Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed. It reports that according to campaign filings, “the lone reported donor lives in Florida.” It reports the PAC has paid Mercury Public Affairs more than $80,000 since 2024 and that a connected nonprofit paid Mercury $844,000 in 2024. Mercury also worked for Veolia in the Flint water litigation, the report says. It cites a Glengariff/Detroit News poll with El-Sayed at 88% of likely Black voters and Rep. Mike Rogers at 4%.