A Michigan Senate primary has turned into a fight over outside money, with the pro-Israel lobby spending record sums against Abdul El-Sayed — bad news for candidates without big backers.

• AIPAC and allied groups have put close to $30 million behind Haley Stevens, their biggest bet ever on one race.
• Total outside spending in the race is around $50 million, dwarfing the $1 million Stevens spent herself.
• The ads never mention Israel — they push manufacturing and feature Barack Obama, who has not endorsed her.
• A CNN interview pressed El-Sayed on his "steal this election" language and on Iran's late supreme leader rather than the spending or the war.
• El-Sayed pushed the questions back to Michigan: dead US service members, high gas prices, and $3.3 billion in aid sent abroad.

Outlook: The race stays close and expensive, and it will be read as a test of whether big outside money can still decide a Democratic primary.