Michigan's Democratic Senate primary has turned ugly, with frontrunner Haley Stevens accused of using fake endorsements and AI-style deception against rival Abdul El-Sayed — bad for anyone who wants clean elections.

• Stevens' campaign ran an ad implying Obama endorsed her (he didn't) and sent a fake press release claiming a Republican backed El-Sayed, later calling it "parody."
• A consultant was let go after being caught secretly working for a pro-Israel/surveillance-linked firm at the same time.
• Stevens has taken around $30 million from the pro-Israel group AIPAC, dwarfing normal primary spending, while El-Sayed runs on small donations.
• Unions and much of the base have soured on her; the United Auto Workers endorsed El-Sayed instead.
• A new poll says 72% of Americans think there's too much money in politics, a growing liability for AIPAC-funded candidates.

Outlook: Stevens leads by a few points, but with Israel's popularity falling and AIPAC money now a red flag for Democratic voters, the primary stays close and contentious into the vote.