Hill Harper Michigan Democrat Declined $20 Million Proposal to Challenge Tlaib

Union organizer Hill Harper, a Democratic candidate in Michigan’s open US Senate election in 2024, made a significant statement on Twitter recently regarding a lucrative offer he turned down. According to Harper, he declined an eight-figure sum to withdraw from the Senate race and instead primary a prominent House Democrat.

Taking to X on a Wednesday, Harper responded to a Politico article reporting that a major donor had offered him $20 million to abandon his Senate campaign and challenge Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Michigan) instead. The offer allegedly came from Detroit-based businessman Linden Nelson, who pledged $10 million directly to Harper’s campaign and an additional $10 million in super PAC support, categorized as independent expenditures in federal elections, if Harper agreed to run against Tlaib.

Harper’s tweet stated, “I didn’t intend for a private phone call to turn public. But now that it has, here’s the truth. One of AIPAC’s biggest donors offered $20m if I dropped out of the U.S. Senate race to run against @RashidaTlaib. I said no. I won’t be bossed, bullied, or bought.”

While Harper referred to Linden Nelson as “one of AIPAC’s biggest donors,” AIPAC, a prominent pro-Israel lobbying group in Washington, clarified to Politico that Nelson had not made contributions to AIPAC for over a decade. Nevertheless, the publication pointed out that Nelson had a history of involvement with the group and had attended its conferences. Additionally, Nelson had previously donated to candidates who challenged Tlaib in past elections.

Harper used this incident to highlight what he sees as a problematic political and campaign finance system that disproportionately favors the wealthy and powerful. He emphasized that he was not willing to run against the only Palestinian-American in Congress simply because certain special interests disagreed with her. Instead, Harper underscored his commitment to breaking the stranglehold that wealthy special interests hold over American politics, whether it be the Israel lobby, the NRA, or Big Pharma.

According to Ballotpedia, Hill Harper is one of six Democratic contenders seeking the 2024 US Senate nomination in Michigan after longtime Senator Debbie Stabenow’s announcement earlier this year that she would not seek re-election. On the Republican side, there are ten candidates vying for the GOP nomination. It’s worth noting that Michigan has not elected a Republican to the US Senate since 1994.