Treasurer Links El-Sayed to Libertarian PAC Funding
Campaign treasurer Howie Stanger manages funds for both an El-Sayed campaign and a PAC supporting Lydia Christensen.
Updated on Oct. 23, 2026 in Political Parties
Live Poll
Should political campaigns be prohibited from using third-party candidates to influence election outcomes?
Campaign treasurer Howie Stanger currently serves as a financial officer for both Abdul El-Sayed's campaign and a super PAC identified as Building America. Building America funneled $250,000 to the Principled Patriots PAC on Sept. 23, 2026, to bolster the candidacy of Lydia Christensen.
Why it matters
The intersection of these financial roles highlights the movement of funds from major outside groups into campaigns supporting minor-party candidates. This activity aims to influence specific races by promoting third-party figures while simultaneously targeting Republican opponents.
Rapid Resist Action provided $1.6 million to Building America on Aug. 27, 2026, which later transferred $250,000 to the Principled Patriots PAC. Separately, the El-Sayed campaign reported payments of $141,837 to Pocketbook Strategies for compliance services.
The players
Howie Stanger
He is a campaign treasurer who manages funds for multiple political entities including the campaign for Abdul El-Sayed and the super PAC Building America.
Abdul El-Sayed
He is a political figure whose campaign utilizes financial management services from Howie Stanger and paid Pocketbook Strategies for compliance.
Lydia Christensen
She is a Libertarian candidate in the Michigan Senate race who is being promoted by the Principled Patriots PAC.
Mike Rogers
He is a Republican politician who is being targeted by campaign activity from the Principled Patriots PAC in the Michigan Senate race.
Chase Oliver
He is a Libertarian politician who was the recipient of $1.4 million in network spending managed by Howie Stanger during the 2024 presidential race.
The details
The Principled Patriots PAC uses targeted text messaging to support Libertarian candidates like Lydia Christensen and attack Mike Rogers in the Michigan Senate race. Howie Stanger previously managed a network that spent $1.4 million in 2024 to support Libertarian presidential candidate Chase Oliver.
Timeline
In 2024, Howie Stanger managed a network boosting Chase Oliver.
On Aug. 27, 2026, Rapid Resist Action contributed $1.6 million to Building America.
On Sept. 23, 2026, Building America transferred $250,000 to the Principled Patriots PAC.
Political Context
The use of interconnected PACs to support minor-party candidates represents a growing trend in campaign finance strategy to bypass traditional party structures. Opponents argue that these complex financial networks create opaque funding pipelines that circumvent standard party accountability measures.
Voters in Michigan may see an increase in text-based political advertising and promotional messaging from groups like the Principled Patriots PAC. These expenditures reflect active efforts to shift voting margins in competitive Senate races through third-party candidate promotion.
The takeaway
Understanding how campaign funds move through various PACs allows voters to see which entities are backing specific candidates. Readers should verify the funding sources of promotional texts and campaign ads to better understand the interests behind political messaging.
Further reading
For more on the regulatory landscape of third-party funding in Michigan, visit the Political Parties section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Breitbart.
Live Poll
Should political campaigns be prohibited from using third-party candidates to influence election outcomes?
