'I won’t be bossed, bullied or bought': Michigan Dem rejected $20M offer to oppose Tlaib

Union organizer Hill Harper — who is running in the Democratic primary for Michigan's open US Senate election in 2024 — tweeted that he turned down an eight-figure sum to drop out and primary a prominent House Democrat.

Harper took to X on Wednesday to comment on a Politico article about a major donor offering $20 million if Harper agreed to abandon his Senate run and campaign against Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Michigan). According to Politico, Detroit-based businessman Linden Nelson offered $10 million to Harper's campaign, along with an additional $10 million in super PAC support (classified as independent expenditures in federal elections) if Harper agreed to oppose Tlaib.

"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," Harper tweeted, tagging the Congresswoman's official account. "I said no. I won’t be bossed, bullied or bought."

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While Harper called Nelson "one of AIPAC's biggest donors," the group — known as one of the most influential pro-Israel lobbying groups in Washington — told Politico that Nelson "has not contributed to AIPAC in over a decade." However, the publication clarified that Nelson has a history with the group, and has attended its conferences. Nelson has also donated to candidates who have challenged Tlaib in the past.

Harper wrote that the call was reflective of "a broken political and campaign finance system that's tilted towards the wealthy and powerful."

He emphasized, "I'm not going to run against the only Palestinian-American in Congress just because some special interests don't like her. I'm running because I want to break the stranglehold wealthy special interests have on our politics, whether it’s the Israel lobby, the NRA or Big Pharma."

According to Ballotpedia, Harper is one of six Democrats vying for the 2024 US Senate nomination following longtime Sen. Debbie Stabenow's (D-Michigan) announcement earlier this year that she would not be seeking another term. The Republican field is even larger, with 10 candidates running for the GOP nomination. Michigan has not elected a Republican to the US Senate since 1994.

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