Progressive Abdul El-Sayed Wins Tight Michigan Senate Primary
Select a version of the text written from a presumed ideological perspective. This is not the original text, but a hypothetical version — how someone with that viewpoint might have phrased it. Tapping the current version again will return to the original or select cleaned version.
Former health official Abdul El-Sayed narrowly defeated Rep. Haley Stevens in Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary and will face Republican Mike Rogers in the November general election.
Former Detroit health official Abdul El-Sayed secured the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate in Michigan after a close primary contest with Rep. Haley Stevens. The Associated Press announced his victory when vote totals from Wayne and Oakland counties showed that Stevens could not overtake El-Sayed, who led by 14,893 votes, a margin of just under one percentage point, after more than 1.5 million ballots were counted.
El-Sayed, who positioned himself as an anti-establishment candidate, campaigned on policies such as Medicare for All, ending military aid to Israel and campaign-finance reform. He received endorsements from progressive figures including Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Stevens, backed by the Democratic establishment and figures such as Sen. Gary Peters, emphasized her experience in Congress and focus on manufacturing and the economy.
The primary result sets up a November showdown with Republican former congressman Mike Rogers, a race that will influence control of the Senate. Michigan Democratic Party chair Curtis Hertel called for party unity ahead of the general election.
Outside spending played a major role in the primary. Groups supporting Stevens spent more than $50 million, including over $30 million from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which issued a statement opposing El-Sayed’s stance on Israel. El-Sayed said he “took on a machine” in reference to the level of external funding.
The outcome reflects a shift within the state’s Democratic electorate, with El-Sayed previously losing the 2018 gubernatorial primary by a wide margin but now winning a high-profile Senate nomination.