Abdul El-Sayed has won the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate in Michigan, defeating Rep. Haley Stevens in a hard-fought primary race. El-Sayed, a progressive candidate, will now face former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers, who ran unopposed in his party's primary, in the November general election.
The race to succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters was marked by significant spending and attacks on El-Sayed's Democratic Socialist leanings. El-Sayed, an epidemiologist and former Wayne County health director who unsuccessfully ran for governor in 2018, has made "Medicare for All" a central tenet of his platform. He has also advocated for abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement and has been critical of Israel's actions in Gaza.
More than $80 million was spent on the primary, making it one of the most expensive Democratic Senate nomination contests in history. Outside groups, including the political action committee United Democracy Project aligned with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), heavily funded efforts supporting Stevens or opposing El-Sayed.
El-Sayed, addressing supporters after his victory, acknowledged the intense primary battle and the significant financial opposition. He called for party unity heading into the general election and targeted Rogers, asserting that the Republican nominee would prioritize corporate interests over public needs. "This is a guy who is not going to stand up and take on the war machine. He's not going to stand up and take on Big Pharma. He's not going to stand up and take on big tech," El-Sayed said.
Republicans have expressed optimism that El-Sayed's progressive platform will be a liability in the general election. A Republican operative suggested that El-Sayed emerged from the primary "more damaged than ever" and susceptible to further criticism. Rogers, in a Fox News Digital interview, characterized both El-Sayed and Stevens as having moved "way too extreme for Michigan."
Sen. Peters, who had endorsed Stevens, emphasized the importance of winning Michigan for Democrats' efforts to regain Senate control. "But it doesn't happen if we lose Michigan," Peters stated. Stevens, in her primary night speech, also pivoted to the general election, warning that Republicans would attack her or El-Sayed to keep the Senate red.
El-Sayed's victory is seen by some as another setback for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who had backed Stevens. El-Sayed's policy positions have earned endorsements from progressive figures such as Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. If elected, El-Sayed would become the nation's first Muslim senator.