Sen. Elizabeth Warren formally endorsed Michigan Democratic Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed on Monday, signaling continued support for the candidate despite a series of recent endorsement challenges.
Warren is scheduled to campaign with El-Sayed this coming weekend, ahead of the Aug. 4 primary. His campaign has also seen appearances from Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who rallied with him on Sunday.
"He’s growing a movement of working people all across Michigan," Warren said of El-Sayed in a video endorsement. "Michiganders deserve a senator who will fight for you, not for special interests running millions of dollars in TV ads to buy this seat."
Warren's endorsement of El-Sayed follows a pattern of backing candidates who have faced difficulties. She previously supported State Sen. Mallory McMorrow, who withdrew from the primary earlier this month after a reported collapse in poll numbers. Warren also endorsed Maine Senate hopeful Graham Platner, who suspended his campaign following allegations of sexual assault and physical abuse. Additionally, she backed unsuccessful Iowa Senate candidate Zach Wahls and Illinois House candidate Junaid Ahmed.
El-Sayed is currently in a competitive race against Rep. Haley Stevens for the Democratic nomination to challenge Republican Mike Rogers in the general election. Michigan's Senate seat is considered a toss-up, adding high stakes to the primary contest.
The race has been marked by sharp exchanges between El-Sayed and Stevens. El-Sayed has been criticized for his rhetoric towards Stevens, including remarks that suggested she was incapable of articulating thoughts clearly.
"I don’t think it’s kind to make fun of somebody for how they talk or how they show up," El-Sayed told CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday. "I also don’t think it’s kind to make insinuations about somebody’s character, as is being done to the tune of tens of millions of dollars."
He also stated that Stevens met his eight-year-old daughter and told her she should be proud of her father, but that Stevens' allies were running ads implying he was disrespectful to women. "I’d like to hear the same kindness," he added.
Earlier in July, El-Sayed characterized Stevens in an interview with Semafor as "a suit with a large AIPAC bank account" and added, "I hope maybe they find some way to teach her how to string together two coherent sentences." He further commented, "I guess, at some point, when you sell out for that many corporations and special interests, I guess you forget how to think for yourself."
On Friday, El-Sayed urged his followers to moderate their attacks on Stevens, focusing instead on policy. "It’s become impossible to ignore the way that people online make fun of my opponent for things that have nothing to do with her policies or politics," he posted on X. "It’s unkind and unhelpful. If you support me, please stop."
According to the latest RealClearPolitics aggregate of polls, Stevens holds a four-percentage-point lead over El-Sayed following McMorrow's departure from the race.