Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed has stated he is "simply not a socialist," differentiating his platform from the ideologies of prominent progressive figures who have endorsed him, including Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
During a recent interview, El-Sayed was pressed on his close relationships with these lawmakers and his own stance on democratic socialism. He explained his position by stating, "I believe in science. For me, you got to bring results." He described himself as "a capitalist who understands capitalism," but noted that capitalism, in his view, "does not work when you have monopolies or oligopolies."
El-Sayed is currently in the Democratic Senate primary race against U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, with the primary election scheduled for August 4. He has advocated for policies such as Medicare for All, which he believes is the most effective way to provide healthcare nationwide. He clarified that under his proposal, public healthcare would involve public insurance, while the actual healthcare services would remain private.
He also emphasized the importance of investing in shared resources like schools and infrastructure, stating these are essential for enabling everyone to participate in the economy. "So, at the end of the day, it's just a philosophical difference," El-Sayed said. "I'm not an ideologue. I'm a lot more interested in empirical results."
El-Sayed's campaign has faced scrutiny over his past associations with the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). Records indicate he attended and spoke at six DSA events between 2017 and 2020, including a 2019 fundraiser where he was described as "a longtime friend of Detroit DSA." During that event, he was photographed with Rep. Rashida Tlaib, a self-described socialist, near a poster depicting a hand labeled "DSA" choking a snake labeled "capitalism."
Despite these past appearances, El-Sayed has sought to distance himself from the DSA, telling The Wall Street Journal earlier in the month, "I'm not technically or practically DSA." He has consistently stated in interviews that he is not a socialist but believes capitalism requires regulation.
The presumptive Republican nominee for the Michigan Senate race, Mike Rogers, has criticized El-Sayed's alignment with progressive figures. A spokesperson for Rogers' campaign stated, "We all know that if it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it’s a duck... Mike Rogers will hold the line against the Left’s socialist takeover and ensure common sense prevails this November." The spokesperson also accused El-Sayed of lying about his qualifications, referring to a past instance where El-Sayed was criticized for misrepresenting his medical background. The campaign asserted that Rogers has a plan to improve healthcare affordability and accessibility, contrasting it with what they termed "the mess Democrats—like Abdul—created."