Donald Trump on Wednesday denounced Abdul El-Sayed, the progressive Democrat who narrowly won Michigan's Senate primary, as a "communist loser who hates Jews and Israel." Trump's strong criticism came even as he framed El-Sayed's victory as "Great news for the Republican Party."
El-Sayed defeated Representative Haley Stevens by a single percentage point, securing 48.5 percent of the vote compared to Stevens' 47.5 percent, with 99 percent of ballots counted. The Associated Press declared El-Sayed the winner on Wednesday morning, hours after NBC News had projected his victory.
"As usual, the Polls were way off on this one. She was not expected to do nearly as well as she did," Trump wrote on Truth Social regarding Stevens, who had trailed by double digits in recent surveys. "Now, the Democrats' crazy policies will only get worse."
Conservative strategists had expressed a desire for El-Sayed to be the Republican nominee Mike Rogers' opponent. Rogers ran unopposed for the Republican nomination after receiving an early endorsement from Trump that cleared the GOP field.
El-Sayed has challenged Rogers to five debates. "We took on a machine," El-Sayed told supporters in Detroit. "The power of our many is greater than the power of their money."
Stevens formally conceded to El-Sayed on Wednesday morning and pledged her support. Vice President JD Vance also criticized El-Sayed, suggesting that "God forbid you're gonna have President El-Sayed in three years."
The Michigan Senate seat is open as two-term Democrat Gary Peters is retiring. This race could significantly influence control of the Senate. Republicans have not won a Michigan Senate race since 1994. In 2024, Mike Rogers narrowly lost to Elissa Slotkin.
Jessica Anderson, president of the Sentinel Action Fund, which is backing Rogers, stated that the primary result should make the choice clear in November, contrasting "a far-Left socialist" with "an America First leader." Sentinel and its sister group Right Vote have committed a combined $15 million to Michigan.
Initial polling had suggested Stevens would win by a wide margin, but El-Sayed's lead solidified as votes were counted. The New York Times estimated El-Sayed would ultimately win by 1.5 percentage points.
Even before the primary results were finalized, Republicans indicated they welcomed a contest with El-Sayed, a 41-year-old doctor.
Rogers was reportedly confident about a general election matchup, stating he would be "in good shape" against El-Sayed. However, some Democrats, despite acknowledging El-Sayed's talent, expressed concerns about his ability to build a broad coalition for a general election win.
"He enters the general election trailing his Republican opponent in the gold standard MI poll, in a state Biden won in 2020 while other Democrats are posting leads over Republicans in states Trump won by double digits," wrote Democratic strategist Adam Jentleson, forecasting potential challenges for El-Sayed.
El-Sayed's primary victory was hard-fought, with his lead shrinking as votes from Wayne County, home to Detroit, were tallied. Rogers' 2024 race against Elissa Slotkin also resulted in a close outcome, with Slotkin winning by just 19,000 votes, or 0.3 percentage points, in a cycle where Trump carried Michigan.
The Michigan Senate primary featured candidates representing different wings of the Democratic Party. El-Sayed, a progressive, faced Stevens, who aligned with the party's moderate factions and had endorsements from Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Representative James Clyburn. Significant outside spending targeted the race, with outside groups pouring nearly $62 million into supporting Stevens, a ratio of about nine-to-one over El-Sayed. AIPAC's super PAC contributed $32 million, marking its largest single-race investment in history.
Overall, Democrats spent an estimated $98.2 million on internal primary contests, making it the third most expensive Senate primary in American history. Rogers, running unopposed, was able to focus on the general election.
Stevens received endorsements from Senator Gary Peters and Governor Whitmer. Earlier polling had shown Stevens with a substantial lead, but recent surveys indicated El-Sayed had gained momentum. Stevens garnered unexpected support in rural areas and Detroit's African American neighborhoods, while El-Sayed performed strongly in Muslim communities like Hamtramck and Dearborn.
In the final days of the campaign, Stevens accused El-Sayed of blaming Jewish Americans for his problems. El-Sayed, who has secured endorsements from progressive figures such as Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, will need to appeal to the nearly half of Michigan Democrats who did not vote for him.
During the primary, El-Sayed advocated for policies such as "Medicare for All" and pledged to "stand up to greedy landlords and corporate profiteers." The Michigan Senate seat is rated a toss-up by the Cook Political Report.
El-Sayed's win continues a trend of progressive candidates winning primaries. In June, three candidates backed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani won their primaries. In Colorado, Democratic socialist Melat Kiros unseated Representative Diana DeGette.
El-Sayed has suggested that a victory in November could provide him leverage in the 2028 presidential primary. The Democratic National Committee recently awarded Michigan an early window slot for the 2028 nominating contest, placing it on the calendar before Super Tuesday on March 7, 2028.