Progressive El-Sayed wins Michigan primary as Democrats call for unity
The Democratic Party’s progressive wing scored a high-profile victory when Abdul El-Sayed won Michigan’s U.S. Senate primary, giving its anti-establishment message a boost ahead of November’s midterm elections.
El-Sayed, whose message focused on healthcare, the economy and an end to unconditional military aid to Israel, was the first progressive to win a statewide primary in a state that President Donald Trump carried in 2024. He will face Republican former congressman Mike Rogers in November.
Tuesday’s vote, billed as a defining test of the party’s direction, became an election-night cliffhanger, with El-Sayed notching a narrow victory over U.S. Representative Haley Stevens, a moderate supported by Democratic leaders and pro-Israel groups.
El-Sayed called for Democrats to unify and appeared alongside former candidate Mallory McMorrow, who dropped out late in the campaign.
Analysts had said one significant factor in El-Sayed’s favour was that Michigan is home to some of the country’s largest Arab American communities, where opposition to Israel’s policies runs deep.
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