Abdul El-Sayed Wins Michigan Senate Primary in Major Victory for Democrats' Progressive Wing

Abdul El-Sayed, a former public health official who positioned himself against the Democratic establishment, narrowly won Michigan's U.S. Senate primary over Rep. Haley Stevens. He will face Republican Mike Rogers, a former congressman, in November in a race that will determine control of the Senate.

Stevens, backed by the party establishment including outgoing Sen. Gary Peters, conceded and pledged her support for El-Sayed. El-Sayed campaigned on "Medicare for All," Halting military aid to Israel, and campaign finance reform, drawing endorsements from Sen. Bernie Sanders and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Stevens emphasized her experience in Congress and previous victories in tough races, arguing she would be better positioned to defeat Rogers in the general election.

The Associated Press called the race after confirming insufficient votes remained to allow Stevens to catch up. El-Sayed led by 14,893 votes - less than 1 percentage point - out of more than 1.5 million ballots counted. His win represents a significant shift for Michigan Democrats; he lost the 2018 gubernatorial primary to now-Gov. Gretchen Whitmer by 21 percentage points.

El-Sayed declared, "In the words of Muhammad Ali, we shook up the world." Sen. Chris Van Hollen said the victory "should be a wake-up call to the Washington Democratic establishment." Michigan Democratic Party chair Curtis Hertel called for unity: "We have got to work together to take this country back."

Outside groups spent unprecedented sums. Stevens' backers spent more than $50 million, with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee investing more than $30 million - its largest investment ever. AIPAC stated it would oppose El-Sayed's "radical anti-Israel agenda" In the general election.

In Detroit's heavily Democratic 13th District, state Rep. Donavan McKinney defeated Rep. Shri Thanedar. McKinney's victory restored Black representation in Congress from the district, which had none since 2023.