Abdul El-Sayed won Michigan's Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate on Wednesday, narrowly defeating U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens in a race that became a major victory for Democrats' progressive wing. The result sends a candidate who supports ending military aid to Israel and implementing "Medicare for All" into a November contest against Republican Mike Rogers that will help determine control of the Senate.
El-Sayed's margin was razor-thin. He led Stevens by just 14,893 votes—under 1 percentage point—out of more than 1.5 million ballots counted. The Associated Press didn't declare him the winner until Wednesday morning, after updates in Wayne and Oakland counties showed Stevens couldn't catch him.
A Sharp Reversal
The win marked a dramatic turnaround for El-Sayed, an insurgent former public health official who lost the 2018 gubernatorial primary to now-Gov. Gretchen Whitmer by 21 percentage points. "In the words of Muhammad Ali, we shook up the world," El-Sayed said after his victory. This time, he campaigned on "Medicare for All," halting military aid to Israel and campaign finance reform.
He had support from Sen. Bernie Sanders and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who framed the race as a grassroots movement and a broader fight against the establishment and big-money spending. Sen. Chris Van Hollen said El-Sayed's victory "should be a wake-up call to the Washington Democratic establishment."
Stevens, a four-term congresswoman, won election to Congress in 2018 after serving as chief of staff to President Barack Obama's auto task force, which helped oversee the federal rescue of General Motors and Chrysler. Her campaign focused on manufacturing and the economy, and she argued her record in tough races made her best positioned to beat Rogers. She pledged her support for El-Sayed after conceding defeat.
Record Outside Spending
The race drew unprecedented outside spending and became one of the country's biggest tests of outside money. Outside groups backing Stevens spent more than $50 million, including more than $30 million from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which the AP said was the largest investment ever from the organization that supports pro-Israel candidates.
El-Sayed said, "We took on a machine." AIPAC said Wednesday it would oppose El-Sayed and "his radical anti-Israel agenda" in November's election.
Support for Israel divided the Democratic primary. El-Sayed called for ending military aid to Israel, while Stevens maintained strong support for the relationship. Kenneth Woodside, 87, of West Bloomfield, said he voted for El-Sayed because "the nation is ready for someone who wants to take some more action rather than on the road we are now, which is on the road to an oligarchy and authoritarianism." Nessa Fuller, 51, of Birmingham, said she voted for Stevens because she will "fight to get the right things done, and she'll work with other people, which is really important to me."
Detroit Incumbent Falls
In Detroit, state Rep. Donavan McKinney defeated Rep. Shri Thanedar in Michigan's 13th District, adding another incumbent loss to a year of progressive primary wins. McKinney's win in the heavily Democratic Detroit-based district came after Justice Democrats helped recruit him and spent nearly $1 million on his behalf.
McKinney, a state representative, had the backing of a number of progressive House Democrats, including some members of the Congressional Black Caucus who bucked party leadership. Party leaders had stood behind Thanedar in the district. Some of Thanedar's colleagues were also frustrated by his effort to force a vote on impeaching President Donald Trump last year, an effort he later backed away from.
McKinney argued that Detroit should once again have a Black representative in Congress. After Thanedar won election in 2022, Detroit had no Black representation in Congress for the first time since the early 1950s. Politico said Thanedar's district was a safe seat for Democrats and that McKinney is expected to win easily in November.
Curtis Hertel, chair of the Michigan Democratic Party, said, "We have got to work together to take this country back."
Why This Matters:
El-Sayed's nomination sets up a November contest where Michigan voters will choose between a progressive calling for an end to military aid to Israel and government-run healthcare, and a Republican who'll defend traditional U.S.-Israel relations and market-based solutions. The race will test whether a candidate who couldn't overcome a 21-point deficit eight years ago can win statewide with positions that divide his own party. AIPAC's record $30 million investment failed to prevent El-Sayed's nomination, but the group's promise to oppose him in November signals continued spending in a race that will help determine Senate control. McKinney's victory in Detroit continues a pattern of progressive challengers unseating incumbents, raising questions about party stability and whether establishment backing still carries weight with Democratic primary voters. Rogers now faces an opponent whose policy positions—from healthcare to foreign policy—may create openings in a state where economic pragmatism has historically mattered to swing voters.