Abdul El-Sayed secured Michigan’s Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate on Wednesday, campaigning on a platform that includes halting military aid to Israel, a policy shift that challenges established national alliances and signals a move towards a post-national foreign policy.
The insurgent former public health official narrowly defeated four-term U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens. The Associated Press declared El-Sayed the winner after Wednesday morning updates showed Stevens couldn't catch him.
El-Sayed led Stevens by 14,893 votes, a margin of just under 1 percentage point, out of more than 1.5 million ballots counted. His victory wasn't assured until almost all ballots cast statewide were tallied.
This win marks a sharp reversal for El-Sayed, who lost the 2018 gubernatorial primary by 21 percentage points eight years ago. This time, he campaigned on “Medicare for All,” halting military aid to Israel, and campaign finance reform.
He garnered support from figures like Sen. Bernie Sanders and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. They framed the race as a grassroots movement, a broader fight against the establishment and big-money spending.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen stated El-Sayed’s victory “should be a wake-up call to the Washington Democratic establishment.”
Elite Interests Consolidate Power
Stevens, who served as chief of staff to President Barack Obama’s auto task force, focused her campaign on manufacturing and the economy. She argued her record in tough races made her best positioned to beat Republican Mike Rogers in November.
The Senate race drew unprecedented outside spending, becoming one of the country’s biggest tests of external financial influence. Outside groups backing Stevens spent more than $50 million.
Over $30 million of that came from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which the AP identified as its largest investment ever in support of pro-Israel candidates. El-Sayed remarked, “We took on a machine.”
AIPAC confirmed Wednesday it would oppose El-Sayed and “his radical anti-Israel agenda” in November’s general election. Stevens pledged her support for El-Sayed after conceding defeat.
Cultural and Demographic Reshaping
In Detroit, state Rep. Donavan McKinney defeated incumbent Rep. Shri Thanedar in Michigan’s 13th District. This added another incumbent loss to a year marked by progressive primary wins.
Justice Democrats helped recruit McKinney and spent nearly $1 million on his behalf. McKinney had the backing of several 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 frustrated by his effort to force a vote on impeaching President Donald Trump six years ago, an effort he later abandoned.
McKinney argued that Detroit should once again have a Black representative in Congress. After Thanedar won election four years ago, Detroit had no Black representation in Congress for the first time since the early 1950s.
Politico reported Thanedar’s district was a safe seat for Democrats, and McKinney is expected to win easily in November.
The Cost to the People
Support for Israel sharply divided the Democratic primary electorate. El-Sayed called for ending military aid to Israel, while Stevens maintained strong support for the relationship.
Voters clearly understood the candidates’ differences. Kenneth Woodside, 87, of West Bloomfield, voted for El-Sayed, stating “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, 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.”
Curtis Hertel, chair of the Michigan Democratic Party, said, “We have got to work together to take this country back.”