Abdul El-Sayed has won Michigan’s Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate, defeating four-term U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens in a closely watched race for the party’s nomination.
The race remained tight through Tuesday night, with the victory declared early Wednesday morning after Stevens called El-Sayed to concede.
El-Sayed, a former Wayne County health director, campaigned on a progressive platform that included “Medicare for All,” campaign finance reform, and ending U.S. military aid to Israel. His campaign drew support from high-profile progressive figures, including Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, as well as grassroots organizers.
Stevens, who served as chief of staff to President Barack Obama’s auto task force before winning her congressional seat in 2018, focused her campaign on manufacturing, the economy, and her record of winning competitive elections.
The primary featured significant outside spending, total funding from super PACs and national groups exceeding $50 million for Stevens. That total included over $30 million from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and its affiliated groups, marking the organization’s largest outlay ever in a single primary contest.
The candidates presented contrasting political visions, reflecting broader debate within the Democratic base.
The Shift
The victory marks a notable shift for El-Sayed, who previously finished second in the 2018 Democratic gubernatorial primary to now-Gov. Gretchen Whitmer by 21 percentage points.
El-Sayed now advances to the November general election to face Republican nominee Mike Rogers, a former congressman who ran unopposed in the GOP primary.
Speaking to supporters before the race was officially called, El-Sayed addressed the need for party cohesion ahead of the general election.
“Whatever happens tonight,” El-Sayed said, “we have a responsibility to ensure that we unite, unite to make sure that Mike Rogers never sees the inside of the U.S. Senate.”
In his final public remarks at his election night event, El-Sayed added that “tomorrow we begin to mend fences.”
Both major parties view the open Michigan seat as essential to determining control of the U.S. Senate in November. Republican groups have already reserved substantial advertising funds in the state for the general election sequence.
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