{"id":6707,"date":"2026-08-05T15:00:08","date_gmt":"2026-08-05T15:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/?p=6707"},"modified":"2026-08-05T15:00:08","modified_gmt":"2026-08-05T15:00:08","slug":"abdul-el-sayed-wins-michigan-senate-primary-in-defining-race-for-democrats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/?p=6707","title":{"rendered":"Abdul El-Sayed wins Michigan Senate primary in defining race for Democrats"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-gu-name=\"media\" class=\"dcr-14sl0e4\">\n<div class=\"dcr-17l77cs\">\n<figure id=\"16d2d1df-fae5-48cb-a3ea-bd9b48fedc14\" class=\"dcr-191xnya\">\n<div id=\"img-1\" class=\"dcr-1t7hdmw\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"a man in a suit waves on stage\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/fde4b6e7f33d7e9770bfaffb57483f34c2c68ed0\/492_35_2928_2342\/master\/2928.jpg?width=465&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"465\" height=\"371.9364754098361\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"dcr-up96pv\"><span class=\"dcr-kogzpx\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-18mnkpm\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1294qmb\"><label for=\"the-checkbox\" class=\"dcr-4sl2vt\"><\/label> <\/p>\n<div id=\"the-caption\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1mfxiaj\"><span class=\"dcr-13i4yc9\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic Senate candidate from Michigan, waves to supporters at his election night event in Detroit, Michigan, on 4 August.<\/span> Photograph: Jeff Kowalsky\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><a href=\"#img-1\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-zwabc0\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"16d2d1df-fae5-48cb-a3ea-bd9b48fedc14\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-1bitgpn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-1shbixy\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-qda0hp\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1e9iiy9\"><span class=\"dcr-13i4yc9\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic Senate candidate from Michigan, waves to supporters at his election night event in Detroit, Michigan, on 4 August.<\/span> Photograph: Jeff Kowalsky\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"headline\" class=\"dcr-ql9l8l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-6mja0y\">\n<h1 class=\"dcr-l0wuod\">Abdul El-Sayed wins Michigan Senate primary in defining race for Democrats<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"standfirst\" class=\"dcr-1xpojbf\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1gm5ptv\">\n<p>Progressive candidate will face Republican Mike Rogers in race to represent midwestern purple state in the Senate<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/live\/2026\/aug\/05\/michigan-primary-race-democrats-midterms-senate-el-sayed-haley-stevens-donald-trump-republicans-us-politics-latest-news-updates\" data-link-name=\"in standfirst link\">US politics live \u2013 latest updates<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"body\" class=\"dcr-x1al2c\">\n<div class=\"dcr-11gq2tx\">\n<div id=\"maincontent\" class=\"dcr-1w2vkyc\">\n<div class=\"article-body-commercial-selector article-body-viewer-selector dcr-ogvvui\">\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Abdul El-Sayed won the Democratic primary for US Senate in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/michigan\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Michigan<\/a>, becoming the latest leftwing candidate to capture the party\u2019s nomination ahead of November\u2019s midterm elections.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">El-Sayed, a progressive, beat Haley Stevens, a moderate US representative backed by the party\u2019s establishment. He will now face Republican Mike Rogers in the race to represent the midwestern purple state in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/us-senate\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Senate<\/a>. The Associated Press called the race on Wednesday morning, moments after Stevens\u2019 campaign said she had called El-Sayed to concede.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">El-Sayed succeeded with relatively close margins in a sign that battleground state voters are still grappling over the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/aug\/02\/michigan-primary-democrats\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">direction<\/a> of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/democrats\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Democratic<\/a> party.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Michigan voters also delivered victories for other progressive candidates, nominating climate activist William Lawrence and Donavan McKinney, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, both of whom are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/aug\/04\/michigan-senate-race-abdul-el-sayed-haley-stevens\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">backed<\/a> by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/bernie-sanders\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Bernie Sanders<\/a> in their bids for seats in the House of Representatives.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/donaldtrump\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Donald Trump<\/a> won Michigan in 2016 and 2024, though Joe Biden won it in 2020. Both the state\u2019s current senators are Democrats and retaining the seat remains critical to Democrats\u2019 hopes of winning back the US Senate this year, and a crucial part of the map for the 2028 presidential election.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">El-Sayed, 41, is a former public health official who centered his run on the Medicare For All model of universal healthcare, while confronting massive outside spending against him, which became another theme of the race. Stevens, meanwhile, touted her work on the US auto rescue taskforce, where she served as chief of staff.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"19232f5b-3c17-48bb-b47a-a59bf68f4ba0\" data-spacefinder-role=\"richLink\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-1oq85qr\">\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" data-link-name=\"rich-link-6 | 6\" data-component=\"rich-link\" data-name=\"placeholder\" class=\"dcr-1rx5ky9\">\n<div data-format-theme=\"5\" data-format-design=\"0\" data-format-display=\"0\" class=\"dcr-uyoh2p\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/aug\/02\/michigan-primary-democrats\" class=\"dcr-f35c0u\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-vvxpdt\">\n<div class=\"dcr-6z6e7\">\n<div class=\"dcr-zh9rih\">Democrats face most contentious \u2013 and crucial \u2013 test yet with Michigan primary<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-oj13vq\">\n<div class=\"dcr-ef9nua\">Read more<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Rogers, a former congressman from the state<strong>,<\/strong> was also the Republican nominee for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/us-senate\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">US Senate<\/a> in 2024, when he lost to the senator Elissa Slotkin.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">While El-Sayed is not a democratic socialist, his run came amid a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/jun\/28\/democratic-socialist-mayor-mamdani-wilson\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">wave of wins<\/a> by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/jul\/01\/mamdani-new-york-democratic-socialist\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">democratic socialist candidates<\/a> elsewhere in the country. He has said he is a \u201ccapitalist who understands how capitalism works\u201d who wants to regulate monopolies.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Stevens saw the backing of establishment <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/democrats\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Democrats<\/a>, including Chuck Schumer, the Senate minority leader, while El-Sayed received endorsements from prominent progressives such as Sanders.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Until earlier this summer, the race was a three-way race with Mallory McMorrow, a state senator who eventually <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/jul\/05\/mallory-mcmorrow-drops-out-senate-race-michigan\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">dropped out<\/a>. Early Wednesday, McMorrow threw her support behind El-Sayed. \u201cHuge congratulations to Abdul El-Sayed for winning the Democratic primary to become our nominee to be Michigan\u2019s next US Senator. I\u2019m proud to give Abdul my full endorsement and support as we head to November together as a unified party,\u201d she said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The role of Black voters in the Democratic primary <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/aug\/02\/michigan-primary-democrats\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">came into focus<\/a> in the final weeks of campaigning, with both candidates seeking to turn out the vote in Black communities, which make up about one-fifth of the Democratic primary electorate, via events at churches and festivals.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">More than $40m has poured into the race from outside groups supporting Stevens or attacking El-Sayed, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/jul\/12\/israel-gaza-war-democrats-midterms\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">including from<\/a> groups associated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (Aipac), a pro-Israel lobby. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2026\/07\/17\/politics\/obama-michigan-senate-stevens-el-sayed-ads\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Some ads<\/a> elevated Stevens\u2019 connection to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/barack-obama\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Barack Obama<\/a> on the auto rescue, which voters have seen as a quasi-endorsement<strong>,<\/strong> despite Obama not formally endorsing in the race.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\"><em>More details soon \u2026<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" class=\"dcr-swayiu\"><span class=\"dcr-1xhbmzr\">Explore more on these topics<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-2c03t5\">\n<ul class=\"dcr-p7nd18\">\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/michigan\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Michigan<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/us-politics\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">US politics<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/us-midterm-elections-2026\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">US midterm elections 2026<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/democrats\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Democrats<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/republicans\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Republicans<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/us-senate\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">US Senate<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/us-congress\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">US Congress<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/tone\/news\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">news<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-313bdz\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Abdul%20El-Sayed%20wins%20Michigan%20Senate%20primary%20in%20defining%20race%20for%20Democrats&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/aug\/05\/michigan-senate-primary-results-abdul-el-sayed?CMP=share_btn_url\" class=\"dcr-ncybeu\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-19bkree\"><a data-link-name=\"meta-syndication-article\" 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