Progressive El-Sayed wins Michigan primary in jolt to Democrats, US media project

Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive candidate, won Michigan's U.S. Senate primary, giving the Democratic Party's anti-establishment message a boost ahead of November's midterm elections.

The Democratic Party's progressive wing scored a high-profile victory when Abdul El-Sayed won Michigan's U.S. Senate primary, U.S. media projectedon Wednesday, giving its anti-establishment ‌message a boost ahead of November's midterm elections. El-Sayed, whose message focused on healthcare, the economy and an end to unconditional military aid to Israel, was the first progressive to win a statewide primary in a state ‌that President Donald Trump carried in 2024. Tuesday's vote, billed as a defining test of the party's direction, ‌became an election-night cliffhanger before U.S. media projected early on Wednesday that El-Sayed had narrowly prevailed over U.S. Representative Haley Stevens, a moderate supported by Democratic leaders and pro-Israel groups. The race served as a battleground between progressives and moderates over support for ⁠Israel, an ​issue that has played ⁠out in primaries nationwide this year. But unlike contests in liberal bastions, this was a statewide race in a Midwestern swing state ⁠for a seat Democrats must win if they have any hopes of securing a Senate majority in November. Stevens benefited ​from tens of millions of dollars in spending by a pro-Israel super PAC, and her ⁠supporters argued she was the more electable candidate in the general election, when she will face Republican Mike Rogers, a former U.S. ⁠representative.

Analysts ​had said one significant factor in El-Sayed's favor was that Michigan is home to some of the country's largest Arab American communities, where hostility to Israel runs deep. The result is likely to ⁠be scrutinized by prospective 2028 presidential contenders searching for a message to reconnect with voters after the party's ⁠loss to Trump in ⁠the 2024 presidential election.

El-Sayed's victory could intensify debate within Democratic ranks over the political appeal of economic populism, anti-establishment campaigning and a tougher approach toward Israel.