New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez gave her coveted endorsement Thursday to Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive Senate candidate in Michigan who party leaders have worried might be too left-leaning to win in the swing state.
“After watching this campaign unfold for well over a year, it has become clear that Abdul El-Sayed is the strongest candidate to keep this seat in November,” Ocasio-Cortez said in a statement. “He is building a winning coalition by putting forward an agenda that speaks directly to working people.”
Ocasio-Cortez, who has raised speculation about a possible 2028 presidential run, has been selective with her endorsements this primary season, compared with Sen. Bernie Sanders, a leader of the party’s left-flank, who has embraced several progressive candidates. Ocasio-Cortez notably withheld support for her former chief of staff Saikat Chakrabarti, who lost his bid to represent California in the US House last month. Ocasio-Cortez also didn’t rally behind the two Zohran Mamdani-backed democratic socialists who won in New York last week.
The state’s primary election is scheduled for August 4. Ocasio-Cortez previously endorsed El-Sayed when he ran for governor in 2018.
