In Focus delivers deeper coverage of the political, cultural, and ideological issues shaping America. Published daily by senior writers and experts, these in-depth pieces go beyond the headlines to give readers the full picture. You can find our full list of In Focus pieces here.We hear the ominous proclamation every four years: “This is the most important election of our lifetime.” Rarely is this a hyperbole applied to Senate races. But there are exceptions to everything, and the Michigan Senate race is deserving of it.
Its importance isn’t just about which party controls the Senate after the midterm elections, though this race could end up being the decider. Instead, it’s because of the candidate on the Democrats’ side: “Dr.” Abdul el Sayed.OK, so maybe he isn’t a doctor — he never earned a medical license — despite insisting he is.“I’ve been a doctor my whole career,” he has repeatedly said in interviews, while he labels himself on his LinkedIn profile a “physician.” In reality, el Sayed’s only hands-on experience treating patients was a sub-internship at a small hospital for four weeks.El Sayed has called for defunding the police in the past. He wants to dismantle Immigration and Customs Enforcement now. He believes private health insurance should cease to exist and that the government should run the entire healthcare system. If this were el Sayed’s platform while running in New York City or Seattle or Denver or Washington, D.C., he’d have an excellent chance of winning. But this is Michigan, a state President Donald Trump won twice and narrowly lost in 2020. It’s the perfect test case for socialism succeeding statewide in a purple state. Polls currently have el Sayed trailing former Obama administration official Haley Stevens by four points in the RealClearPolitics average. But he is favored to win the nomination on the betting market Kalshi by a 66% to 34% margin. Polymarket also has el Sayed as the favorite. The primary is Aug. 4. We have seen the Democratic Socialists of America emboldened by its recent victories, and it’s certainly not attempting to mask its extreme positions, including abolishing the U.S. Senate, the presidency, the Supreme Court, the Electoral College, ICE, and providing amnesty to all illegal immigrants.“It’s been said that it’s easier to imagine the end of the world than it is to imagine the end of capitalism,” the DSA manifesto reads. “But just because it isn’t easy to imagine now doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to make it happen.” This is madness, but a madness that is growing increasingly popular within the Democratic Party, especially among younger voters. Per Gallup, only 42% of Democrats viewed capitalism favorably, while 66% had a positive view of socialism. For context, in 2010, 50% of Democrats viewed socialism favorably, or 16 percentage points lower. By contrast, 71% of Republicans viewed capitalism favorably in 2010, and that number has only increased to 74% in 2026. If el Sayed advances to the general, he will face Republican Mike Rogers, who barely lost to Elissa Slotkin in a Senate race in 2024. Would el Sayed campaign again with Hasan Piker? The provocative podcaster has said that America deserved 9/11 and called for the murder of Republican lawmakers including Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) while lamenting the fall of the Soviet Union. He has also said he supports Hamas 10,000 more times than Israel, which he has called an apartheid state guilty of genocide. Michigan U.S. Sen. candidate, Abdul el Sayed, speaks with media after a debate at WoodTV studios on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. (Kristen Norman/AP Photo)
