Show Caption
Progressive Abdul El-Sayed defeated moderate Rep. Haley Stevens for the Democratic nomination for Senate in Michigan, NBC News and Decision Desk HQ have projected, a major victory for the Democratic Party's left wing in one of the most pivotal races of the 2026 election season.El-Sayed will now be charged with holding the seat of retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters in the pivotal swing state − the biggest electability test for the party's progressive wing in 2026.The political newcomer El-Sayed's win comes nearly two years after President Donald Trump won Michigan in 2024. Stevens, a former Obama administration official embraced by the party establishment, had argued that El-Sayed, a Detroit-based public health officer, risks losing the seat to Republican Mike Rogers, who is unopposed for his party's nomination. El-Sayed's side contends outsider candidates generate more enthusiasm.The race between Stevens and El-Sayed has been heated since state Sen. Mallory McMorrow exited on July 5, making the divisions clearer between the centrist congresswoman and progressive insurgent.The day after the primary, El-Sayed appeared on "CBS Mornings" and said his top goal is to unify Democratic voters alongside Stevens to collectively defeat Rogers.“We’ve got to bring the party together, and I know both she and I are committed to doing that,” El-Sayed said. “We’ve got only 13 weeks to beat a guy who has no business being in the U.S. Senate, so I looking forward to that conversation. Grateful for the hard-fought race that we had and the things that unify us are so much bigger than any of the things that divided us.”Candidates traded blows in contentious primary raceThe Democratic opponents have traded barbs over spending from pro-Israel groups, including after a contentious July 27 debate.El-Sayed slammed Stevens to Fox 2 Detroit for her support from pro-Israel groups, who want to prevent the former public health director from prevailing in the race. Stevens has criticized El-Sayed over his financial disclosures."I think this is all a distraction from the question of who are all the 501C4s that have funded Center Forward (PAC), who are all the funders behind the Center for Democratic Priorities?" El-Sayed said. "Now, to say that somehow my tax return is more important to the voters in the state than the $60 million that have been spent in this race on ads, most of them attacking me at this point, I think is missing the vote – so, I'm happy to release everything."On Election Day, at her polling place in Birmingham, Michigan, Stevens portrayed herself as the most authentic candidate, telling reporters – including Fox – that El-Sayed's support from figures like controversial leftist political commentator Hasan Piker has caused discomfort."Some of this stuff makes people uncomfortable, frankly it makes me uncomfortable," Stevens said. "We don't need these demagogues or people citing allegiance to Mao coming in."Trump thinks his preferred Senate candidate will fare better than El-SayedFor weeks, the two candidates have clawed at each other for the party's nomination in the battleground state that could determine control of the Senate in President Donald Trump's last two years in office.Trump said in a Fox News interview on Aug. 4 before the Democratic primary results were called that Michigan Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers would fare better in a general election contest against El-Sayed than one against Stevens."I'm not a big believer in polls, but I believe in them somewhat. Based on the polls, he'll (Rogers) do much better against Abdul than he's gonna do against the congresswoman," Trump saidElectability has been a key argument in Stevens' campaign.While El-Sayed was ahead in many polls over Stevens, including a recent survey conducted by Emerson College, the Democratic novice is trailing in some polling against Rogers, which the GOP nominee sees as advantageous."If he wins, I think we’re in good shape,” Rogers told CNN last month in response to a question about his campaign’s strategy for El-Sayed. "I mean, I think he’s so radical. I think he’s going to lose big parts of the west part of the state. We think we can do well in part of the southeast part of the state. I think we’ll do well if he in fact is the nominee."Rogers echoed similar confidence to Fox News.El-Sayed will have to expand his voter base, expert believesEl-Sayed will have to expand his electorate to beat Rogers, David McCuan, a political science professor at Sonoma State University, told USA TODAY.El-Sayed will have to get not only a majority of Democratic votes, but a fair share of independent voters and some disenchanted Republicans, McCuan said."Can El-Sayed turn out the voters? Democrats in Michigan have had a Senate seat since 1984, and if it’s lost in November, the impact will be huge," McCuan said. "It won't be a pebble dropped into a lake, but like a boulder dropped into a stream."Contributing: Emily R. Condon, USA TODAY
