El-Sayed’s Victory in Michigan Was Much Closer Than Anyone Predicted. What Does That Mean for What Comes Next?

As Abdul El-Sayed prevails in the Michigan Senate primary, it sends the Democratic Party a message for the midterms—and for 2028.

Aug 05, 202610:11 AM

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Abdul El-Sayed, a public health official, narrowly defeated four-term Rep. Haley Stevens in the Michigan Democratic Senate primary. The vote proved too close to call on Tuesday evening, but by Wednesday morning, El-Sayed had claimed the win, and Stevens had phoned him to concede. The race was called by about 10 a.m.

It’s a watershed moment in Democratic politics. No other recent instance of a left-wing insurgent defeating the Democratic establishment candidate in a swing-state Senate primary comes to mind. Stevens and her camp threw everything they had into the race. She enjoyed the support of both the Washington and Michigan Democratic establishments. Super PACs spent tens of millions of dollars, dwarfing the money spent on El-Sayed’s behalf, attempting to get Stevens across the finish line. But El-Sayed ably weaponized these resources against Stevens, making her financial superiority the core of his argument against her.