Michigan Democrats on Friday urged voters to rally behind their statewide candidates, three days after a bitter U.S. Senate contest highlighted divisions between the party’s progressive and moderate wings.
A slate of nominees and other notable Democrats emphasized unity to a crowd of more than 1,000, who cheered loudest for Abdul El-Sayed, a former public health official. He narrowly beat establishment-backed Rep. Haley Stevens in a contentious, closely watched primary for an open U.S. Senate seat.
“Michigan, we will fight to build the America that we are proud to hand off to our kids and our grandkids,” El-Sayed said at a podium beneath a scoreboard in a Detroit high school gym.
With less than three months before the general election where El-Sayed will face Republican Mike Rogers, the Democratic Party is under pressure to close ranks in a race that will help determine control of the Senate.
“In the spirit of coming together, I want to thank both of my colleagues who ran, Haley Stevens and Mallory McMorrow, for an incredible race,” El-Sayed said. McMorrow, a state senator, suspended her campaign in July and appeared alongside El-Sayed at a Wednesday event after his victory.
