By
Nia Prater,
Intelligencer staff writer, who covers New York politics
Earlier this month, progressive Abdul El-Sayed defeated moderate representative Haley Stevens for the Democratic nomination in Michigan’s crucial Senate race — but by a much slimmer margin than expected. And as El-Sayed prepares for a tense general-election showdown against former Republican representative Mike Rogers, a major story line from the primary continues to dog him: his association with left-wing Twitch streamer Hasan Piker, whose rhetoric has sparked internecine battles among Michigan Democrats.
Politico reported Tuesday that Michigan Democratic Representative Hillary Scholten has told people in the state that she has no intention of uniting behind El-Sayed, and that she won’t include her name on his campaign literature. In an interview with the outlet, Scholten confirmed that her position is due to El-Sayed’s connection to Piker, who has joined the Democratic nominee on the campaign trail during the primary, including the evening of the election. “I have long said I will not campaign with someone who continues to associate with Hasan Piker,” Scholten told the outlet. “Today, Abdul El-Sayed had a prime opportunity to cut ties with Piker and directly disavow his words, but he did not. There is a lot of work left to do to unite the party.”
