Abdul El-Sayed wins close Michigan Democratic Senate primary
Progressive candidate edges out moderate Rep. Haley Stevens
DETROIT (Gray DC) - Progressive candidate Dr. Abdul El-Sayed has been projected as the winner of Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary, defeating moderate four-term Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) by a margin of approximately 15,000 votes. That’s roughly one percentage point and the result came after nearly 12 hours of post-election vote counting.
El-Sayed, a former public health administrator, ran on a platform centered on removing money from politics, economic relief, and “Medicare for All”. He received support from approximately 741,000 voters.
The race was not called until Wednesday morning, when nearly 99% of ballots had been tallied. Both candidates acknowledged the outcome hours later, with El-Sayed accepting the nomination and Stevens conceding on X. Stevens endorsed El-Sayed in her concession statement.
“We took on a machine. You’re not supposed to be able to beat $70 million of outside spending.” El-Sayed said. “What we showed is that the power of our many is greater than the power of their money.”
At her watch party Tuesday night, Stevens addressed supporters well after midnight as ballots continued to be counted.
“We gotta get some sleep, or get some coffee, and then we gotta be ready to go,” Stevens said.
She also referenced the general election matchup ahead, saying of Republican nominee and former Congressman Mike Rogers (R-Mich.).
“They want to keep the U.S. Senate red, so Mike Rogers can keep rubber stamping Donald Trump’s ridiculous agenda,” she said. “We are gonna have to get ready and show Mike Rogers what a little stick it to him looks like.”
Abdul El-Sayed will face Mike Rogers in November in a race analysts have described as a potential tipping point for Senate control. The Michigan seat is considered a ‘must-win’ for Democrats and has been identified as at risk of flipping.
Rogers was the GOP Senate nominee in 2024. He lost to now-Michigan Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin by less than 20,000 votes despite President Donald Trump winning the state in the concurrent presidential election.
Following El-Sayed’s victory, Rogers released a statement calling the newly-minted Democratic nominee not just another libereal, but an extremist.
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