Michigan primary between Stevens and El-Sayed turns into a battle for the soul of the Dem Party
DETROIT, Mich.— Michigan’s Senate race on Tuesday has turned into the battle royale between two competing visions for the Democratic Party.The primary election between Dr.
Abdul El-Sayed and Rep.Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) had been an unusually competitive swing state matchup between a hardcore progressive and a more moderate Democrat amid the national debate between the two sides roiling the party.The competition tests the theory whether a lefty outsider backed by Sen.
Bernie Sanders (I-Vt) and Rep.Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) is needed to tap into the energy of the base, or whether an established lawmaker who has supported Israel is only electable in a battleground state.“Michigan is Ground Zero in the battle for the future of the Democratic Party — pitting corporate-funded status quo insiders against shake-up-the-system economic fighters,” Adam Green, the co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, who has stumped with El-Sayed, told The Post.“When Abdul wins the general election, it will send a signal to scared electability voters that they can vote for the candidate who inspires them in the 2028 presidential primary without political risk.”Whoever wins will face off against Republican Mike Rogers in a must-win state for Democrats’ chances of retaking the Senate.
Rogers narrowly lost to Sen.Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) in 2024, while President Trump carried the battleground state in his march back to the White House.
Beyond the Senate race, which has garnered the most national attention, Michigan has key Democratic battles in Rep.Jack Bergman’s (R-Mich.) 1st District and Rep.
Tom Barrett’s (R-Mich.) 7th District, testing the left-moderate divide.Even some bluer districts are facing lefty challenges such as the 13th District, held by Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.), who is squaring off against Democratic Socialists of America (DSA)-backed Donavan McKinney.Michigan had been the birthplace of the “uncommitted” movement against...