Gavin Newsom jets out on schmoozing mission in Michigan after Abdul El-Sayeds victory

Gavin Newsom is heading to the battleground state of Michigan this weekend to campaign for Democrats just days after lefty firebrand Abdul El-Sayed clinched the party’s Senate nomination.The visit comes as the California governor continues expanding his national political footprint while publicly weighing a 2028 White House bid.His political operation says the Michigan trip is aimed at boosting Democratic candidates ahead of November’s midterms, but it also places him squarely in the middle of one of the biggest political storylines of the election cycle.Newsom quickly threw his support behind El-Sayed after the former public health official narrowly defeated Rep.Haley Stevens in Tuesday’s Democratic primary.“Congratulations @AbdulElSayed on a hard-fought victory!” Newsom wrote on X.

“Trump and the GOP are trying everything to rig the rules and silence voters — but they can’t stop a Democratic Party united around working people and accountability.“On to November! Let’s take our country back,” he added.The governor’s team said Newsom reached out to El-Sayed after the primary and endorsed him as soon as the race was called.It remains unclear whether the pair will appear together during the governor’s visit, which aides say had already been scheduled before Tuesday’s election.During the trip, Newsom is expected to campaign alongside several Michigan Democrats, including Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, who is running for governor, while also helping legislative candidates hoping to flip control of the Michigan House.He is also slated to meet with black community leaders and younger Democratic activists.The visit comes as El-Sayed’s upset victory has ignited a fierce debate within the Democratic Party over whether progressive candidates can win competitive statewide races — and whether Newsom is embracing a nominee whose positions and controversies could become fodder for Republicans heading into the midterms and beyond.The Michigan r...