Michigan’s August 4 Democratic Senate primary is shaping up to be a high-stakes showdown between the party’s rising progressive insurgency and an establishment more focused on electability. Abdul El-Sayed, a former public health official backed by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, is running against Rep. Haley Stevens, a moderate with a track record of winning on red turf.
El-Sayed’s Campaign
El-Sayed supports Medicare for All, wants to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and says the United States must cut off aid to Israel. He has also campaigned with pro-Palestinian Twitch streamer Hasan Piker, who has made controversial comments in the past.
El-Sayed’s opponents, including the Senate GOP’s campaign arm, have highlighted some of these positions and called him “too radical for Michigan.” However, El-Sayed believes that his message of fighting for people and offering relief from the pain of everyday life will resonate with voters.
Stevens’ Campaign
Rep. Haley Stevens, on the other hand, has positioned herself as a “workhorse” who gets things done in Washington. She has suggested that El-Sayed is more interested in being a “celebrity senator” than in doing the hard work of governing.
The Democratic nominee will face GOP ex-Rep. Mike Rogers in November, and the stakes are high. Democrats need to retain the seat of retiring Sen. Gary Peters to have a path to a Senate majority in the midterm elections.
Original reporting: El Paso News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
