Abdul El-Sayed Defeats Haley Stevens in Michigan Democratic Senate Upset
Abdul El-Sayed, a left-wing challenger, secured a narrow victory over establishment-backed Haley Stevens in Michigan's Democratic Senate primary on Tuesday. The race, called by the Associated Press Wednesday morning, showed El-Sayed leading by less than 1 point, defying expectations of a decisive win based on polling that had shown double-digit leads.
El-Sayed's victory marks the first left-wing Senate candidate to defeat an establishment-backed opponent in 2026, despite controversies surrounding his associations. He has appeared alongside Hasan Piker, a Turkish-American influencer known for praising Hamas and Mao Zedong, and was endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.). The win underscores a broader realignment within the Democratic Party, with voters increasingly favoring candidates critical of U.S. foreign policy and capitalist structures.
At El-Sayed's election night event in Detroit, supporters like Zainab Bibi Ahmed, a local university employee, cited opposition to U.S. aid to Israel as a key factor in rejecting Stevens. "I couldn't vote for someone who supports sending weapons and funds to Israel using our tax dollars," Ahmed told the Washington Free Beacon.
El-Sayed has faced scrutiny for his ties to figures like Hassan Qazwini, a Dearborn Heights imam and LGBT rights opponent previously denounced by Sanders, and Husham al-Husainy, a pro-Hezbollah imam who endorsed Donald Trump in 2024. The candidate has also been linked to Melat Kiros, a Colorado congressional candidate who has questioned the U.S. narrative around the Sept. 11 attacks.
Despite internal party friction, Stevens and former candidate Mallory McMorrow have pledged to support El-Sayed in the general election. "The goal now is to come together," El-Sayed said Tuesday, though his relationship with party leadership remains strained. He has called Sen. Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) "dangerous," while Stevens accused him of blaming "Jewish Americans" for global issues.
The primary's outcome reflects a demographic shift in Democratic voting bases. Polls showed El-Sayed dominating among white, college-educated voters, particularly in areas like Ann Arbor, while Stevens performed better in Black and working-class communities such as Wayne County. This mirrors trends seen in other states, including Maine, where left-wing candidate Graham Platner challenged establishment picks.
Republicans, who had hoped to face El-Sayed in the general election, may find the race more competitive than anticipated. While initial polls suggested a toss-up against GOP nominee Mike Rogers, El-Sayed's ability to unify Democrats remains uncertain. Meanwhile, Piker has turned his attention to Wisconsin, backing Francesca Hong in the gubernatorial primary, a candidate who has called for canceling Thanksgiving as a national holiday.