Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive physician who refuses to recognize Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state, won the Michigan Democratic Senate primary by a margin of fewer than 15,000 votes, according to media projections from NBC and the Associated Press. The pro-Israel group AIPAC reportedly spent over $30 million to support his opponent, centrist Rep. Haley Stevens. El-Sayed will face Republican former congressman Mike Rogers in the November general election.
Abdul El-Sayed, a 41-year-old physician and progressive activist who has refused to recognize Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state, secured the Democratic nomination for Michigan's U.S. Senate seat on Wednesday, August 5, after a razor-thin race that remained too close to call for hours. According to projections from NBC News and the Associated Press, El-Sayed defeated centrist Representative Haley Stevens by fewer than 15,000 votes out of more than 800,000 cast.
The race attracted national attention as a bellwether for the Democratic Party's internal direction on Israel. El-Sayed, who has called Israel an apartheid state and accused it of genocide in Gaza, ran on a platform sharply critical of U.S. support for the Jewish state. The pro-Israel group AIPAC reportedly spent over $30 million to support Stevens, making the primary one of the most expensive in the cycle.
El-Sayed will now face Republican former congressman Mike Rogers in the November general election in a competitive swing state. As The Zioneer has reported, the Democratic Party's progressive wing has scored a series of primary victories against pro-Israel incumbents this cycle, signaling a significant shift in the party's electoral landscape.
11 developments
- DevelopingReport: AIPAC to spend tens of millions on Mike Rogers' Michigan Senate campaign
- StrongEl-Sayed directly appeals to Michigan Jewish voters after primary win, vows commitment to Jewish safety
- DevelopingFox News: Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed received over $115k from CAIR-linked donors
- DevelopingTed Cruz comments on Abdul El-Sayed's Michigan Senate nomination
Source and signal
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