Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive candidate who refuses to recognize Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state, has won the Democratic primary for Michigan's U.S. Senate seat, defeating pro-Israel incumbent Rep. Haley Stevens. NBC News projected the victory Wednesday morning, with the AP calling the race hours later. The margin was less than 15,000 votes out of more than 800,000 cast.
The Democratic primary for Michigan's U.S. Senate seat, held Tuesday, Aug. 4, produced a narrow but consequential victory for Abdul El-Sayed, a physician and progressive activist who has called Israel an 'apartheid state' and accused it of 'genocide' in Gaza. El-Sayed defeated Rep. Haley Stevens, a five-term incumbent and a consistent pro-Israel voice in the House, by fewer than 15,000 votes.
NBC News projected El-Sayed's victory around 09:07 Jerusalem time Wednesday, followed by CNN and the Associated Press. The race remained close through the night, with Stevens narrowing the gap as late-counted ballots from her home base in Oakland County came in, but ultimately falling short.
El-Sayed, a son of Egyptian immigrants, would become the first Muslim U.S. senator if he wins the general election in November. He will face Republican Mike Rogers, a former intelligence committee chair, in the general election. Rogers is considered a strong candidate in a state Donald Trump won in 2016 and narrowly lost in 2020.
The result is a major victory for the anti-Israel wing of the Democratic Party, which has increasingly challenged pro-Israel incumbents in primaries. AIPAC and allied groups spent tens of millions of dollars supporting Stevens, but could not overcome El-Sayed's grassroots momentum and the leftward shift of the party base in Michigan, a state with a large Arab-American population.
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
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