Former Vice President Kamala Harris is raising money for Abdul El-Sayed after he won the Democratic primary for Senate in Michigan.
Harris, a potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidate, urged her supporters to donate to El-Sayed’s campaign in an email Wednesday afternoon. She acknowledged that he was emerging from a contentious primary against Rep. Haley Stevens.
“This was a hard-fought Democratic primary, and Michiganders were lucky to have such inspiring leaders step up in this moment,” Harris said.
A Harris spokesperson made clear before the primary that she would not get involved but noted she was “grateful” to have the support of both Stevens and El-Sayed when she ran for president in 2024.
Michigan GOP Senate nominee Mike Rogers released a statement on X slamming Abdul El-Sayed, claiming his Democratic opponent would make the state less safe and affordable for Michiganders.
El-Sayed narrowly defeated Rep. Haley Stevens, a moderate congresswoman from Michigan’s 11th District, while Rogers ran virtually uncontested for his party’s nomination. El-Sayed and Rogers will now face off in November’s general election.
“He wants to empty prisons and put murderers and sex offenders back on our streets. He pledged his support to the Muslim Brotherhood and campaigns with people who refuse to condemn terrorism. And, he advocated for the largest tax hike in American history — costing families already struggling to make ends meet over $3000 more per year,” Rogers continued.
“Never in a million years did I think that I would be running against someone who believes America deserved 9/11,” he added, referring to El-Sayed’s campaigning with Hasan Piker, a popular far-left Twitch streamer who has said he regretted his comment about the September 11 attacks.
Michigan Democratic Sen. Gary Peters said Democrats need to unite behind Abdul El-Sayed but emphasized that the progressive Democratic nominee also has to start making inroads with party “immediately.”
Peters said he spoke to El-Sayed today to congratulate him on his victory and relayed that El-Sayed assured him that he will start reaching out across the party.
“We have to come together and understand that whatever differences existed between Haley Stevens and Abdul (El-Sayed), those are very small compared to the difference between Abdul and (GOP nominee) Mike Rogers, and we’re going to make sure that our Democratic Party comes together in Michigan and reach out to independent voters to win the race,” Peters added.
Asked by CNN what El-Sayed’s win means for the direction of the Democratic Party, given Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ pick won over Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s preferred candidate, Peters said “Michigan is very diverse. We’ve seen it before.”
On whether El-Sayed’s views on Israel reflect the direction of the Democratic Party, Peters said, “certainly he campaigned on that issue, and the results speak for themselves.”
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Abdul El-Sayed downplays 'intra-family squabbles' when asked about close Democratic primary
1:12 • Source: CNN
Abdul El-Sayed downplays 'intra-family squabbles' when asked about close Democratic primary
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Abdul El-Sayed downplayed “intra-family squabbles” when asked about the close Democratic race and divisive primary campaign, as he cast the result as a catharsis for state Democrats.
With 99% of the vote counted, El-Sayed led by under 15,000 out of more than 1.5 million votes cast. He hailed the record-breaking turnout in the Senate primary, saying that “when you’ve got 500,000 more voters who came out to be a part of a process to pick a nominee, that means that their voices have been heard.”
And referring to his former rivals, Rep. Haley Stevens and state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, El-Sayed noted that “we’ve had some great conversations about where we go from here, and we cannot wait to come together and win in November.”
Abdul El-Sayed sought to reassure Jewish Americans of his support for them after winning the Democratic primary for Senate in Michigan.
“I want you to know that my commitment to your safety, my commitment to Jewish safety, is the same commitment that I have to the safety of my own daughters,” El-Sayed said, addressing reporters Wednesday morning.
The US relationship with Israel was a flashpoint in El-Sayed’s primary against Rep. Haley Stevens. At one point in the final days, Stevens accused El-Sayed of wanting to “blame all of your problems on Jewish Americans.”
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee spent tens of millions of dollars through its super PAC to defeat El-Sayed. And after his victory, AIPAC said in a statement that its members “remain determined to ensure that voters reject” him.
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Abdul El-Sayed reacts to Republicans' ads against him: 'Keep the name out your damn mouth'
2:06 • Source: CNN
Abdul El-Sayed reacts to Republicans' ads against him: 'Keep the name out your damn mouth'
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Abdul El-Sayed rebuked his GOP opponent Mike Rogers and Republicans after the National Republican Senatorial Committee began attacking his campaign and pointedly referred to his full name, Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed, following his projected victory in the Democratic Senate primary.
Turning to his opponent, El-Sayed continued — echoing New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s memorable zinger against ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo during their debates last year:
He condemned the messaging tactics, saying that Democrats would remain focused on the issues. “They understand that the only way that they think they can win is to drag us into the mud, to believe the worst about each other, to believe that what divides us is bigger than what unites us,” El-Sayed said.
Abdul El-Sayed addressed the media Wednesday morning after his projected victory in the Michigan Democratic Senate primary, saying that “in the words of Muhammad Ali, we shook up the world.”
Joined by party leaders, including state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, a former rival who dropped out last month, in a show of unity after a bruising fight against Rep. Haley Stevens, El-Sayed echoed the calls to action for the fall campaign.
State party Chair Curtis Hertel introduced El-Sayed and emphatically praised his campaign. “After last night, a fighter, a true fighter, and that is what people want — Abdul El-Sayed will be our next US senator,” he said.
McMorrow also spoke, affirming her promise to endorse the eventual nominee and joking about the lengthy vote-counting process.
“I had made a commitment earlier that no matter what happened in this race, that I was going to endorse the nominee the minute the race was called, and that I would be at their party,” she said. “Well, Michigan decided maybe we’re not going to the parties last night. So this morning, with all of you, this is the party. This is the start of a celebration of all of us coming together.”
Wednesday morning featured a rare and pretty remarkable upset in Michigan.
CNN’s Decision Desk now projects that Tom Smith, who suspended his campaign last month, will defeat Trump-backed candidate Amir Hassan in the Republican primary in Michigan’s 8th Congressional District.
Even before he dropped out, the little-known Smith didn’t appear to have run a robust campaign in the first place. His website describes him as a small business owner.
And the upset isn’t just a curiosity; it could actually matter quite a bit in the battle for the House. That’s because Michigan’s 8th District is one of the GOP’s best pickup opportunities. Trump carried the district by two points in 2024, even as Democratic Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet won.
Hassan is a US Navy veteran and former federal law enforcement officer who served as a watch commander in the prison camps at Guantanamo Bay. Trump endorsed him in a social-media post back in June.
He raised more than $700,000 for his campaign. Smith does not appear to have filed a federal campaign finance report.
President Donald Trump reacted to progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed’s projected victory in the Michigan Senate Democratic primary, calling it “Great news for the Republican Party.”
“Great news for the Republican Party,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social, adding about the other Democratic candidate, Rep. Haley Stevens, “As usual, the Polls were way off on this one. She was not expected to do nearly as well as she did.”
Vice President JD Vance also mentioned El-Sayed Wednesday morning, painting him as the face of the Democratic Party and a threat to the administration’s accomplishments.
“We don’t want the next administration, whoever you know, God forbid, you’re going to have President El-Sayed in three years. We don’t want him to undo all the incredible work that we’ve been doing,” Vance said during a task force meeting with members of Congress on fraud.
Democratic leadership praised progressive nominee Abdul El-Sayed for winning Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary after making their unofficial backing of his opponent clear during the race.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chair Sen. Kristen Gillibrand released a statement praising El-Sayed for “an energetic campaign that inspired thousands of Michiganders,” after the win.
They said that “Democrats are united by a common purpose” of winning in November despite the divisive nominating contest. Senate Majority PAC, a top Democratic super PAC, hailed El-Sayed as a “a real fighter who shows up for working families.”
Outgoing Michigan Sen. Gary Peters, who had endorsed El-Sayed’s rival, Rep. Haley Stevens, also weighed in. “Congratulations to him” Peters told CNN.
Key Republican groups were also responding to El-Sayed’s victory, offering a preview of the intense midterm election race to come. Pointedly referring to his full name – “Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed” – National Republican Senatorial Committee Chair Tim Scott called him “the most radical Democrat Senate nominee ever.”
Abdul El-Sayed’s projected victory is a triumph for national progressive leaders including Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. It is a defeat to Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, the New York senators who respectively lead the Senate Democratic caucus and the Senate Democratic campaign arm. Both Schumer and Gillibrand privately signaled support for Stevens, CNN previously reported.
El-Sayed overcame more than $60 million from outside groups backing his rival. The largest of those groups, United Democracy Project — the super PAC arm of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) — emerged as a flashpoint in the contest, fueling intense debates over campaign finance and US policy toward Israel.
El-Sayed, an outspoken critic of the war in Gaza who has accused Israel of committing genocide in the war, seized on AIPAC’s intervention, amplifying his criticism of Israel and raising questions about Stevens’ integrity. The outside spending also reinforced a broader establishment vs. anti-establishment dynamic that El-Sayed’s camp embraced.
Pairing that with a focus on universal health care, support for labor, and campaign finance reforms, El-Sayed prevailed in the high-stakes primary fight that became a proxy for the national debate over the direction of the Democratic Party.
Both El-Sayed and Stevens were conciliatory in their remarks to supporters after midnight Tuesday, urging party unity and attacking Rogers.
State Sen. Mallory McMorrow, who suspended her primary campaign one month ago, quickly endorsed El-Sayed after promising before polls close to endorse the Democratic winner. In a reflection of how close the matchup between Stevens and El-Sayed ultimately was, the margin in the primary was set to be far smaller than the roughly 60,000 votes McMorrow received because she remained on the ballot Tuesday.
Republican groups have begun releasing ads targeting Abdul El-Sayed, whom CNN’s Decision Desk has projected will win the Michigan Democratic Senate primary.
With El-Sayed now set to face GOP former Rep. Mike Rogers in November, the Senate Leadership Fund and National Republican Senatorial Committee have released videos painting El-Sayed as “radical.”
The video from the NRSC — which came before CNN projected the close Democratic primary race — described El-Sayed as “the most radical Senate candidate in America.”
“Abdul El-Sayed: too radical, too dangerous, wrong for Michigan,” the video says, arguing that El-Sayed wants to hike taxes and has controversial ties.
Similarly, the ad from SLF used clips of El-Sayed’s previous comments on police and immigration to argue he is “dangerously radical.”
“Abdul El-Sayed’s professed agenda threatens the safety and freedom of Michiganders while upending the rule of law,” SLF said in a statement on the release of the ad, sharing that it will pour in $45 million into the race — “the organization’s largest investment ever in Michigan.”
Rep. Haley Stevens released a statement congratulating rival Abdul El-Sayed on his win in the Michigan Democratic Senate primary, shortly after the race was called by CNN and other networks.
Acknowledging the “rigorous” campaign they waged, Stevens echoed calls across the party for unity heading into the fall.
Stevens has called El-Sayed to concede, according to a source familiar.
“That is why we have primaries,” she said in the statement. “I am proud to have put up my hand to serve, and prouder to continue to work together to make sure this Senate seat remains blue, that we flip the United States Senate and continue the work for Michigan.”
State Rep. Donavan McKinney, a democratic socialist, will defeat Rep. Shri Thanedar to win the Democratic primary in Michigan’s 13th Congressional District, CNN Decision Desk projects.
McKinney’s primary win will almost certainly mean a return of Black congressional representation in Congress to the Detroit-based district. The election of Thanedar, an Indian American immigrant, in 2022 marked the first time since the 1950s that the majority-Black city has not had a Black representative in Congress.
While Thanedar, a former Democratic Socialists of America member himself, supports many progressive priorities, McKinney appealed to voters with an anti-establishment campaign backed by independent Sen. Bernie Sanders and several local Black leaders.
Tuesday’s contest marks the latest incumbent Democrat’s loss to a democratic socialist challenger this primary season, after Darializa Avila Chevalier defeated Rep. Adriano Espaillat in New York and Melat Kiros beat out longtime Rep. Diana DeGette in Colorado.
McKinney, who has focused his platform on support for the Green New Deal, raising taxes on billionaires and corporations, and investing in public schools, will be heavily favored heading into the general election in the Democratic stronghold district.
Abdul El-Sayed will win the Democratic nomination for US Senate in Michigan, CNN’s Decision Desk projects, handing progressives a major win in a battleground primary critical to the party’s chances of taking back control of the upper chamber of Congress.
El-Sayed, a former Wayne County public health official, defeated Rep. Haley Stevens, a moderate congresswoman from Michigan’s 11th District, in a contentious race animated by deep party divides over policy, ideology and campaign strategy.
El-Sayed held onto a narrow lead through early Wednesday morning, with Stevens unable to make up ground in late votes reported from Wayne County, which includes Detroit.
He now advances to the general election against former GOP Rep. Mike Rogers, who ran virtually unopposed for his party’s nomination, formalizing the matchup in a premier battleground Senate race to replace outgoing Democratic Sen. Gary Peters.
Abdul El-Sayed said this morning that Democrats recognize the shared responsibility of defeating GOP nominee Mike Rogers in November despite a heated primary contest that has tested the divides in the Democratic party.
He also welcomed supporters of his primary opponent, moderate Rep. Haley Stevens, saying, “This is a big tent.”
CNN has not yet called the Democratic primary race with El-Sayed still holding a narrow lead over Stevens.
“I hope folks of all stripes, whichever way you might have voted in 2024, whichever way you might have voted in this primary, that you’ll join us to do this work,” he later added.
All eyes are on Wayne County, home to Detroit, for the final word on the Democratic Senate primary between Abdul El-Sayed and Rep. Haley Stevens.
Since daybreak, El-Sayed’s lead has narrowed to 14,898 votes – from 19,400 at sunrise. More than 1.5 million ballots have been counted, exceeding the turnout record for any non-presidential Democratic primary in Michigan going back to at least 1998.
Both Democratic candidates have stressed the need for the party to unify around the eventual nominee who will face Republican challenger Mike Rogers.
“We need to take all the time we have to start rebuilding this movement and mending fences,” El-Sayed told CNN on Wednesday morning. “We need to move forward and defeat Mike Rogers and build a coalition that’ll do that.”
This post has been updated with additional information.
The sun is coming up over Washington, DC, and the Michigan Democratic Senate primary remains unresolved.
Abdul El-Sayed holds a 19,400-vote lead over Rep. Haley Stevens as of 6:30 a.m. ET. More than 1.5 million ballots have been counted, blowing past the turnout record for any non-presidential Democratic primary in Michigan going back to at least 1998.
The primary is coming down to outstanding ballots in Wayne County, home to Detroit and the state’s largest and traditionally slowest-counting county.
Wayne has only reported about 6,000 more votes since 4:45 a.m. ET.
Stevens won more than 60% of that batch, but CNN estimates thousands of votes remain to be counted, leaving her with a narrow path to close the gap with El-Sayed.
It’s about 4:45 a.m. ET and roughly 95% of the estimated vote has been counted in the Michigan Democratic Senate primary.
Progressive Abdul El-Sayed has a slim statewide lead over moderate Rep. Haley Stevens, but she has a narrow path to a comeback.
The lion’s share of the outstanding vote is in Wayne County, including thousands of mail ballots in Detroit — where the mail ballots that have been reported so far have broken heavily in her favor.
While Stevens has a slim lead in the overall Wayne vote that’s been counted so far, she’ll need to improve her margin to overtake El-Sayed.
That’s unlikely, but the uncertainty around what is still left to count in Wayne, it’s not out of the question.
