Abdul El-Sayed wins Michigan Senate primary by less than 1 point
Why it matters: The November race against Republican Mike Rogers could help decide Senate control and test progressive strength in a swing state.
Abdul El-Sayed narrowly won Michigan’s Democratic U.S. Senate primary, defeating Rep. Haley Stevens by 14,893 votes, or just under 1 percentage point, after more than 1.5 million ballots were counted. The former public health official will face Republican Mike Rogers in November for an open seat that could help determine control of the Senate. El-Sayed, 41, ran on a progressive platform and overcame heavy outside spending and support for Stevens from Democratic leaders including Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Sen. Gary Peters and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer. The bitter primary exposed divisions inside the party, and El-Sayed’s next task is uniting Democrats in one of the country’s most competitive battleground states.