Abdul El‑Sayed on Wednesday handed far‑left Democrats their biggest prize of the 2026 midterm cycle, squeezing out a victory in Michigan’s Senate primary that left the party’s establishment licking its wounds and wondering whether the base has blown past them on issues such as universal healthcare and cutting ties with Israel.
Sen. Bernard Sanders, the godfather of the modern socialist movement, described the victory in historic terms, saying it underscores the Democratic Party’s transformation.
It also marked the latest setback for Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, whose politics, including his support for Israel, have been derided as antiquated by the party’s left flank.
The anger only deepened after Mr. Schumer threw his weight behind Rep. Haley Stevens in the primary.
A boiling frustration with the political establishment, combined with Mr. El‑Sayed’s charisma and strong support from young and college‑educated voters, helped him overcome more than $70 million spent against him, including more than $30 million from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a powerful pro-Israel lobby.
“What we showed is that the power of our money is greater than the power of their money,” Mr. El‑Sayed said Wednesday. “My hope is that our democracy will never be the same.”
SEE ALSO: El-Sayed opens general election fight by branding Rogers as Trump’s bootlicker
Mr. El‑Sayed is set to square off against former Rep. Mike Rogers in a marquee Senate race that could determine whether Republicans hold the upper chamber during the last two years of the Trump presidency.
His victory sets up the ultimate test case for the establishment’s warnings that his socialist-style vision could be outright toxic in a purple state that backed President Trump in two of the last three presidential elections.
Mr. Trump weighed in, saying Mr. El‑Sayed is a “Communist loser who hates Jews and Israel” and that his closer‑than‑expected primary win is “great news for the Republican Party.”
Mr. El‑Sayed’s challenge will be not only uniting Democrats but also building a winning coalition in a state with an aging population and a large Black community in the Detroit area that largely supported Ms. Stevens.
History is on his side. The last time a Republican won the state was 1994 — though Mr. Rogers came within 19,000 votes of beating Elissa Slotkin for an open seat in 2024.
On Wednesday, Mr. El‑Sayed transitioned to general election mode, offering an olive branch to voters who question his views on Israel.
“To all of my sisters and brothers of the Jewish faith, or any faith at all, or no faith at all, 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,” said Mr. El-Sayed. Mr. El-Sayed is Muslim and has staked out one of the most pro-Palestinian positions of any major Senate candidate this cycle.
Challenging Mr. Rogers to five debates, Mr. El-Sayed put his Republican rival on defense and cast him as another politically soulless yes‑man for Mr. Trump.
“Mike Rogers is a guy who, believe it or not, went back to Florida so he can lick every single boot Donald Trump owns to beg for his endorsement,” Mr. El‑Sayed told supporters. “I’m so sorry if you want a senator who’s going to lick some boots, fine, go vote for Mike Rogers. But if you want a senator who’s going to stand up to Donald Trump, then you’ve got your option right here.”
Mr. Rogers countered that the contest is a choice between “common sense or complete insanity,” saying Democrats have driven “our state into the ground.”
“Abdul isn’t just another liberal. He’s an extremist,” he said in a statement. He warned that the Democrat is a terrorist sympathizer, supports soft‑on‑crime policies that would make communities less safe, and is “leading a movement grounded in ideological fanaticism.”
Mr. Rogers, a former FBI special agent, will lean heavily on public‑safety, border‑security and economic‑stability themes, pitching himself as a steadier hand after what he describes as years of Democratic mismanagement.
Mr. Rogers likely can count on some help from AIPAC.
AIPAC said its members “remain determined to ensure that voters reject Dr. El‑Sayed and his radical anti‑Israel agenda in November.”
AIPAC has become a lightning rod in races across the country, with left‑wing candidates and activists arguing the group wields outsized influence and enables what they see as Israel’s destructive military campaign in Gaza.
Mr. El‑Sayed said AIPAC is part of the problem of wealthy corporations and individuals bankrolling candidates who, in his view, then prioritize monied interests over the working class.
He said AIPAC did not have a partisan preference, as long as Ms. Stevens or Mr. Rogers won the seat.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez, who endorsed Mr. El‑Sayed, said AIPAC’s vow to stay involved proves his point.
“I appreciate AIPAC proving it doesn’t belong in the Dem Party and especially our primaries,” she posted on X. “AIPAC is an org committed to undermining democracy at home and abroad.”
She concluded, “See you in November.”
Please read our comment policy before commenting.