Filmmaker Michael Moore pleaded with Democrats on CNN Tuesday night to push out party “hacks” and elevate progressive candidates, hours before Abdul El-Sayed narrowly defeated Rep. Haley Stevens in Michigan’s closely watched Senate primary.
Mr. Moore joined CNN anchor Laura Coates during the network’s election-night coverage to discuss the Democratic Party’s direction and the primary battle in his home state. Ms. Coates asked Mr. Moore whether Michigan’s political shift meant Democrats needed to abandon establishment figures for candidates further to the left, according to Mediaite.
Mr. Moore, who has known Mr. El-Sayed since working on his 2018 campaign for Michigan governor, said the party could not keep running centrist candidates. He added he would “get on his knees and beg” for progressive candidates to unseat the party’s old guard, saying, “I will not support hacks — hacks in the Democratic Party who have led us to this Waterloo.”
Mr. Moore also argued that the party’s support for Israel cost Democrats young and Muslim voters in 2024, blaming former Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Joe Biden for the losses, Mediaite reported.
The Associated Press called the Michigan Senate primary for Mr. El-Sayed on Wednesday morning, with the left-wing candidate edging out Ms. Stevens by just under one percentage point — a lead of 14,893 votes out of more than 1.5 million ballots counted, according to the wire service. Michigan’s official results portal lists the 2026 primary returns, though final certification follows the state’s canvassing process.
Ms. Stevens, who had the backing of Michigan’s Democratic establishment, including Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, conceded shortly after the race was called, saying, “I am proud to offer my support as he takes on Mike Rogers in the general election.”
Mr. El-Sayed, a former Wayne County health official, will face Republican former Rep. Mike Rogers in November for the seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Gary Peters.
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