Senate primary heats up
El-Sayed, Stevens make final push
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Editor’s note: This story was originally published by Bridge Michigan, a nonprofit and nonpartisan news organization. Visit the newsroom online: bridgemi.com.
SALINE TOWNSHIP -- Standing in front of a controversial data center project Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has championed, Democratic US Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed argued that moving ahead with the development despite local concerns shows how money and power influence politics.
"Too often, when we ask why bad things happen in our democracy and good things don't happen, it almost always goes back to that central question of who's paying for it and how much power do they have because they pay for it," El-Sayed said Thursday in Saline Township, flanked by local residents.
The protest came less than a week after his primary rival, US Rep. Haley Stevens, had joined hands with Whitmer at a Teamsters union hall in Detroit, where they bonded over their thick Michigan accents and passion for delivering economic wins for their state.
Praising the Democratic governor for leading the state "through storm after storm," Stevens said the US Senate needs a similarly Michigan-centric approach.
"I've been in Congress fighting these fights, delivering for Michigan workers, standing up for anyone, and standing up to anything that gets in my way of fighting for Michigan," she said.
Gretchen Whitmer and Haley Stevens
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer joiined Haley Stevens at a Detroit campaign event shortly after endorsing her.
The primary battle between Stevens and El-Sayed for Michigan's open US Senate seat has come to signify far more than who will take on Republican Mike Rogers in the general election this fall.
Observers view it as a proxy battle for the future of the Democratic Party. And it's the first true test nationally of whether a progressive like El-Sayed can win over a swing state like Michigan, where independent voters play an outsize role in deciding election outcomes.
The Democratic establishment is all in for Stevens, including Whitmer and other well-known Michigan officials such as retiring US Sen. Gary Peters, former US Sen. Debbie Stabenow and former Govs. Jennifer Granholm and Jim Blanchard.
El-Sayed, a former public health official, has garnered support from progressive favorites US Sen. Bernie Sanders and US Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, as well as the powerful United Auto Workers union.
Contentious from the start, the Senate primary has grown more combative in its final days. In an interview with Amani Al-Khatahtbeh, founder of the Muslim Girl media outlet, El-Sayed suggested Stevens was "the least capable candidate in America" who's been propped up by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC.
Stevens countered with jabs at El-Sayed's online popularity, calling him "part of the complainer class" and claiming that "everyone in America understands you want to blame all of your problems on Jewish Americans."
Primary polling has increasingly favored El-Sayed. But some surveys have also bolstered Stevens' claims that she'd fare better against Rogers this fall. Whoever advances will face another big challenge in one of the country's only true "toss-up" races in the general election.
'Their jokes make me fight harder'
As she seeks to woo any remaining undecided voters in the final days of the primary, Stevens has leaned into the online criticisms of her accent and mannerisms, arguing that the "cool kids on the internet" focusing on how she sounds instead of her policies are effectively "making fun of Michigan."
A viral clip of comments to voters in which Stevens said she'd be working on their behalf "with a little bit of joy, a little bit of enthusiasm, a little bit of energy and a little bit of stick it to 'em" drew a slew of criticism, especially on the social media website X.
The four-term member of Congress took it in stride, turning the comment into a slogan of sorts that she's repeated on social media, the campaign trail and even lawn signs.
Her final campaign ad of the cycle features similar comments from her Detroit rally with Whitmer, where she also reminded attendees of her past work for the Obama administration and her efforts to stand up to Trump in Congress.
"Their jokes make me fight harder," she said. "They might not like how I sound, but I am going to make damn sure they hear us in the halls of power."
Haley Stevens outside
Democratic US Senate candidate Haley Stevens speaks to reporters during a campaign stop in Farmington. (Lauren Gibbons/Bridge Michigan)
Stevens will return to Detroit this weekend for additional campaign stops ahead of Election Day. Earlier this week, she spent time in Lansing and West Michigan, attending events like the Grand Haven Coast Guard Festival and speaking at canvassing drives.
The stakes are high, according to Detroit City Council member Coleman Young II, a Stevens supporter who is hosting one of the weekend events.
"I think that it's a battle for the soul, not just of America, but also for the Democratic Party," he said of the race.
Whitmer, who defeated El-Sayed in the 2018 gubernatorial primary, stayed silent on the race for months.
Like other Michigan elected officials who ultimately endorsed Stevens, she now contends Stevens is the best positioned to defend a seat held by Michigan Democrats for decades. During the Detroit rally, she argued the race "is about who will deliver for Michigan."
"Winning Michigan is as tough as it gets, but as someone who won statewide twice, I know Haley is tougher than the environment we've got to win in," Whitmer said. "To win Michigan...you've got to put solutions first and politics last. And you've got to get shit done."
'Money can't buy trust'
El-Sayed knows he doesn't have the support of establishment Democrats or outside groups willing to spend tens of millions on his behalf.
The former Wayne County public health director's main message to voters heading into the primary: He doesn't need establishment support to win, and Democrats would be better off with a candidate not beholden to those interests.
Heavily outspent by pro-Stevens groups, El-Sayed's campaign has built up a formidable statewide ground game and has kept a rigorous schedule of rallies, public appearances and other events.
"Campaigns aren't won in the last two weeks -- good campaigns are won in the first year," El-Sayed said during a recent stop in downtown Detroit. "Money can't buy trust. You've got to go build it, brick by brick, and that's exactly what we've done."
Abdul El-Sayed data center protest
Democratic US Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed headlines a press conference and protest of a new data center development in Saline Township on Thursday. (Lauren Gibbons/Bridge Michigan)
El-Sayed has long fought against the influence of money in politics, more recently in his own primary, where some estimates project more than $60 million will be spent by outside groups by Tuesday's election.
Most of that money is benefiting Stevens, and a good chunk is coming from a political action committee affiliated with the pro-Israel group AIPAC. El-Sayed is a vocal critic of US government aid to Israel and the war in Gaza.