Michigan voters headed to the polls Tuesday in the closely watched Democrat Senate primary viewed as the latest test of the party’s ideological direction as progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed faced off against establishment-backed Congresswoman Haley Stevens.
Razor-Thin Margin
The RealClearPolitics polling average showed El-Sayed leading Stevens by over 10 points heading into primary day, but he only narrowly defeated her. Just about one point separates the two as votes are still being counted, but the Associated Press and other outlets formally called the race Wednesday morning.
El-Sayed, a former health official in Michigan’s largest county, is a 41-year-old Muslim progressive endorsed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and her fellow ‘Squad’ members, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and Hasan Piker.
Meanwhile, Stevens was the favorite of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, retiring incumbent Sen. Gary Peters, and Rep. Nancy Pelosi. In her concession speech, the congresswoman signaled she would support her opponent’s campaign.
“I want to congratulate Abdul El-Sayed on winning the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate… I am proud to offer my support as he takes on Mike Rogers in the general election,” Stevens said, in part. “We must elect Democrats up and down the ballot… We need to win this Senate seat, because Elissa Slotkin deserves a partner like Abdul in the U.S. Senate.”
The Spending
About 80 percent of the $80 million spent on the very expensive primary went towards helping Stevens, but it didn’t prove to be enough.
The Washington Post reported Stevens raised more than $11 million through the middle of July with donations coming from small-dollar contributors as well as energy, chemical, and pro-Israel interests. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and its affiliated organizations poured nearly $30 million into the race, according to AdImpact. The AP called it AIPAC’s largest-ever investment in a single election.
Several additional so-called dark-money organizations spent millions more without publicly disclosing their donors, and El-Sayed made that outside support a central argument against his opponent.
“There’s a reason that I’m up in nearly all the polls, despite the fact that they’ve outspent us 20 to 1, 30 to 1. That money is corrupting on its own terms,” he told The Washington Post. “People understand what will transpire if they support a candidate who’s taking that kind of money, and they don’t want that anymore,”
Stevens rejected the suggestion that her donors influence her positions. “Anyone who supported me is supporting me because of my dedication to the people of Michigan, and the things that I have done for Michiganders,” she told AP.
Looking Ahead
While El-Sayad was not endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and once told The Wall Street Journal he is “not technically or practically DSA,” most of his policy positions are closely aligned with that wing of the Democratic Party.
That, coupled with his unexpectedly slim margin of victory over Stevens, has many wondering how he will fare against former Republican Congressman Mike Rogers in the general election. A recent Michigan Education survey conducted prior to the primary showed Rogers beating El-Sayed by 10 points in a hypothetical match-up, with 11 percent of respondents undecided.
Michiganders have not elected a Republican to the U.S. Senate in over 30 years.
Political Analysis
On Wednesday’s show, Megyn was joined by Mark Halperin, host of MK Media’s Next Up, to discuss El-Sayed’s primary win, what it means for moderate Dems, and where things go from here. Keep scrolling for complete analysis.
What El-Sayed’s One-Point Victory Means
Megyn takes a closer look at El-Sayed’s narrow victory over Stevens, the rise of the progressive wing of the Democrat Party, what the high-spending primary could signal for the broader political landscape, and more.
You can check out Megyn’s full interview with Halperin by tuning in to episode 1,374 on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you like to listen. And don’t forget that you can catch The Megyn Kelly Show live on SiriusXM’s The Megyn Kelly Channel (channel 111) weekdays from 12pm to 2pm ET.