Abdul El-Sayed was vastly outspent. He didn’t have the backing of the Senate’s top Democrat and has lost in a statewide primary before. He ran a starkly progressive campaign in a state Donald Trump won narrowly two years ago.
In short, by the party’s own traditional measure of electability he had no business winning.
But while votes are still being counted in the race and margins remain thin, El-Sayed entered Wednesday as Michigan’s likely Senate Democratic nominee after a contentious primary with Rep. Haley Stevens.
Progressives like El-Sayed, in the Bernie Sanders mold, have angled for more influence in a party struggling to meet the moment. That’s an easy case to make in the bluest parts of the country. It’s far harder in a state as politically divided as Michigan. And with Sen. Gary Peters retiring, this is a seat Democrats have to hold in order to maintain a reasonable chance to flip control of the Senate this November.
If nothing else, Michigan’s results bring new questions about how to win, and be electable, in a primary versus the tests of a general election.
This is a preview of an article by Hunter Woodall. Read the full article here and check MS NOW for live updates. |
