US: El-Sayed wins the Democratic primary in Michigan
A doctor, a progressive, a Muslim and a supporter of Palestine, he defeated the party’s candidate. He wants healthcare for all and accuses Israel of ‘genocide’
from our correspondent in New York Luca Veronese
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Abdul El-Sayed has won the Democratic primary in Michigan. It will be him – aged 41, a progressive, the son of Egyptian immigrants, a Muslim and a supporter of Palestine – who will take on the Republican Mike Rogers in a key state for the Democrats’ hopes of securing a majority in the Senate in the mid-term elections in November. In the primary, he narrowly defeated MP Haley Stevens, a moderate candidate backed by the party leadership and pro-Israel groups, winning 48.5 per cent of the vote to her 47.5 per cent.
El-Sayed’s victory therefore represents a further sign of the rise of the progressive wing within the Democratic Party, following Zohran Mamdani’s election as mayor of New York and the success of other left-wing candidates in primaries in other states. However, it does not dispel concerns about the ability of left-wing candidates to counter the power of the populist right led by Donald Trump. To be in a position to challenge the Republicans in a crucial state such as Michigan, El-Sayed will now have to try to reunite the Democratic base following a gruelling and divisive primary campaign. A gesture of reconciliation came immediately from the defeated candidate: ‘I would like to congratulate Abdul El-Sayed on securing the Democratic nomination for the US Senate. He is a doctor, a public health official, a Rhodes Scholar and a deeply committed citizen of Michigan. I am proud to offer him my support as he prepares to face Mike Rogers in the general election,’ wrote Stevens.
A former Detroit health official, El-Sayed has been openly supported by progressive leaders such as Senator Bernie Sanders and MP Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and has adopted positions closely aligned with the Progressive Socialists and the anti-establishment movement.
His programme focused on reforming the healthcare system, with ‘Medicare for All’, that is, universal healthcare. But he also placed great emphasis on economic issues: proposing measures to support the most vulnerable families and higher taxes on the income and wealth of the wealthiest sections of the population.
Whilst Trump’s United States is at war with Iran and has backed Israel in the campaign that has brought devastation and death to Gaza, El-Sayed has openly stated – at times using extreme language – that he wants an end to unconditional military aid to Israel.
