Jakarta, ThedailyID — Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed won Michigan’s U.S. Senate primary on August 5, 2026, defeating Representative Haley Stevens in a closely contested race and securing the party’s nomination for the November midterm elections.
With more than 95% of votes counted, the Associated Press projected El-Sayed with about 48.5% of the vote, narrowly ahead of Stevens, who received 47.5%, according to The Times of Israel.
El-Sayed, a physician and former Wayne County health director, received endorsements from progressive Democrats including Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
His campaign focused on expanding healthcare through “Medicare for All,” campaign finance reform, and ending U.S. military aid to Israel. He has also expressed support for Palestinian statehood.
Following the result, President Donald Trump criticized El-Sayed in a speech and on social media.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump called El-Sayed a “communist” and repeated unsubstantiated claims of widespread voter fraud in Wayne County, Michigan.
“Wayne County (Detroit) in Michigan is one of the most corrupt voting areas in the United States, if not the world,” Trump wrote.
The race also drew significant attention from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which backed Stevens. According to The Times of Israel, AIPAC and its affiliated groups spent more than US$30 million supporting her campaign.
El-Sayed will face Republican candidate Mike Rogers in Michigan’s Senate election in November 2026.
