Five states hold primary elections with Michigan's Democratic Senate race drawing national attention
Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Virginia, and Washington held primary elections on Tuesday, with competitive House and Senate races that could influence control of Congress. The marquee contest was Michigan's Democratic Senate primary between progressive Abdul El-Sayed and moderate Rep. Haley Stevens, competing to replace retiring Sen. Gary Peters. The winner will face former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers in November.
Five states held primary elections Tuesday, with Michigan's open U.S. Senate seat attracting the most national attention and money. El-Sayed, a former Wayne County Health Department director and epidemiologist who ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2018, entered primary day leading the RealClearPolitics polling average by 10.2 points over Stevens, a four-term congresswoman who flipped a Republican-held district in 2018.
Over $80 million was spent on the Michigan Democratic Senate primary, making it the most expensive Democratic Senate nomination contest in history, according to Fox News. Much of that spending came from outside groups supporting Stevens, with the largest contributions from United Democracy Project, a political action committee aligned with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). El-Sayed repeatedly criticized that outside spending and has pledged not to accept PAC donations. Stevens outspent El-Sayed on the airwaves by at least eight times, according to AdImpact as reported by NPR.
El-Sayed has campaigned on Medicare-for-all, called for abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and has characterized Israel's actions in Gaza as "genocide." He was joined on the campaign trail by Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Stevens was backed by retiring Sen. Peters, term-limited Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and other establishment Democrats. Former President Barack Obama did not endorse in the race.