Democrats need Michigan. They can win with Abdul El-Sayed. | Opinion

The fate of the nation might rest on the Aug. 4 Senate primary in Michigan.

On July 27, the two Democratic candidates – progressive Abdul El-Sayed and liberal Rep. Haley Stevens – got on stage at the Fox 2 Detroit studio to share their platforms for a debate.

El-Sayed's opening statement talked about his experience in public health and running to get money out of politics. Stevens' opening statement was about her experience, too – as well as her opponent, saying El-Sayed was running for "celebrity."

"This isn't about the DC or New York influencer crowd," Stevens said. "This is about putting Michigan first, and I've got the receipts to do that."

Both candidates answered questions on affordability and the Israel-Hamas war. El-Sayed stressed that he hasn't taken money from corporate donors. Stevens said she has the experience to take on Republicans. Voters must decide based on this debate and the campaigns each candidate has run which one would be strong representation for the state.

Democrats need Michigan to regain control of the Senate. The purple state is the testing ground for whether a progressive candidate can win a statewide election and defeat a Republican.

Who are Abdul El-Sayed and Haley Stevens?

El-Sayed is a progressive with the backing of Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan.

Stevens is a former Obama administration official who has the support of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

El-Sayed's campaign platform has three major points: getting money out of politics, affordability and Medicare for all. Stevens is also running on affordability and health care, but she stops short of endorsing Medicare for all.

The conflict in Gaza has also been a major talking point in this race. El-Sayed has characterized the Israeli government's actions against the Palestinian people as a "genocide." Stevens has taken money from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).

This issue was part of the reason Michigan went for President Donald Trump in 2024.

Politically, I'm more aligned with El-Sayed than I am with Stevens. I don't think there's anything wrong with Stevens – she has the experience that Democrats want, and her platform is aligned with the mainstream Democratic platform.

I disagree with her taking AIPAC money, and I think she could be taking bigger swings with her platform. Yet I find the campaign El-Sayed is running compelling, and I think he's been talking about issues that resonate with voters across the political spectrum, like Medicare for all.

But I am a New York City progressive – one of the very people Stevens called out in her opening statement. I'm aware that what works here might not work in Michigan.

Either Democrat has to defeat the Republican candidate

No matter what I think, the most important thing about the Michigan Democratic primary is that the winner defeats the Republican candidate, former Rep. Mike Rogers. Rogers said he feels good about his chances of winning in November if El-Sayed is the Democratic nominee.

"I think he's so radical," Rogers said of El-Sayed during a recent phone call with supporters that was obtained by CNN.

This worries me. While I agree with El-Sayed's various positions and believe he could have a shot, I am aware that I exist within a bubble that skews left. He has a chance, but I think he's going to struggle against Republican messaging.

At the same time, anyone who is running against a Republican candidate in 2026 is going to be called a radical – Democratic voters may as well support the candidate who is willing to swing for the fences, as opposed to the candidate who follows the same old Democratic playbook.

A true radical looks like the Republicans who fall in line with whatever Trump wants. Rogers may be focused on housing in the 2026 election, but he has stood by Trump when he increased tariffs. He reversed his stance on the 2020 presidential election when running for office, now peddling baseless election claims. Doing whatever your leader wants? That is radical.

Democrats need to start rallying around their own candidates

I think that Democrats could rally around El-Sayed, so long as the establishment gets behind him. But as we saw with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's 2025 campaign, the Democrats have no desire to support a candidate they didn't handpick, regardless of voter sentiment.

This is where "vote blue no matter who" becomes a hypocritical refrain. Moderate Democrats are happy to tell progressives to hold their collective noses and vote for a moderate, but they refuse to return the favor when it comes to supporting progressives who defy the odds and beat out an establishment pick.

Ironically, this is something Republicans are quite good at – they will begrudgingly vote for whatever candidate has an "R" by their name so long as it leads them to a victory over Democrats.

What happens in Michigan next week will determine the fate of Congress. It is a choice between a safe liberal and a progressive who is willing to take on the political status quo. Regardless of who I support, I hope that Michigan voters consider both options as viable.

Follow USA TODAY columnist Sara Pequeño on Bluesky: @sarapequeno.bsky.social

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Democrats need Michigan. They can win with Abdul El-Sayed. | Opinion

Reporting by Sara Pequeño, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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This story was originally published July 28, 2026 at 1:31 AM.