Senate candidate El-Sayed questions assumption Michigan voters are moderates

In his bid to become Michigan's next Democratic senator, progressive populist Abdul El-Sayed is actively questioning the prevailing assumption that the state's voters are inherently moderate. El-Sayed contends that the narrative of Michigan voters favoring moderates is flawed, pointing to the state's two previous votes for Donald Trump.

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It's always funny to me that people want to say that this state votes for moderates when it voted for Donald Trump twice.

During an interview with CBS News, El-Sayed suggested that a more accurate explanation for Trump's wins is the electorate's deep fatigue with an establishment perceived as being "bought off by corporations on both sides of the political aisle." He believes this disillusionment led voters to support Trump despite potential reservations.

El-Sayed faces a primary challenge from Rep. Haley Stevens, a moderate backed by establishment Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. In contrast, El-Sayed has garnered support from progressives like Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. As a doctor who previously ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2018, El-Sayed is relying exclusively on grassroots donations, refusing PAC money, while Stevens has accepted substantial funding from various PACs, including AIPAC.

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It may just be that the better explanation is not that the state wants moderates: It's that it's so sick and tired of the establishment bought off by corporations on both sides of the political aisle that it was willing to hold its nose and vote for Donald Trump twice.

El-Sayed articulated his vision for a "broad coalition" encompassing individuals committed to opposing fascism, removing corporate influence from politics, advocating for union rights, and ensuring access to clean air, clean water, and healthcare. He expressed concern that the Democratic Party sometimes alienates potential supporters by focusing on narrow interests rather than addressing the needs of most Americans. "Sometimes, when the Democratic Party talks about a big tent, we push everybody into the corner and then go talk and pander to the corner," he told CBS News. "I'm just trying to bring everybody to the tent pole in the middle to talk about what we really need. We need good housing. We need good schools. We need healthcare."

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Sometimes, when the Democratic Party talks about a big tent, we push everybody into the corner and then go talk and pander to the corner. I'm just trying to bring everybody to the tent pole in the middle to talk about what we really need. We need good housing. We need good schools. We need healthcare.