Stevens concedes Michigan Senate primary to El-Sayed, campaign says

Rep. Haley Stevens conceded the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate in Michigan to Abdul El-Sayed on Wednesday morning, El-Sayed's campaign announced. The Associated Press had not yet called the race.

El-Sayed, a former Wayne County health director, ran on a platform of "Medicare for All," campaign finance reform, and ending military aid to Israel. He urged unity to defeat Republican Mike Rogers in the general election.

Stevens, a four-term congresswoman, focused her campaign on manufacturing and the economy. She highlighted her past victories in tough races, arguing she was best positioned to defeat Rogers. Stevens received significant outside spending, including a large investment from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

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Whatever happens tonight, we have a responsibility to ensure that we unite, unite to make sure that Mike Rogers never sees the inside of the U.S. Senate.

The race is a key contest for Democrats seeking to control the Senate in the final two years of President Donald Trump's term. Moderates argued El-Sayed would face a tougher challenge against a Republican than Stevens would. The candidates' differing approaches were supported by prominent figures: Sen. Bernie Sanders backed El-Sayed, while Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer supported Stevens.

Stevens previously served as chief of staff for President Barack Obama's auto task force. El-Sayed, who lost the 2018 gubernatorial primary, positioned himself as an anti-establishment candidate advocating for a progressive agenda and rejecting corporate influence. Voters like Kenneth Woodside, 87, supported El-Sayed, stating the nation needed more action against what he described as a slide toward oligarchy and authoritarianism.

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the nation is ready for someone who wants to take some more action rather than on the road we are now, which is on the road to an oligarchy and authoritarianism.