Michigan Senate race latest: Stevens, El-Sayed new poll, shots traded
Who comes out of Democratic U.S. Senate primary?
With just days to go until the primary election, new polling shows Abdul El-Sayed leading Haley Stevens in the Democratic Senate race. Detroit City Council Member Mary Waters, Republican Strategist Jason Cabel Roe and Kerry Jackson, "The Urban Conservative" discuss who could come out of the race
The Michigan Senate race continues to head up as the days count down until the primary election.
Michigan Senate race
Peters weighs in on U.S. Senate Debate
Congresswoman Haley Stevens and former Wayne County Health Director Dr. Abdul El-Sayed are running to replace Senator Gary Peters, and Peters says he's backing Stevens. The outgoing senator joins The Pulse with why he feels she gives Michigan the best chance to keep both senate seats blue.
Big picture view:
Michigan’s primary election is Tuesday, Aug. 4, and voters will decide which Democratic candidate will vie for the seat being left vacant by a retiring Gary Peters.
Why you should care:
Michigan is a battleground state, and the results from this race come November could decide which party controls the U.S. Senate.
Dig deeper:
Much like the rest of the country, the Michigan Democratic Party is caught in the middle of two competing visions.
READ MORE: Michigan primary election: Senate race preview
Haley Stevens vs. Abdul El-Sayed
Democratic Senate candidates Haley Stevens, Abdul El-Sayed full debate
"The Pulse" is hosting another debate ahead of Michigan’s primary election, this time with Democratic Senate candidates Rep. Haley Stevens and Dr. Abdul El-Sayed.
Big picture view:
Rep. Haley Stevens represents the moderate wing of the party while Dr. Abdul El-Sayed has embraced more progressive policies. Polls of the race have continued to show a divided electorate.
READ MORE: Michigan primary election guide: Everything you need to know
Michigan Senate latest poll
By the numbers:
A new Emerson College Polling/WLNS/WOODTV survey of the Michigan Democratic Primary for U.S. Senate found Abdul El-Sayed leading Rep. Haley Stevens, 54% to 39%.
Dig deeper:
The executive director of Emerson College Polling, Spencer Kimball, said there was a clear age divide in the Democratic Primary.
"Voters under 50 break for El-Sayed by 42 percentage points, 67% to 25%, and that gap tightens among voters in their 50s to a 12-point lead, and voters over 60 flip to Stevens by a 14-point margin, 53% to 39%," he said.
RELATED: Michigan primary: Early voting, absentee ballots up dramatically
Candidates trade shots
Meanwhile:
Both candidates appeared on FOX 2’s "The Pulse" on Monday for a debate. The two stuck largely to the policy issues and didn’t take shots at one another.
READ MORE: Haley Stevens and Abdul El-Sayed debate: Takeaways and analysis
But days later, in a conversation with Amani Al-Khatahtbeh, the founder and editor-in-chief of MuslimGirl.com, El-Sayed said AIPAC was supporting "the least capable candidate in America."
Stevens called out El-Sayed and responded directly to the podcast’s video on Twitter.
She called out his failed run for governor in 2018, and said "everyone in America understands you want to blame all of your problems on Jewish Americans."
For context:
El-Sayed is Muslim and was raised in Detroit by his father, an Egyptian immigrant. Stevens has been backed by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which has supported her campaign with tens of millions of dollars.
Haley Stevens says $46M in AIPAC funding should not concern voters
Rep. Haley Stevens has been backed by more than $46 million in spending by AIPAC, but she says that should not concern Michigna voters.
What they're saying:
Stevens tweet in full reads:
"Abdul, we were both on the ballot in 2018. I was capable of winning my competitive primary and general election. You lost.
You lost by over twenty points to Gretchen Whitmer and you will lose to Mike Rogers by talking like this.
Everyone in America understands you want to blame all of your problems on Jewish Americans.
But buddy, let me be very clear, I will lower the costs of groceries, ban stock trading for elected officials, stop Trump's abuses of power, and protect Michigan manufacturing.
And you’ll just be a celebrity whining and writing books to get even richer. You’re part of the complainer class, looking for their next book or podcast deal.
Bro, I just want to work for Michigan."
The other side:
Amani Al-Khatahtbeh, the founder and editor-in-chief of MuslimGirl.com, issued a statement saying she was disappointed in Stevens response, saying it contained "offensive anti-Muslim tropes."
"This hateful rhetoric should be disqualifying for any public official," she statement continued.
El-Sayed hasn’t issued a public response.
The Source: Information in this article was taken from an Emerson College Polling/WLNS/WOODTV survey, comments made by El-Sayed on