Senate primary winner Abdul El-Sayed talks upset over Haley Stevens: 'We shook up the world'
Abdul El-Sayed's speech after winning Democratic Senate primary
Dr. Abdul El-Sayed speaks in downtown Detroit after clinching the Democratic Senate primary by one percent over Rep. Haley Stevens.
DETROIT (FOX 2) - Abdul El-Sayed delivered a hard-fought victory speech in front of the Spirit of Detroit downtown saying, "We took on a machine."
Abdul El-Sayed wins primary
The backstory:
El-Sayed delivered a message of unity to fellow Democrats at the close of a grueling Democrat Senate primary campaign against political veteran Haley Stevens, a four-time US Representative.
By 9 a.m. El-Sayed was projected to defeat Stevens with 48.5 percent of the vote to 47.5 percent with 99 percent of the votes counted.
Detroit victory speech
"In the words of Muhammad Ali, we shook up the world," El-Sayed said, less than two hours later to supporters and others, including former primary rival, State Sen. Mallory McMorrow.
The political outsider prevailed against what he called $70 million of outside spending in support of Stevens.
"You're not supposed to be able to beat $70 million of outside spending, a record amount of money spent in a campaign against a Democrat in a primary," he said. "What we showed is that the power of our money is greater than the power of their money."
Stevens released a statement pledging her support to El-Sayed, while he said the two shared a great conversation this morning.
"I know that it was a bitter end to this very long primary," he said. "But I also know that Haley brings the best of herself to her work. She is one of the most committed public servants that you'll ever meet.
"Whatever differences that we might have had in the primary, they pale in comparison to what unifies us."
November general election
What's next:
El-Sayed advances to run against Republican Mike Rogers in the general election on Nov. 4.
He wasted no time launching into attacks on Rogers, a former 14-year member of Congress as a representative and onetime FBI agent. Rogers advanced through the primary unopposed after narrowly losing to Elissa Slotkin in 2024.
Abdul El-Sayed vs. Mike Rogers
"He's like the worst of all versions of the Republican Party, right? He's the worst of the neocon version," El-Sayed said. "He was in the House during the entirety of the Iraq War. He left because he got tired of it. And then he swore up and down he could never support Donald Trump until, of course, he was licking Donald Trump's boots."
El-Sayed called him a "corporate sellout" and challenged him to five debates before the November general election.
"You and I both know that you will wither in front of your own crimes," he said. "But I'm going to make sure Michiganders know about them, because at the time we're done, you are not going to have safe quarter from people holding you accountable.
"Five debates, I'm hoping for an answer today."
The other side:
Rogers fired off a response calling El-Sayed an extremist and spoke about Michigan's economy and education struggles, adding that for 25 years both Senate seats were held by Democrats.
"The choice this November is simple: common sense or complete insanity," he said. "They've driven 200,000 manufacturing jobs out of Michigan. They've dropped our schools to 45th in the nation. Working people are paying more, earning less, and getting left behind.
"And now the same failed politicians are asking us to send Abdul El-Sayed to Washington. Abdul isn't just another liberal. He's an extremist."
'Money out of politics'
El-Sayed spoke about his wishes of Medicare for all while calling out big pharma, Blue Cross and DTE.
"The corporations, the special interests who would rather get to decide who our elected officials are than let us decide who our elected officials are – they spent an unprecedented amount of money to beat us," he said.
He also addressed claims that he was anti-Semitic, recalling campaign memories of breaking bread with members of the Jewish community at Seder and shul.
"I want to tell you the great gift that you've given me," he said. "And to all of my sisters and brothers of the Jewish faith, or any faith at all, or no faith at all, I want you to know that my commitment to your safety, my commitment to Jewish safety, is the same commitment that I have to the safety of my own daughters."
The Source: Information for this report is from Wednesday's victory speech and previous election coverage.