What we covered
• Big win for progressives: Abdul El-Sayed defeated Rep. Haley Stevens in Michigan’s marquee Democratic primary for US Senate in a triumph for national progressive leaders. Explore results further and read takeaways here.
• Vows unity: El-Sayed downplayed the narrow margins of his victory, assuring voters the party is unified despite a divisive campaign. He also condemned GOP messaging tactics using his name, saying “I’ll be happy to give you lessons” on pronouncing it.
• A November must-win: El-Sayed will face Republican Mike Rogers in the fall. Democrats almost certainly have to hold the seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Gary Peters to have a chance of winning Senate control.
• Elsewhere in the state: CNN also projects State Rep. Donavan McKinney, a democratic socialist, will defeat Rep. Shri Thanedar to win the Democratic primary in the 13th Congressional District. It marks the latest loss by an incumbent to a democratic socialist challenger this primary season.
Our live coverage of primaries in Michigan and four other states has concluded. Please scroll through the posts below to learn all the developments. You also can explore results further and read takeaways here.
Republican revives House bid after upsetting Trump's pick in Michigan
Republican Tom Smith suspended his campaign for Michigan’s 8th Congressional District last month. But after he remained on the ballot and unexpectedly won the primary Tuesday — beating another Republican backed by President Donald Trump — he is back in.
The House GOP campaign arm signaled support for Smith, who is now Republicans’ standard bearer in a district they have been targeting since the start of the election cycle.
“McDonald Rivet has failed Michiganders and they will send her packing this fall when they elect commonsense conservative Thomas Smith,” Zach Bannon, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, said in a statement.
The Trump-endorsed candidate, Amir Hassan, finished a distant second in the primary. In a video posted to Facebook on Wednesday, Hassan acknowledged the surprising loss and said he would “make no excuse” for it.
Catch up after progressive El-Sayed's projected win in Michigan Democratic Senate primary
In a critical race with razor-thin margins, CNN has projected that progressive Abdul El-Sayed will win Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary.
It caps off the latest primary elections in several states and is the latest triumph for national progressive leaders. Michigan is a state Democrats almost certainly must win in November to take control of the Senate.
El-Sayed will face GOP former Rep. Mike Rogers in the fall.
Here’s the latest:
- Victory speech: El-Sayed sought to present a unifying message after a divisive primary campaign. Referring to his former rivals, Rep. Haley Stevens and state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, El-Sayed said that “we cannot wait to come together and win in November.” El-Sayed also called Stevens a committed public servant and said there is more that unites than divides them.
- Democratic reactions: Stevens congratulated El-Sayed on his win and said she was “proud to offer my support.” Democratic leadership also coalesced behind El-Sayed, praising the progressive after making their unofficial backing of Stevens clear during the race. Former Vice President Kamala Harris is raising money for El-Sayed.
- Outgoing senator: Michigan Democratic Sen. Gary Peters said Democrats need to unite behind El-Sayed but emphasized that the progressive Democrat also has to start making inroads with the party “immediately.”
- Eyes toward November: Rogers released a statement on X slamming El-Sayed, claiming his Democratic opponent would make the state less safe and affordable for Michiganders. He also billed El-Sayed as an “extremist.”
- Republican reactions: Republican groups have begun releasing ads targeting El-Sayed. One from the Senate Leadership Fund and National Republican Senatorial Committee paints El-Sayed as “too radical.” President Donald Trump said El-Sayed’s projected victory is “Great news for the Republican Party.”
Abdul El-Sayed called out Republicans, including his GOP opponent Mike Rogers, after the National Republican Senatorial Committee issued a statement attacking the Democrat that referred to him by his full name, Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed.
Other projections this morning:
- In another victory for progressives, State Rep. Donavan McKinney, a democratic socialist, is projected to defeat incumbent Rep. Shri Thanedar to win the Democratic primary in Michigan’s 13th Congressional District.
- In an upset, Tom Smith, who suspended his campaign last month, will defeat Trump-backed candidate Amir Hassan in the Republican primary in Michigan’s 8th Congressional District.
CNN’s Aditi Sangal, David Wright, Arlette Saenz, Kaanita Iyer, Aileen Graef, Aaron Blake, Annie Grayer, Abigail Roedersheimer, Richa Sharma and Patrick Svitek contributed reporting.
Bernie Sanders calls El-Sayed's win "extraordinary"
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders hailed Abdul El-Sayed’s win in the Michigan Democratic primary for Senate as “the most extraordinary victory that I can think of in modern American politics.”
Sanders was one of El-Sayed’s most prominent supporters, visiting Michigan multiple times to campaign with him as he faced off against Rep. Haley Stevens. Sanders also backed two other successful candidates in Tuesday’s primary in Michigan: Donavan McKinney, who defeated Rep. Shri Thanedar, and Will Lawrence, who won the Democratic nomination to challenge Republican Rep. Tom Barrett in his battleground district.
Democrats who opposed El-Sayed in the primary were concerned about his ability to win the general election. Sanders said he was confident El-Sayed would beat Republican nominee Mike Rogers, arguing El-Sayed showed in the primary that he can “expand the voter turnout universe.”
Progressive Will Lawrence dismisses electability concerns in Michigan swing district
Climate activist Will Lawrence dismissed concerns that his progressive views could turn off swing voters in Michigan’s battleground 7th District after he defeated two more moderate candidates in the Democratic primary.
“We’re building this campaign on face to face conversations with voters across the district,” Lawrence told CNN’s Manu Raju on “Inside Politics.” “We’re finding tons of common ground on issues like stopping AI data centers, stopping these stupid wars around the world, and investing in housing and health care that we can actually afford and count on.”
Lawrence noted that he let his Democratic Socialists of America membership lapse last month, saying that while he has a lot of respect for the group, “I felt a need to make it very clear that the platform we’re running on here is the one that has come up based on the conversations we’re having across the 7th District.”
He also addressed controversy that surfaced in the final stretch of his primary campaign, when The Huffington Post in July reported that he’d said on a 2024 podcast that Black political leaders’ support for Democratic leadership “defangs the White left.” He has since apologized for those remarks, but Democrats remain anxious that his history of strident rhetoric could damage the party’s chances of ousting freshman Republican Rep. Tom Barrett.
Speaking Wednesday, Lawrence reiterated that he regretted the 2024 comments, and said that he “look forward to having conversations very soon” with members of the Congressional Black Caucus, hoping to “restore some trust.” And he said that he would vote for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries for Speaker of the House, though they had not yet connected.
Mamdani congratulates El-Sayed but declines to say whether he'll endorse
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani was asked about the comparison some are making between himself and Abdul El-Sayed, who CNN projected will win the Democratic Senate nomination in Michigan.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who has been a vocal advocate for change in the Democratic Party, congratulated progressive Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed for his victory in Michigan’s primary election Tuesday.
“He ran a campaign where it was best described by his words of money out of politics, money in your pocket, Medicare for all,” Mamdani said during an event at City Hall in New York Wednesday, praising El-Sayed as the type of candidate he believes could change the party.
Mamdani has said he has spoken with El-Sayed a few times but did not specify if the pair has spoken following this victory.
When asked about the comparison some have made between the two politicians, Mamdani brushed off the sentiment.
He did not say if he would formally endorse El-Sayed in the general election in November. So far, the mayor has focused his endorsements on New York races.
Kamala Harris raises money for El-Sayed
Former Vice President Kamala Harris is raising money for Abdul El-Sayed after he won the Democratic primary for Senate in Michigan.
Harris, a potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidate, urged her supporters to donate to El-Sayed’s campaign in an email Wednesday afternoon. She acknowledged that he was emerging from a contentious primary against Rep. Haley Stevens.
“This was a hard-fought Democratic primary, and Michiganders were lucky to have such inspiring leaders step up in this moment,” Harris said.
A Harris spokesperson made clear before the primary that she would not get involved but noted she was “grateful” to have the support of both Stevens and El-Sayed when she ran for president in 2024.
GOP opponent labels El-Sayed an "extremist" in statement after his win
Michigan GOP Senate nominee Mike Rogers released a statement on X slamming Abdul El-Sayed, claiming his Democratic opponent would make the state less safe and affordable for Michiganders.
El-Sayed narrowly defeated Rep. Haley Stevens, a moderate congresswoman from Michigan’s 11th District, while Rogers ran virtually uncontested for his party’s nomination. El-Sayed and Rogers will now face off in November’s general election.
“He wants to empty prisons and put murderers and sex offenders back on our streets. He pledged his support to the Muslim Brotherhood and campaigns with people who refuse to condemn terrorism. And, he advocated for the largest tax hike in American history — costing families already struggling to make ends meet over $3000 more per year,” Rogers continued.
“Never in a million years did I think that I would be running against someone who believes America deserved 9/11,” he added, referring to El-Sayed’s campaigning with Hasan Piker, a popular far-left Twitch streamer who has said he regretted his comment about the September 11 attacks.
Gary Peters congratulates El-Sayed, says he needs to make inroads “immediately” with party
Michigan Democratic Sen. Gary Peters said Democrats need to unite behind Abdul El-Sayed but emphasized that the progressive Democratic nominee also has to start making inroads with the party “immediately.”
Peters said he spoke to El-Sayed today to congratulate him on his victory and relayed that El-Sayed assured him that he will start reaching out across the party.
“We have to come together and understand that whatever differences existed between Haley Stevens and Abdul (El-Sayed), those are very small compared to the difference between Abdul and (GOP nominee) Mike Rogers, and we’re going to make sure that our Democratic Party comes together in Michigan and reach out to independent voters to win the race,” Peters added.
Asked by CNN what El-Sayed’s win means for the direction of the Democratic Party, given Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ pick won over Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s preferred candidate, Peters said “Michigan is very diverse. We’ve seen it before.”
On whether El-Sayed’s views on Israel reflect the direction of the Democratic Party, Peters said, “certainly he campaigned on that issue, and the results speak for themselves.”
El-Sayed downplays “intra-family squabbles" and narrow margins in primary race
Abdul El-Sayed downplayed “intra-family squabbles” when asked about the close Democratic race and divisive primary campaign, as he cast the result as a catharsis for state Democrats.
With 99% of the vote counted, El-Sayed led by under 15,000 out of more than 1.5 million votes cast. He hailed the record-breaking turnout in the Senate primary, saying that “when you’ve got 500,000 more voters who came out to be a part of a process to pick a nominee, that means that their voices have been heard.”
And referring to his former rivals, Rep. Haley Stevens and state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, El-Sayed noted that “we’ve had some great conversations about where we go from here, and we cannot wait to come together and win in November.”
El-Sayed vows to keep Jewish Americans safe
Abdul El-Sayed sought to reassure Jewish Americans of his support for them after winning the Democratic primary for Senate in Michigan.
“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,” El-Sayed said, addressing reporters Wednesday morning.
The US relationship with Israel was a flashpoint in El-Sayed’s primary against Rep. Haley Stevens. At one point in the final days, Stevens accused El-Sayed of wanting to “blame all of your problems on Jewish Americans.”
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee spent tens of millions of dollars through its super PAC to defeat El-Sayed. And after his victory, AIPAC said in a statement that its members “remain determined to ensure that voters reject” him.
El-Sayed rebukes Rogers: "Keep the name out your damn mouth"
Abdul El-Sayed rebuked his GOP opponent Mike Rogers and Republicans after the National Republican Senatorial Committee began attacking his campaign and pointedly referred to his full name, Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed, following his projected victory in the Democratic Senate primary.
Turning to his opponent, El-Sayed continued — echoing New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s memorable zinger against ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo during their debates last year:
He condemned the messaging tactics, saying that Democrats would remain focused on the issues. “They understand that the only way that they think they can win is to drag us into the mud, to believe the worst about each other, to believe that what divides us is bigger than what unites us,” El-Sayed said.
El-Sayed on his win: “We shook up the world”
Abdul El-Sayed addressed the media Wednesday morning after his projected victory in the Michigan Democratic Senate primary, saying that “in the words of Muhammad Ali, we shook up the world.”
Joined by party leaders, including state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, a former rival who dropped out last month, in a show of unity after a bruising fight against Rep. Haley Stevens, El-Sayed echoed the calls to action for the fall campaign.
State party Chair Curtis Hertel introduced El-Sayed and emphatically praised his campaign. “After last night, a fighter, a true fighter, and that is what people want — Abdul El-Sayed will be our next US senator,” he said.
McMorrow also spoke, affirming her promise to endorse the eventual nominee and joking about the lengthy vote-counting process.
“I had made a commitment earlier that no matter what happened in this race, that I was going to endorse the nominee the minute the race was called, and that I would be at their party,” she said. “Well, Michigan decided maybe we’re not going to the parties last night. So this morning, with all of you, this is the party. This is the start of a celebration of all of us coming together.”
Trump's pick in a Michigan House race will lose to a candidate who dropped out, CNN projects
Wednesday morning featured a rare and pretty remarkable upset in Michigan.
CNN’s Decision Desk now projects that Tom Smith, who suspended his campaign last month, will defeat Trump-backed candidate Amir Hassan in the Republican primary in Michigan’s 8th Congressional District.
Even before he dropped out, the little-known Smith didn’t appear to have run a robust campaign in the first place. His website describes him as a small business owner.
And the upset isn’t just a curiosity; it could actually matter quite a bit in the battle for the House. That’s because Michigan’s 8th District is one of the GOP’s best pickup opportunities. Trump carried the district by two points in 2024, even as Democratic Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet won.
Hassan is a US Navy veteran and former federal law enforcement officer who served as a watch commander in the prison camps at Guantanamo Bay. Trump endorsed him in a social-media post back in June.
He raised more than $700,000 for his campaign. Smith does not appear to have filed a federal campaign finance report.
Trump: El-Sayed winning Democratic primary is “great news” for Republicans
President Donald Trump reacted to progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed’s projected victory in the Michigan Senate Democratic primary, calling it “Great news for the Republican Party.”
“Great news for the Republican Party,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social, adding about the other Democratic candidate, Rep. Haley Stevens, “As usual, the Polls were way off on this one. She was not expected to do nearly as well as she did.”
Vice President JD Vance also mentioned El-Sayed Wednesday morning, painting him as the face of the Democratic Party and a threat to the administration’s accomplishments.
“We don’t want the next administration, whoever you know, God forbid, you’re going to have President El-Sayed in three years. We don’t want him to undo all the incredible work that we’ve been doing,” Vance said during a task force meeting with members of Congress on fraud.
Democrats coalesce behind El-Sayed as Senate nominee
Democratic leadership praised progressive nominee Abdul El-Sayed for winning Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary after making their unofficial backing of his opponent clear during the race.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chair Sen. Kristen Gillibrand released a statement praising El-Sayed for “an energetic campaign that inspired thousands of Michiganders,” after the win.
They said that “Democrats are united by a common purpose” of winning in November despite the divisive nominating contest. Senate Majority PAC, a top Democratic super PAC, hailed El-Sayed as a “a real fighter who shows up for working families.”
Outgoing Michigan Sen. Gary Peters, who had endorsed El-Sayed’s rival, Rep. Haley Stevens, also weighed in. “Congratulations to him” Peters told CNN.
Key Republican groups were also responding to El-Sayed’s victory, offering a preview of the intense midterm election race to come. Pointedly referring to his full name – “Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed” – National Republican Senatorial Committee Chair Tim Scott called him “the most radical Democrat Senate nominee ever.”
Progressives get a victory in Michigan as El-Sayed wins nomination
Abdul El-Sayed’s projected victory is a triumph for national progressive leaders including Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. It is a defeat to Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, the New York senators who respectively lead the Senate Democratic caucus and the Senate Democratic campaign arm. Both Schumer and Gillibrand privately signaled support for Stevens, CNN previously reported.
El-Sayed overcame more than $60 million from outside groups backing his rival. The largest of those groups, United Democracy Project — the super PAC arm of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) — emerged as a flashpoint in the contest, fueling intense debates over campaign finance and US policy toward Israel.
El-Sayed, an outspoken critic of the war in Gaza who has accused Israel of committing genocide in the war, seized on AIPAC’s intervention, amplifying his criticism of Israel and raising questions about Stevens’ integrity. The outside spending also reinforced a broader establishment vs. anti-establishment dynamic that El-Sayed’s camp embraced.
Pairing that with a focus on universal health care, support for labor, and campaign finance reforms, El-Sayed prevailed in the high-stakes primary fight that became a proxy for the national debate over the direction of the Democratic Party.
Both El-Sayed and Stevens were conciliatory in their remarks to supporters after midnight Tuesday, urging party unity and attacking Rogers.
State Sen. Mallory McMorrow, who suspended her primary campaign one month ago, quickly endorsed El-Sayed after promising before polls close to endorse the Democratic winner. In a reflection of how close the matchup between Stevens and El-Sayed ultimately was, the margin in the primary was set to be far smaller than the roughly 60,000 votes McMorrow received because she remained on the ballot Tuesday.
Republicans launch ads targeting El-Sayed
Republican groups have begun releasing ads targeting Abdul El-Sayed, whom CNN’s Decision Desk has projected will win the Michigan Democratic Senate primary.
With El-Sayed now set to face GOP former Rep. Mike Rogers in November, the Senate Leadership Fund and National Republican Senatorial Committee have released videos painting El-Sayed as “radical.”
The video from the NRSC — which came before CNN projected the close Democratic primary race — described El-Sayed as “the most radical Senate candidate in America.”
“Abdul El-Sayed: too radical, too dangerous, wrong for Michigan,” the video says, arguing that El-Sayed wants to hike taxes and has controversial ties.
Similarly, the ad from SLF used clips of El-Sayed’s previous comments on police and immigration to argue he is “dangerously radical.”
“Abdul El-Sayed’s professed agenda threatens the safety and freedom of Michiganders while upending the rule of law,” SLF said in a statement on the release of the ad, sharing that it will pour in $45 million into the race — “the organization’s largest investment ever in Michigan.”
Rep. Haley Stevens congratulates Abdul El-Sayed on Democratic Senate primary win
Rep. Haley Stevens released a statement congratulating rival Abdul El-Sayed on his win in the Michigan Democratic Senate primary, shortly after the race was called by CNN and other networks.
Acknowledging the “rigorous” campaign they waged, Stevens echoed calls across the party for unity heading into the fall.
Stevens has called El-Sayed to concede, according to a source familiar.
“That is why we have primaries,” she said in the statement. “I am proud to have put up my hand to serve, and prouder to continue to work together to make sure this Senate seat remains blue, that we flip the United States Senate and continue the work for Michigan.”
Democratic socialist McKinney will defeat incumbent Michigan Rep. Thanedar, CNN projects
State Rep. Donavan McKinney, a democratic socialist, will defeat Rep. Shri Thanedar to win the Democratic primary in Michigan’s 13th Congressional District, CNN Decision Desk projects.
McKinney’s primary win will almost certainly mean a return of Black congressional representation in Congress to the Detroit-based district. The election of Thanedar, an Indian American immigrant, in 2022 marked the first time since the 1950s that the majority-Black city has not had a Black representative in Congress.
While Thanedar, a former Democratic Socialists of America member himself, supports many progressive priorities, McKinney appealed to voters with an anti-establishment campaign backed by independent Sen. Bernie Sanders and several local Black leaders.
Tuesday’s contest marks the latest incumbent Democrat’s loss to a democratic socialist challenger this primary season, after Darializa Avila Chevalier defeated Rep. Adriano Espaillat in New York and Melat Kiros beat out longtime Rep. Diana DeGette in Colorado.
McKinney, who has focused his platform on support for the Green New Deal, raising taxes on billionaires and corporations, and investing in public schools, will be heavily favored heading into the general election in the Democratic stronghold district.
