Abdul El-Sayed used Mamdani’s social media playbook to overcome a 9:1 spending deficit. Now he’s facing slander about 9/11

Abdul El-Sayed won a hard fight in Michigan’s Democratic primary race for U.S.

Senate against Rep.

Haley Stevens.

He eked out a win by 15,000 votes , or about 1% of the almost 1.5 million votes cast during the election on Aug.

4, 2026.

El-Sayed had a consistent populist message during the primary campaign.

He told The New York Times, “I can walk into almost any room, and I can say: ‘Money out of?’ and everybody’s like: ‘Politics.’ ‘Money in your?’ ‘Pocket.’ ‘Medicare for?’ ‘All.’ People know what we’re about.” Now El-Sayed, the former director of the Department of Health, Human and Veterans Services of Wayne County, has to shift his effort and messaging to a general election campaign against Republican Mike Rogers .

I am a political scientist who studies campaigns and elections , both nationally and in the key swing state of Michigan where I live and teach.

El-Sayed ran a prototypical primary campaign, positioning himself as a progressive outsider against a moderate insider.

Like Stevens, he appealed to specific segments of the Democratic electorate in an attempt to assemble a winning coalition.

But a run against a Republican with prior campaign and governing experience and the support of President Donald Trump is a different challenge – especially with the control of the U.S.

Senate at stake.

Republicans currently holds a three-seat advantage in that chamber; the Democrats are hoping to pick up four seats to gain control.

Historically expensive campaign This election was the third-most expensive on record and the second-most expensive this year, following the Texas Senate primary .