Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is putting her political muscle behind Abdul El-Sayed’s bid for the Senate in Michigan — her first move into a contested Democratic primary this cycle. It’s a sign the party’s left flank is rallying around its preferred candidate ahead of next month’s vote.
The move underscores ideological fissures within the Democratic Party, evident in last year’s New York City mayoral race and recent primaries, where Zohran Mamdani and far-left candidates aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America won in deep-blue districts.
Whether that formula works in a statewide battleground with a more diverse electorate is an open question — one that will be tested in the Aug. 4 Democratic primary to replace retiring Sen. Gary Peters. The race also includes Rep. Haley Stevens and state Sen. Mallory McMorrow.
Ms. Ocasio-Cortez says Mr. El-Sayed has the broad appeal Democrats need right now — enough that she is siding against Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer’s preferred pick, Ms. Stevens. Ms. Ocasio-Cortez is also weighing her own political future, which could include a run for president or a challenge to Mr. Schumer in 2028, adding intrigue to her decision to wade into the Michigan contest.
“Despite our ideological differences and whatever disagreements there are in the party, every single one of us sees this moment as existential,” Ms. Ocasio-Cortez told The New York Times. “And I think many people are willing to put aside differences in order to give us the best chance at winning. And I think that Abdul gives us that right now.”
The winner will face former Rep. Mike Rogers, a Republican.
Before the endorsement, David Dulio, a political science professor at Oakland University, said the recent string of socialist victories in Democratic primaries in Denver, New York and Washington may be giving Mr. El-Sayed’s campaign an extra boost.
“I think there might be a contagion effect,” Mr. Dulio said. “Democratic voters are seeing these candidates win in other states, and it wouldn’t surprise me if that gives El-Sayed a lot of juice.”
Mr. El-Sayed has shied away from the socialist label, running instead under the progressive banner, and has not received the endorsement from the Democratic Socialists of America.
Still, he shares much with the DSA platform: He has called for abolishing ICE, backs Medicare for All, and has labeled Israel’s military actions in Gaza a genocide. He has also railed against corruption in the Trump administration, vowed to fight for a billionaire tax and focused on the high cost of living that is creating headaches for working-class voters — and political headwinds for Republicans this fall.
Polls show Mr. El-Sayed is leading the race, stirring fears his brand could cost the party in the fall. The Wall Street Journal recently reported that Mr. Peters has privately suggested Ms. McMorrow drop out — a sign her campaign has become more of a drag on Ms. Stevens than a threat to Mr. El-Sayed.
That could help explain Mr. El-Sayed’s reluctance to embrace the socialist label that Mr. Mamdani wears openly.
“Michigan’s not New York,” Mr. Dulio said. “That term will do him no good in the fall. Michigan is a 50-50 state, and you can’t be too extreme and win statewide.”
The limits of the movement’s statewide electoral appeal were on display this week in Colorado after Democratic Sen. John Hickenlooper easily dispatched his DSA-endorsed challenger statewide, even as DSA-backed Melat Kiros toppled 30-year incumbent Rep. Diana DeGette in a deep-blue Denver district.
A chief dividing line in the Michigan race has been Israel. For decades, both parties treated the U.S.-Israel relationship as politically untouchable. That consensus has fractured. Voices on the left and right now argue Israel is responsible for a genocide against Palestinians in Gaza following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack.
Mr. El-Sayed and Ms. Ocasio-Cortez have been among the most outspoken critics, raising alarms about the influence of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee on Capitol Hill, accusing Israel of trampling Palestinian human rights, and insisting the U.S. should halt all military assistance to the country.
Ms. Stevens, meanwhile, has accepted AIPAC money and remains a supporter of Israel — a stance that has opened her up to sharp criticism from the party’s progressive base.
Republicans are licking their chops.
“This election is about crazy versus common sense, and the Democrat Party has made it clear that it fully embraces socialists and antisemites like Abdul El-Sayed,” said Hunter Lovell, spokesperson for the Republican National Committee. “El-Sayed’s extremism is deeply out of step with the hardworking Michigan families who will decide this election. We look forward to running against an aggressive, terrorist-sympathizer.”
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