“El-Sayed’s stump speech won the day and met the moment. Bernie Sanders, teaming with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, was in Michigan over the months to help the cause. Taking dollars out of politics, putting money in the people’s pockets rather than foreign wars, Medicare for All, and Abolish ICE overwhelmed the corrupt millions spent to defeat El-Sayed.”
In choosing Abdul El-Sayed, Michigan voters rejected money in politics, not just in words, but in deed. They defeated the astronomically funded campaign of Congresswoman Haley Stevens in the primary. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, (AIPAC), a pro-Israel lobbying group, spent $30 million in direct campaign contributions to her campaign. Meanwhile, other AIPAC affiliated groups such as United Democracy Project spent over $30 million as well.
Total corporate and special interest money spent opposing El-Sayed’s campaign topped a whopping $70 million for a Democratic Party primary, among the highest in history! Clearly, this dark money was used to support policies that perpetuate Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza as well as the war in Iran. (Haley, as a Congresswoman, recently voted No on suspending $3.3 billion in military aid to Israel. Talk about a return on their investment!)
Not satisfied with the millions spent on the Stevens campaign, the Democratic Party establishment machine piled on endorsements which included outgoing Senator Gary Peters, former Senator Debbie Stabenow, current Governor Gretchen Whitmer, along with the Congressional Black Caucus, in what became a battle royale or a David versus Goliath contest. It resulted in the highest Democratic party turnout for a primary in decades.
El-Sayed’s stump speech won the day and met the moment. Bernie Sanders, teaming with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, was in Michigan over the months to help the cause. Taking dollars out of politics, putting money in the people’s pockets rather than foreign wars, Medicare for All, and Abolish ICE overwhelmed the corrupt millions spent to defeat El-Sayed. AIPAC is quickly pivoting and vows to pour whatever money they can to El-Sayed’s Republican opponent, Mike Rogers.
In Florida, a similar people-powered campaign just resulted in Angie Nixon shocking Florida and the nation with an epic primary win. Both campaigns beat back big special interest money, especially AIPAC, spent on their Democratic opponents.
As we savor the people’s victory, we need to ask: Can the Democratic Party learn from the victories from all over the country or be resigned to exercise politics as usual? Already Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic House leader, who supported Medicare for All over the years, now says he no longer supports it. Later this year, Congress’s Big Beautiful Bill which gave huge tax writeoffs to corporations and billionaires, guarantees life-threatening cuts to both Medicaid and Medicare. Many hospitals have already closed in anticipation of these cuts.
The voters of Michigan have carved out a huge victory. One that sets a template for the future.
November will tell if the Democratic Party, as we’ve known it, is ready for the fight!
