US media outlets, including NBC News, reported that progressive Egyptian-American candidate Abdul El-Sayed had won Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary, defeating AIPAC-backed rival Haley Stevens.
Reports said El-Sayed secured the Democratic nomination after a substantial proportion of votes had been counted, clearing the way for him to contest the general election for Michigan’s seat in the US Senate.
Activists Hail Defeat for AIPAC
The result sparked widespread reaction across social media, where activists described the victory as a major setback for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, known as AIPAC.
El-Sayed has emerged as one of the most prominent US political figures opposing Israel’s wars of genocide.
One activist described his victory as a “political earthquake” and expressed hope that its repercussions would be felt across the country.
Another called the result a defeat for AIPAC, writing: “We won. AIPAC lost.”
Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, said that if El-Sayed could overcome $60 million in outside spending, it would send a message to every Democratic politician in the country that challenging extremely powerful interests was possible.
“You can still win if the people are on your side,” Green said.
Another activist described the outcome as “an enormous victory for progressives, the left, and Muslim and Arab Americans”.
Calls for Democratic Unity
Michigan Senate Majority Leader Mallory McMorrow congratulated El-Sayed on winning the primary and called for Democrats to support him, warning that Republican candidate Mike Rogers and President Donald Trump were counting on divisions within the Democratic Party.
Palestinian-American political commentator Omar Baddar said El-Sayed had defeated the entire Democratic Party establishment, which had mobilised to stop him and spent 10 times more than his campaign during the primary.
Independent journalist Brian Allen also shared a video of a Michigan voter explaining that he supported El-Sayed because the candidate did not accept money from AIPAC.
Record Spending Fails to Stop El-Sayed
El-Sayed’s victory came despite an unprecedented spending campaign led by AIPAC and its allies in support of Stevens.
The result represents a significant victory for the Democratic Party’s progressive wing in one of the most closely contested states in the country.
According to Politico, AIPAC spent approximately $30 million to support Stevens and prevent El-Sayed from winning, marking the largest electoral expenditure in the organisation’s history.
El-Sayed will now face Republican nominee Mike Rogers in the general election scheduled for November.
Rogers, a former congressman, secured his party’s nomination with little meaningful opposition. The race is widely viewed as one of the decisive contests that could determine control of the US Senate.
