Some big primaries today, none more so than the Democratic contest for a Senate seat in Michigan; Dem incumbent Gary Peters is retiring. It pits Rep. Haley Stevens, a centrist, vs. Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, an opponent of U.S. aid to Israel who is pro-Palestinian. Israel is not the only issue — El-Sayed also supports universal health care — but it’s the main issue. Stevens is vastly outspending her opponent, thanks a lot to hefty donations from AIPAC. She argues that she would be a stronger candidate to hold the seat against the Republican nominee, former Rep. Mike Rogers. But El-Sayed is riding a leftwing wave that we’ve seen in Democratic contests, especially in New York, where NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani helped engineer the toppling of two congressional opponents with democratic socialist candidates in the primary. El-Sayed is thought to be the favorite.
Race may be the big factor in Michigan’s 13th District. Rep. Shri Thanedar, a progressive who is Indian-American, is threatened by state Rep. Donavan McKinney, a democratic socialist who is black and who says Detroit should have black representation; Thanedar’s election in 2022 ended nearly 70 years of African American House members representing at least parts of Detroit.
In Kansas, Gov. Laura Kelly (D) is term limited; both parties are holding competitive primaries to succeed her.
Also holding primaries are Missouri, Virginia and Washington.
Hi Ken! Thanks for writing about our races in Michigan today. I might argue that the Senate contest has more riding on race than the Thanedar v McKinney House race. In the Senate race, some argue that El-Sayed has not done enough to win over older African American voters, who trend toward the Democratic establishment. Stevens has campaigned *relentlessly* on her Obama-era cred. With Millennial and younger voters of all races that likely plays less well. She seems to have placed her bets on older voters – voters who still watch over-the-top TV ads in which “Obama” and “Auto Industry” dominate the word cloud. Turnout will be a key factor. The gorgeous weather today has given no one an excuse not to go vote. Let’s see what happens!