EL-SAYED WINS MICHIGAN DEMOCRATIC SENATE PRIMARY

Abdul El-Sayed, a former public health official, won Michigan's Democratic primary for the US Senate, narrowly defeating four-term congresswoman Haley Stevens. US media projected El-Sayed's victory after counting continued into Wednesday morning, with the race remaining tight throughout Tuesday night. Stevens conceded by telephone on Wednesday and issued a statement backing El-Sayed's candidacy in the general election. El-Sayed will face Republican former congressman Mike Rogers, who ran unopposed for the Republican nomination, in November's midterm elections.

El-Sayed campaigned on progressive priorities including universal healthcare, campaign finance reform, and ending unconditional US military aid to Israel. He received endorsements from Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Stevens represented the party's establishment wing in the contest. One account put El-Sayed at 48.7 per cent of the vote and Stevens at 47.3 per cent with 95 per cent counted, according to the Associated Press. The Michigan seat is considered pivotal to Democrats' chances of controlling the Senate following the retirement of the current Democratic senator, Gary Peters.

El-Sayed's victory marks a significant shift for the Democratic Party in Michigan, where he lost the gubernatorial primary in 2018 to now-Governor Gretchen Whitmer by 21 percentage points. If elected in November, El-Sayed would be the first Muslim US senator. The November midterm elections will determine the balance of power in Washington during the final two years of President Donald Trump's term. Both candidates indicated their focus would now turn to the general election contest against Rogers.