The Democratic Senate primary election in Michigan between Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) and Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, Detroit’s former health director, remained too close to call, as vote counting continued into the early morning hours of Wednesday in a bitter racing featuring accusations of Jew-hatred and denunciations of massive spending from pro-Israel groups.
At press time, El-Sayed held a narrow lead of 49.7% over Stevens’s 46.3%, with 69% of votes counted.
Pre-election polling suggested that El-Sayed, a left-wing progressive who has accused Israel of “genocide,” had a double-digit lead heading into Tuesday’s election against the pro-Israel moderate Stevens.
Both are vying for the open seat vacated by retiring Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.).
AIPAC and its affiliated super PAC spent some $30 million in the race to back Stevens, reportedly the most that the pro-Israel group has ever spent in a single election.
The Democratic primary in Michigan tests whether anti-Israel progressives can extend a string of primary victories for House seats to the Senate.
After losing a primary election in Missouri earlier on Tuesday, that anti-Israel faction racked up another win in Michigan’s 7th Congressional District with William Lawrence, a progressive activist, defeating two moderate Democrats who split the remainder of the vote. At press time, Lawrence, a former member of the Democratic Socialists of America who co-founded the environmentalist Sunrise Movement, had 42.6% of the vote against 29% for former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink and 28% for Matt Maasdam, a former Navy SEAL.
The Associated Press called the race for Lawrence around 11:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
The race between El-Sayed and Stevens could affect control of the Senate in November, with polls suggesting that El-Sayed would have a more difficult time winning the general election than Stevens.
The Cook Political Report rates Michigan alongside Arkansas, Maine and Ohio as toss-ups in the general election, of which Michigan is the only seat currently held by a Democrat.
Former congressman Mike Rogers won Tuesday’s Republican primary for Senate in Michigan in an uncontested race.
