Abdul El-Sayed Leads MI Democrat Senate Primary by 10 Points
Abdul El-Sayed has moved into first place in Michigan’s Democratic U.S. Senate primary, according to a new Mitchell Research & Communications poll showing him ahead of Rep. Haley Stevens and state Sen. Mallory McMorrow in the race to replace retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters.
Abdul El-Sayed leads Michigan’s Democratic U.S. Senate primary by 10 points, according to a Mitchell Research & Communications poll conducted May 1-7 and released May 11.
The poll found El-Sayed at 28 percent, followed by Rep. Haley Stevens at 18 percent and state Sen. Mallory McMorrow at 17 percent. The survey of 405 likely Democratic primary voters was conducted via text message and directed respondents to a SurveyMonkey poll. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level.
The results mark a shift in the Democratic primary after a previous poll showed Stevens and McMorrow statistically tied, with El-Sayed slightly behind. Mitchell’s statement said El-Sayed surged after support from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and podcaster Hasan Piker, a “champagne socialist”.
Steve Mitchell, CEO of Mitchell Research & Communications, attributed El-Sayed’s rise to support from left-leaning primary voters, saying El-Sayed presents himself “as the most progressive and liberal candidate” as he campaigns “against the United States and Israel in Gaza and Iran.” Mitchell said the poll showed “evidence” that El-Sayed receives support from Democrats who supported the Palestinians in the Israeli-Palestinian war, and he also argued that El-Sayed could benefit from the support shared by the two women in the race, saying “the women’s vote will be split almost evenly.”
The poll shows El-Sayed leading among men, with 28 percent to McMorrow’s 18 percent and Stevens’ 15 percent. Among women, El-Sayed led with 22 percent, followed by Stevens with 21 percent and McMorrow with 17 percent.
By age, El-Sayed leads among voters aged 18 to 44, with 80 percent support, compared to 4 percent for Stevens and 3 percent for McMorrow. McMorrow led among voters aged 45 to 64 with 26 percent, followed by El-Sayed with 23 percent and Stevens with six percent. Stevens led among voters 65 and older with 26 percent, followed by El-Sayed with 18 percent and McMorrow with 16 percent.
By race, El-Sayed led among white voters with 32 percent, followed by McMorrow with 19 percent and Stevens with 10 percent. Stevens led among African-American voters with 36 percent, followed by McMorrow with 17 percent and El-Sayed with 15 percent. Among voters who were neither white nor African American, Stevens led with 27 percent, followed by El-Sayed with 15 percent and McMorrow with 5 percent.
Breitbart News recently reported that Politico reviewed records from Michigan and New York and found that El-Sayed had never obtained a medical license in either state, despite calling himself a physician and listing “physician” on LinkedIn. His campaign claimed he had “earned the right to be called ‘doctor’ twice,” while the report said he had earned a medical degree and a doctorate in public health. El-Sayed said he had “deep animosity” toward Vice President J.D. Vance and claimed that Vance’s recognition of a unique American culture contradicted his marriage to his Indian-born wife and the future of his children. El-Sayed later said he made the point “out of love for his children.” He also has called to abolish ICE, describing the agency as a “paramilitary force of thugs.”
McMorrow has been criticized over residency issues, deleted tweets and immigration-related fundraisers. Breitbart News reported that she would have voted in California after saying she had “permanently moved” to Michigan, even though her campaign said the move was a “process” completed by mid-2016. She said on CNN that she saw “parallels between Nazi Germany” and the Trump administration, and detained a book signing to benefit Immigrant Rights Action, whose documents tell illegal immigrants approached by ICE to “use your right to remain silent” and “DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR.”
Stevens has been challenged for her ties to Biden and his impeachment campaign against HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Breitbart News reported that a Democratic poll first reported by Politico found that her pro-Biden voting record was “the most damaging argument against any candidate,” while noting that she voted with Biden 90% of the time and supported Biden’s waiver of California’s EV mandate. Stevens too filed articles of impeachment against Kennedy, saying he had “turned his back on science and the safety of the American people”, while an HHS spokesperson called it a “partisan political stunt”.
Matthew Boyle, Washington Bureau Chief describe Michigan Senate race as ‘arguably the premier Republican pickup opportunity anywhere in America’ on Breitbart News Saturday, while Republican candidate Mike Rogers warned that the Democratic camp had shifted significantly to the left. “They all have huge problems here,” Rogers said, adding that some candidates are “very interested in owning grocery stores and owning every aspect of your health care.” He warned that Democrats “want Mamdani Michigan.”
After the assassination of Charlie Kirk, El-Sayed said Kirk’s murder was committed “wrongly and unjustly” while calling Kirk’s speeches “often xenophobic, hateful and inflammatory.” Stevens said, “His stuff was abhorrent” and McMorrow said she thought much of what Kirk said was “vile and wrong.”
