Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed said Sunday he spoke by phone with former President Barack Obama on Friday, days after narrowly defeating moderate Rep. Haley Stevens in the state’s Democratic primary.
El-Sayed described the call as really warm and inspiring during an appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press. He declined to share details of the conversation, saying he prefers to keep private conversations private.
“I was grateful for his advice. It was very warm, very inviting, and I know that he knows the critical role that Michigan is going to play,” El-Sayed said.
El-Sayed, a former Michigan public health official, edged out Stevens last Tuesday in one of the most closely watched Democratic primaries of the cycle. The race exposed what party officials have called deep rifts between the party’s progressive and moderate wings. Following his win, Stevens, Sen. Gary Peters and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer all endorsed El-Sayed.
Asked whether he wants Obama to campaign with him in Michigan ahead of November, El-Sayed said he “really” hopes so.
Obama has stepped up his involvement in this year’s midterms, also throwing his support behind Texas state Rep. James Talarico, another progressive Senate candidate running against Republican Ken Paxton.
El-Sayed will face Republican Mike Rogers, a former congressman who lost narrowly to Democrat Elissa Slotkin in the 2024 Senate race. Rogers has released a video aimed directly at Democrats uneasy with El-Sayed’s primary win, telling them they have a home with Republicans.
During a separate interview Sunday on CNN’s State of the Union, El-Sayed acknowledged the primary fight but downplayed the party’s internal divisions, saying the two camps aired their differences but that those disagreements are far smaller than what they share.
The unity push comes as other progressive candidates make gains this cycle. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) said Sunday on ABC’s This Week that a wave of democratic socialist candidates do not answer to any master and are not beholden to any corporate interest or any party boss.
Republican National Committee Chairman Joe Gruters, addressing a separate Senate race Sunday, said Democratic candidates this cycle have overplayed claims of bipartisan appeal. “Nobody is going to follow him,” Gruters said of Talarico’s outreach to Republican voters in Texas, calling the effort a “pipe dream.”
