Dr. Abdul El-Sayed Campaigned On The Premise That He Didn’t Need Establishment Backing To Succeed
Photo Source: EL PAIS
Dr. Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed made history on August 4 by becoming the first Muslim to win a Democratic Senate primary in one of America’s most closely watched contests. Dr. El-Sayed ran a progressive campaign of humanity first, promising universal health care, care for the aging and seniors, and an end to money in politics. He openly challenged the government’s foreign policy spending and spoke against carte blanche military aid to Israel and the genocide in Palestine, among other things. News sources have noted his victory is a watershed moment for the insurgent wing of the Democratic Party, which viewed the Michigan race as proof of progressives’ viability in competitive swing states.
“Shockwaves are being felt across the political world,” Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, said in a statement, according to Bridge Michigan. “Abdul’s primary victory sends a signal to every other Democratic politician – if you fight powerful interests, you can win.”
Michigan’s expensive 2026 Democratic U.S. Senate primary: outside groups and political action committees—led heavily by AIPAC and dark money organizations—poured roughly $50-$54 million into supporting US Rep. Haley Stevens against the progressive candidate.
Dr. El-Sayed told voters he didn’t need that support to win, and that Democrats would be better off with a candidate not beholden to special-interest establishments. Bridge Michigan contextualized this sentiment in the following statement: “The line notes that after being rejected by prominent state party figures and outspent by outside special interest funding, El-Sayed campaigned on the premise that he didn’t need establishment backing to succeed.”
During a CNN interview, Dr. El-Sayed was asked about his anticipated voting outcomes, which fell short of expectations; he replied, “It’s a reminder, polls don’t vote, people do.” Jeremy Ben-Ami, president of J Street, a liberal pro-Israel lobbying group that has served as a counterweight to AIPAC, summed up the change in a blog post titled, “The Beatles’ Message to AIPAC: Money Can’t Buy You Love.”
“The American people are just fed up with politics as usual, money in politics, the influence of corporations and special interests like AIPAC,” former Rep. Andy Levin stated. “They’re sick of it; they want truth-telling, they want authenticity, and they want bravery.”
Levin, who is Jewish, criticizes AIPAC and Israel’s government; he now works as a green energy entrepreneur and climate consultant, and supported El-Sayed in the primary. He told Religious News that the days of AIPAC influence are changing.
According to pundits, Dr. El-Sayed’s win, following Zoran Mamdani’s groundbreaking victory last November for Mayor of New York, is a clear sign that Democratic support for Israel is declining, and that candidates for public office who criticize Israel are electable. Dr. El-Sayed drew support from liberal Jews and organizations such as Jewish Voice for Peace and Jews for Abdul that canvassed for his candidacy.
If elected, he will follow a now-established pattern of progressive Muslims such as Mamdani, Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., and Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn. If he prevails in the November general elections for the U.S. Senate in Michigan, Dr. Abdul El-Sayed will become the first Muslim to ever serve in the United States Senate.
The Islamic Post and Agencies