WASHINGTON (August 5, 2026) — Today, Will Marshall, President of the Progressive Policy Institute (PPI), issued the following statement on Tuesday’s Michigan primary elections:
“Abdul El-Sayed’s narrower-than-expected victory in yesterday’s Michigan Democratic primary contest for U.S. Senate highlights the risks posed by left-wing ideologues to the party’s midterm election prospects. It likely will compound the party’s already difficult challenge of winning back the Senate this fall.
“At this writing, a complete demographic breakdown of the vote isn’t available. But a look at the electoral map suggests that El-Sayed — like other far-left and democratic socialist candidates that recently won primaries in blue cities — did much better among white college graduates than working-class voters, white and non-white.
“For example, Rep. Haley Stevens, a solidly liberal Democrat with strong union backing, carried six counties that combine large working-class and Black populations. She carried Oakland County (51.9%), Macomb County (51.8%), and Saginaw County (56.5%). She also won Black precincts in Detroit and other parts of the state. El Sayed’s poor showing among these rank-and-file Democrats could make him a weaker general election opponent against Republican Rep. Mike Rogers.
“In recent elections, Michigan Democrats have held a U.S. Senate seat and the governorship by building a broad coalition of persuadable voters, not just ‘energized’ young activists. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer won two terms running as a tough-minded pragmatist. Sen. Elissa Slotkin held her Senate seat in 2024 by a third of a point, in a state where enough voters split their tickets between Trump and Slotkin to decide the race. That’s the model Michigan Democrats have used to stave off Trumpism in a critical battleground state.
“It’s possible that Trump’s cratering popularity and the unraveling of his 2024 coalition will generate a Blue Wave in November big enough to propel even left-wing candidates with intense but narrow support into office.
“But the socialist surge is more likely to prove a burden than a benefit to Democrats trying to win working-class voters in competitive races. It’s another reason why Democrats should move to ranked choice voting, which requires primary candidates to amass a majority to win the party’s nomination.
“Requiring a majority to win might also have changed the outcome of the two House primaries in Michigan, which were also won by democratic socialists. William Lawrence, co-founder of the Sunrise Movement, which cooked up the now moribund Green New Deal, defeated more moderate Democrats for their party’s nomination for the 7th Congressional District, a swing district that includes Lansing. He faces incumbent Tom Barrett.
“In the 13th District, Rep. Shri Thanedar, another Democratic incumbent to face a serious primary challenge from the left, lost to Donavan McKinney, a democratic socialist.
“If Democrats want to win, they should stop allowing ideologically polarizing candidates to win the party’s nomination on the basis of narrow pluralities.”
Founded in 1989, PPI is a catalyst for policy innovation and political reform based in Washington, D.C. Its mission is to create radically pragmatic ideas for moving America beyond ideological and partisan deadlock. Find an expert and learn more about PPI by visiting progressivepolicy.org. Follow us at @ppi.
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Media Contact: Ian O’Keefe – iokeefe@ppionline.org
