Detroit — Abdul El-Sayed thanked his family and the supporters who pushed him to victory in the Democratic U.S. Senate primary contest in a victory speech Wednesday morning in front of the Spirit of Detroit statue in downtown Detroit.
The fierce contest pitted Stevens, a moderate four-term congresswoman from Birmingham, against El-Sayed, a former public health official and podcaster from Ann Arbor, for the chance to take on Rogers in November.
He credited the volunteers who built his campaign “brick by brick” and signaled a vision of unifying Democrats, including the moderates who backed his primary rival Haley Stevens, in the fight against his November opponent, Republican Mike Rogers.
“She is one of the most committed public servants that you’ll ever meet. She loves democracy like I love democracy,” El-Sayed said of Stevens. “Whatever differences we might have had in the primary, it pales in comparison to what unifies us, the recognition that so long as we want to keep our democracy, that democracy had better be working for people.”
El-Sayed turned to Rogers throughout his speech, describing his November opponent as a “corporate sellout” who supported the Iraq war, prioritizes his corporate supporters, and supports President Donald Trump. He challenged Rogers to meet for five debates before the Nov. 3 election.
“If you’re willing to stand with me and have a conversation, you and I both know that you will wither in front of your own crimes,” El-Sayed said. “I’m going to make sure Michiganders know about them.”
In a lengthy Wednesday morning statement, Rogers described El-Sayed as an “extremist” bent on raising taxes and reducing imprisonment. He also criticized El-Sayed for campaigning with Hasan Piker, the left-wing social media commentator who once questioned whether the U.S. “deserved” the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
The contest between El-Sayed and Stevens was the most expensive Democratic U.S. Senate primary contest in U.S. history. The Associated Press called the race midmorning Wednesday. Stevens called El-Sayed to concede the race Wednesday morning, a Stevens spokesperson said.
“We took on a machine,” El-Sayed said. “You’re not supposed to be able to beat $70 million of spending. What we showed is that the power of our many is greater than the power of their money.”
Stevens enjoyed a $12-to-$1 spending advantage in the race against El-Sayed, as outside groups blanked the airwaves in TV ads supporting her and attacking El-Sayed.
El-Sayed, 41, will face Republican former U.S. Rep. Rogers, 63, of White Lake Township in the Nov. 3 general election.
El-Sayed is the son of an Egyptian immigrant who was born in Michigan and grew up in Oakland County, graduated from Bloomfield Hills Andover High School and did his undergraduate studies at the University of Michigan.
He talks openly about his Muslim faith and went after Republicans on Wednesday for their efforts to draw attention to his full name.
“All you’ve got to do is look at the ads you’re already watching on TV. It started today. You know, they think they want to use my whole name against me,” El-Sayed said. “Listen man, if you can’t say the name — it’s Abdulrahman — keep the name out of your damn mouth. I’ll be happy to teach lessons.”
Michigan Senate primary election results
In Tuesday’s primary, El-Sayed had about 49% to Stevens’ 47%, according to voting results compiled by The Detroit News.
A third candidate, state Sen. Mallory McMorrow of Royal Oak, got about 4% of the vote. She remained on Tuesday’s ballot after dropping out of the race on July 5, but endorsed El-Sayed early Wednesday morning as voting results showed the outcome leaning toward an El-Sayed victory.
McMorrow also addressed the crowd gathered in downtown Detroit for El-Sayed’s victory speech on Wednesday.
The differences between the three Democrats “pale in comparison” to the differences they hold with Rogers. Wednesday’s gathering downtown was “the start of a celebration of all of us coming together,” she said.
McMorrow thanked her supporters and Stevens’ supporters for their votes and volunteer time and asked them to continue fighting until the November election.
“We need all of you, all of us, to stay in this fight every minute going forward,” McMorrow said. “Because I can promise you that today Mike Rogers and Donald Trump are looking at Michigan and they’re hoping these family fights we had, the disagreements within the Democratic party, are the fights we’re going to retain through November.”
El-Sayed declared victory around 7 a.m. Wednesday, saying he was proud to be the state’s Democratic nominee: “Let’s win in November,” he posted on social media.
CKThompson@detroitnews.com
Staff Writer Melissa Nann Burke contributed.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Abdul El-Sayed projects unity message after bruising Democratic primary
Reporting by Carol Thompson, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Carol Thompson, The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
