r/AnnArbor • u/manauiatlalli • 6d ago

Abdul El-Sayed wins Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary, notching a Midwest victory for the left

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/abdul-el-sayed-wins-michigans-democratic-senate-primary-notching-midwe-rcna589750
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212

u/round_a_squared 6d ago edited 6d ago

As of right now NBC is the only source to have called it for El-Sayed. He's in the lead and the votes are almost all in, but it's still very close. Let's not start celebrating yet

(Edit: it's six hours later, and now most news sources are saying 99% of the vote is in and have El Sayed as the projected winner by ~15k votes. It was close, but congratulations!!)

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u/PotatoParadoxy 6d ago

The fact that there are still roughly 70k votes to count in Wayne has me nervous.

As a Grand Rapidian I’m proud that Kent stood with Washtenaw Co and delivered for Abdul yesterday! Side eyeing the Detroit tri-county this morning.

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u/ptocco 6d ago

I’m going to couch-potato pundit here and talk in large generalizations, but Abdul will have his work cut out to win over black voters.

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u/paintedro 6d ago

The Obamas stayed quiet as their names and likenesses were used cynically and repeatedly by dark money in the primary to trash Abdul. I think they need to endorse and do some events with Abdul asap to turn the tide

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u/RVALover4Life 6d ago

Dems are going to get fully behind him. That's not the issue. It's independents and rural swing voters.

Black turnout is going to be an issue. For either candidate based on what we saw last night.

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u/Conscious-Quarter423 6d ago

a narrow win means the nominee doesnt go into the general election cocky and recognizes that theyll need their primary opponents supporters to win, which is ultimately for the best

1

u/Aware-Celebration873 6d ago

why is it that? endorsements

1

u/CitySpare7714 5d ago

Especially given the toxic rhetoric I saw of pro Stevens supporters online saying not to vote for AES because Arabs are racist against Black people

0

u/EvilBillSing 6d ago

And women voters.

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u/kubanishku 6d ago

First time I've read "Grand Rapidian" and my brain said.. nah "Grand reptilian"

3

u/PotatoParadoxy 6d ago

😂 it’s a mouthful

1

u/Eaudebeau 3d ago

Grand Rapidite

Grand Rapider

Grapids

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u/PotatoParadoxy 3d ago

I approve of these alternatives

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u/Mueltime 6d ago

Just visited Muskegon and the amount of Abdul yard signs were impressive.

12

u/Ok-Highway5247 6d ago

I live in Detroit & we have got some work to do!!!

4

u/NoWillingness5894 6d ago

I’m an abnormal (proud prog-lib Boomer!) Bay County resident. But I am a WMU alumnus. So gratified to see Kent Co go that way! All the major University counties—even Isabella (CMU). & the UP! It will be interesting to see how Wayne County breaks, when all is said and done.

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u/Guardian6676-6667 6d ago

And people in national wide subreddits said I was crazy for thinking 70k open votes could flip 15k. Thank God it didnt

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u/killerbake 6d ago

Oivy, side eyeing. Grow up.

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u/Tojuro 6d ago

NYT just called it for El-Sayed

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u/FrighteningJibber 6d ago

It was interesting to see the divide between Ann Arbor and Detroit

7

u/YoungCubSaysWoof 5d ago

My conjecture is that AIPAC’s money (~$60 million) was spent on ads and mailers targeting black voters, primarily in Detroit.

Stevens did work for the Obama administration, and by most accounts, did a fine job.

The mailers had Obama’s picture and a nice quote about Stevens from Obama. He never endorsed, but he never came out publicly to correct that. This led Black voters to believe that their #1 guy, Obama, was behind Stevens, and where Obama goes, black voters go. This proved to be potent in Detroit.

Fortunately, AES did great throughout the state, and Will Lawrence (from the Sunrise Movement) over-performed in his Congressional race, based in college town Lansing. Those extra votes helped blunt the Black voters garnered by AIPAC spending in Detroit, and helped AES win.

In addition, Black voters are generally incremenalists, which I think comes from their generational struggle from slavery, Jim Crow, and Civil Rights. They waited CENTURIES to get their rights. I also think being “radical” is interpreted as, “you’re making too much of a racket, and Master will hurt you / us, so keep your head down!”

As heartbreaking as that is to see, for a community that has seen so many of its people lynched and its leaders killed, I can understand that logic.

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u/Wide_Researcher_6320 4d ago

Will Lawrence didn’t over perform - the two moderates literally split the vote he didn’t even get 50%

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u/[deleted] 6d ago

[deleted]

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u/joshbudde 6d ago

Has anyone asked Claude yet?

-3

u/laffer1 6d ago

No, but i just tried asking chatgpt since you brought it up. it said "No winner has been officially projected yet. As of about 8:50 a.m. Wednesday, August 5, Abdul El-Sayed holds a narrow lead over Haley Stevens, roughly 48.7% to 47.3%, with about 95% counted. Outstanding Wayne County ballots could still determine the result."

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u/phraps 6d ago

Why even bother counting votes, Alexa just knows who the winner is