{"id":12815,"date":"2026-07-21T18:48:18","date_gmt":"2026-07-21T13:48:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=12815"},"modified":"2026-07-21T18:48:18","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T13:48:18","slug":"michigan-senate-primary-abdul-el-sayed-vs-haley-stevens-surfaces-every-democratic-grudge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=12815","title":{"rendered":"Michigan Senate primary: Abdul El-Sayed vs. Haley Stevens surfaces every Democratic grudge"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"zephr-anchor\">\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _10sa9omi itxwjq1 itxwjq0 pn04iq1\">A decade\u2019s worth of grudges and feuds between the Democratic establishment and the insurgent left is coming to a head in one election this year: Michigan\u2019s Senate primary.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--block-placement _13j8zv42 _13j8zv40 duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<div class=\"duet--article--highlight _10sa9oml _1a70pe0\">\n<div class=\"_1a70pe6\">\n<ul class=\"duet--article--unordered-list _10sa9omi uyby7v0 pn04iq1 _1a70pe7\">\n<li class=\"uyby7v1\"><span class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup\">Many long-simmering grudges between the establishment Democratic Party faction and a faction supporting Sen. Bernie Sanders have come to the fore in Michigan\u2019s Senate primary.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"uyby7v1\"><span class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup\">Dynamics involving gender and race, concerns over electability, and claims of establishment malfeasance closely mirror dynamics in Sanders\u2019s two presidential runs.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"uyby7v1\"><span class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup\">Every intra-Democratic controversy over Israel \u2014 from the influence of AIPAC to claims of antisemitism \u2014 has come up too, showcasing a party with some bitter divides.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _10sa9omi itxwjq1 itxwjq0 pn04iq1\">The contest between Rep. Haley Stevens and Abdul El-Sayed has somehow unearthed every fault line that\u2019s divided the two factions over the years \u2014 from gender and racial politics, to Israel and Gaza, to questions of electability and fair play, to money in politics, and much more.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _10sa9omi itxwjq1 itxwjq0 pn04iq1\">On one side there\u2019s Stevens, a four-term House member who is the preferred candidate of the Democratic establishment \u2014 and of AIPAC, which <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/detroit\/news\/aipac-michigan-senate-primary-stevens-abdul-el-sayed\/\">has spent nearly $30 million<\/a> to support her campaign.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _10sa9omi itxwjq1 itxwjq0 pn04iq1\">On the other is El-Sayed, a former public health official who\u2019s been backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and their network of supporters and fans.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _10sa9omi itxwjq1 itxwjq0 pn04iq1\">But the race has quickly gone beyond just them and become about something bigger \u2014 the national struggle for influence in the Democratic Party.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _10sa9omi itxwjq1 itxwjq0 pn04iq1\">\u201cThis is the quintessential contest between the establishment wing of the Democratic Party and the economically populist wing,\u201d said Joseph Geevarghese, executive director of the left group Our Revolution.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _10sa9omi itxwjq1 itxwjq0 pn04iq1\">In contrast, Jonathan Cowan, president of the center-left group Third Way, argued that nominating El-Sayed \u2014 a \u201csuper extreme candidate who will alienate lots of voters in the middle\u201d \u2014 is a dangerous risk.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _10sa9omi itxwjq1 itxwjq0 pn04iq1\">In this one race, the Democratic factions are relitigating the 2016 presidential primary, the 2020 presidential primary, and several major controversies of the past few years, all at once. And whoever wins will have to find a way to somehow unite the party and win a competitive general election against presumptive Republican nominee Mike Rogers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p><h2 class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup\">On gender and racial politics, we\u2019re doing 2016 again<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--block-placement _13j8zv41 _13j8zv40 duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<div style=\"position:relative\">\n<div class=\"_10sa9omj\">\n<div class=\"\">\n<div style=\"background-image:none\" class=\"duet--media--content-warning _1wmfnm10\">\n<div class=\"duet--article--image-gallery-image _1hhpe710\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.5\" id=\"dngyOmltYWdlOjQ5NjI2Mw==\"><a class=\"_1hhpe711\" href=\"https:\/\/platform.vox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2272276506.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0,0,100,100\" data-pswp-height=\"3600\" data-pswp-width=\"5400\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"><img alt=\"Rep. Haley Stevens speaks into a microphone, surrounded by supporters.\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"_1ssnpw50\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image\/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' %3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'\/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'\/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'\/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'\/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3C\/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mN8+R8AAtcB6oaHtZcAAAAASUVORK5CYII='\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot;)\" sizes=\"(max-width: 639px) 100vw, (max-width: 1023px) 50vw, 700px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/platform.vox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2272276506.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&amp;w=256 256w, https:\/\/platform.vox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2272276506.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&amp;w=376 376w, https:\/\/platform.vox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2272276506.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&amp;w=384 384w, https:\/\/platform.vox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2272276506.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&amp;w=415 415w, https:\/\/platform.vox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2272276506.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&amp;w=480 480w, https:\/\/platform.vox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2272276506.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&amp;w=540 540w, https:\/\/platform.vox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2272276506.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&amp;w=640 640w, https:\/\/platform.vox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2272276506.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&amp;w=750 750w, https:\/\/platform.vox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2272276506.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&amp;w=828 828w, https:\/\/platform.vox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2272276506.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&amp;w=1080 1080w, https:\/\/platform.vox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2272276506.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&amp;w=1200 1200w, https:\/\/platform.vox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2272276506.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&amp;w=1440 1440w, https:\/\/platform.vox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2272276506.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&amp;w=1920 1920w, https:\/\/platform.vox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2272276506.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&amp;w=2048 2048w, https:\/\/platform.vox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2272276506.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&amp;w=2400 2400w\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.vox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2272276506.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&amp;w=2400\"\/><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><figcaption class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup pn04iq2 _1dh7zmha\">Rep. Haley Stevens campaigns for the US Senate at the Michigan Democratic Nominating Convention in April 2026.<\/figcaption><cite class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup pn04iq2 _1dh7zmh5\">Jim West\/UCG\/Universal Images Group via Getty<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _10sa9omi itxwjq1 itxwjq0 pn04iq1\">When Sanders challenged Hillary Clinton for the 2016 presidential nomination, her supporters frequently implied he had blind spots related to gender and race. They argued, for instance, that certain criticisms of Clinton (and remarks by Sanders) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vox.com\/identities\/2015\/11\/5\/9671830\/bernie-sanders-sexism\">were sexist<\/a>, and that Sanders\u2019s poor performance with Black voters <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vox.com\/2016\/3\/21\/11265114\/black-voters-midwest-south-sanders\">demonstrated the limits<\/a> of his appeal.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _10sa9omi itxwjq1 itxwjq0 pn04iq1\">The discourse also sometimes focused on so-called \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.vox.com\/policy-and-politics\/2020\/3\/9\/21168312\/bernie-bros-bernie-sanders-chapo-trap-house-dirtbag-left\">Bernie Bros<\/a>\u201d \u2014 online Sanders supporters who, critics argued, directed toxic abuse and vitriol toward people not in his camp. Sanders\u2019s backers argued that the accusations of sexism were themselves a dishonest and inaccurate smear to distract from Clinton\u2019s own shortcomings.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _10sa9omi itxwjq1 itxwjq0 pn04iq1\">All of this is happening again now in Michigan.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _10sa9omi itxwjq1 itxwjq0 pn04iq1\">On gender, a comment from El-Sayed a few weeks back \u2014 he said Stevens was unable to \u201cstring together <a href=\"https:\/\/www.semafor.com\/article\/06\/30\/2026\/el-sayed-unloads-on-media-democratic-criticism\">two coherent sentences<\/a>\u201d \u2014 was criticized by the Stevens camp as sexist.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _10sa9omi itxwjq1 itxwjq0 pn04iq1\">Then, last week, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/politics\/articles\/haley-stevens-viral-clip-full-130000427.html\">video of an enthusiastic speech by Stevens<\/a> on the campaign trail went viral as online El-Sayed supporters <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2026\/07\/20\/politics\/video\/michigan-senate-race-stevens-el-sayed-ip\">mocked<\/a> her diction and delivery, viewing her way of speaking as self-evidently ridiculous.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _10sa9omi itxwjq1 itxwjq0 pn04iq1\">Seeking to tamp down this behavior, El-Sayed <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/abdulelsayed\/status\/2078129398192988592?s=46\">posted<\/a> Friday that the way \u201cpeople online\u201d were making fun of Stevens \u201cfor things that have nothing to do with her policies\u201d was \u201cunkind and unhelpful.\u201d He also <a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/progressives-take-on-the-rust-belt\/id1346207297?i=1000777332687\">told Vox\u2019s <em>America, Actually<\/em> podcast<\/a> that the accusations of him being disrespectful to women have gotten back to his daughter, and been hurtful.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _10sa9omi itxwjq1 itxwjq0 pn04iq1\">Meanwhile, on race, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/story\/news\/politics\/2026\/07\/14\/michigan-senate-race-poll-democrats-abdul-el-sayed-haley-stevens-edge\/90907700007\/?gnt-cfr=1&amp;gca-cat=p&amp;gca-uir=true&amp;gca-epti=z116933p119350l117650c119350e1199xxv116933d--53--b--53--&amp;gca-ft=142&amp;gca-ds=sophi\">a poll last week<\/a> shows Black Democrats splitting 67 percent for Stevens, and 21 percent for El-Sayed. Days later, the Congressional Black Caucus PAC <a href=\"https:\/\/punchbowl.news\/article\/campaigns\/cbc-stevens\/\">endorsed Stevens<\/a>. Just like Clinton in 2016, Stevens <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4654999\/haley-stevens-michigan-senate-race-black-voters-abdul-el-sayed\/\">is hoping<\/a> support among Black voters who are longtime stalwarts of the Democratic base will be enough to carry her to victory. And just like Sanders in 2016 and 2020, El-Sayed is facing questions about whether the party\u2019s left vanguard can expand its support beyond white, college-educated voters.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _10sa9omi itxwjq1 itxwjq0 pn04iq1\">\u201cThe progressive brand really, really underperforms with Black voters all around the country,\u201d said Adrian Hemond of the Democratic advocacy firm Grassroots Midwest. \u201cI think it\u2019s worth Democrats, media, and people in the nonprofit blob asking themselves why that is.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p><h2 class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup\">The establishment vs. insurgent tension, and the Obama of it all<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--block-placement _13j8zv41 _13j8zv40 duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<div style=\"position:relative\">\n<div class=\"_10sa9omj\">\n<div class=\"\">\n<div style=\"background-image:none\" class=\"duet--media--content-warning _1wmfnm10\">\n<div class=\"duet--article--image-gallery-image _1hhpe710\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.499734\" id=\"dngyOmltYWdlOjQ5NjI2NQ==\"><a class=\"_1hhpe711\" href=\"https:\/\/platform.vox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2282271139.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0,0,100,100\" data-pswp-height=\"1877\" data-pswp-width=\"2815\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"><img alt=\"Former President Barack Obama wearing a black suit, light blue tie, and sitting against a blue background.\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"_1ssnpw50\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image\/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' %3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'\/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'\/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'\/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'\/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3C\/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mN8+R8AAtcB6oaHtZcAAAAASUVORK5CYII='\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot;)\" sizes=\"(max-width: 639px) 100vw, (max-width: 1023px) 50vw, 700px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/platform.vox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2282271139.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&amp;w=256 256w, https:\/\/platform.vox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2282271139.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&amp;w=376 376w, https:\/\/platform.vox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2282271139.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&amp;w=384 384w, https:\/\/platform.vox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2282271139.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&amp;w=415 415w, https:\/\/platform.vox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2282271139.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&amp;w=480 480w, https:\/\/platform.vox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2282271139.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&amp;w=540 540w, https:\/\/platform.vox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2282271139.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&amp;w=640 640w, https:\/\/platform.vox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2282271139.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&amp;w=750 750w, https:\/\/platform.vox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2282271139.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&amp;w=828 828w, https:\/\/platform.vox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2282271139.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&amp;w=1080 1080w, https:\/\/platform.vox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2282271139.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&amp;w=1200 1200w, https:\/\/platform.vox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2282271139.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&amp;w=1440 1440w, https:\/\/platform.vox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2282271139.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&amp;w=1920 1920w, https:\/\/platform.vox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2282271139.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&amp;w=2048 2048w, https:\/\/platform.vox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2282271139.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&amp;w=2400 2400w\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.vox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2282271139.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&amp;w=2400\"\/><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><figcaption class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup pn04iq2 _1dh7zmha\">Former President Barack Obama on June 18, 2026, in Chicago.<\/figcaption><cite class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup pn04iq2 _1dh7zmh5\">Taylor Hill\/Getty Images<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _10sa9omi itxwjq1 itxwjq0 pn04iq1\">In both of Sanders\u2019s presidential runs, his team griped about the behavior of the Democratic establishment, arguing that they weren\u2019t truly playing fair. For instance, they pointed to how the DNC initially <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vox.com\/2015\/8\/6\/9110605\/democrats-debate-schedule\">scheduled very few debates for the 2016 presidential contenders<\/a>, arguing the supposedly neutral committee was in fact trying to help the frontrunner, Clinton, by limiting attention on her opponents.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _10sa9omi itxwjq1 itxwjq0 pn04iq1\">To Sanders\u2019s supporters, the bitterest pill was the perceived <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2020\/04\/09\/barack-obama-joe-biden-2020-campaign-178115\">late intervention<\/a> of former President Barack Obama into the 2020 campaign just as Sanders appeared well-positioned to win the nomination. (Days before the crucial Super Tuesday primaries, two other candidates, Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar, dropped out and endorsed Joe Biden. Obama was publicly neutral, but privately called <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/2020-election\/looking-obama-s-hidden-hand-candidate-coalescing-around-biden-n1147471\">Biden<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.clickondetroit.com\/news\/politics\/2020\/03\/06\/inside-the-3-days-that-remade-the-democratic-primary\/\">Buttigieg<\/a> during this key period, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/2020-election\/looking-obama-s-hidden-hand-candidate-coalescing-around-biden-n1147471\">raising speculation<\/a> about his role.)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _10sa9omi itxwjq1 itxwjq0 pn04iq1\">In Michigan, again, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is officially neutral, but Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has long been understood to favor Stevens, and reportedly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/06\/05\/us\/politics\/schumer-michigan-democratic-senate-primary.html\">has privately asked<\/a> donors to back her.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _10sa9omi itxwjq1 itxwjq0 pn04iq1\">Obama, too, has become a flashpoint. An AIPAC-linked group <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2026\/07\/17\/politics\/obama-michigan-senate-stevens-el-sayed-ads\">has spent millions<\/a> on an ad showing Obama praising Stevens \u2014 even though he has not endorsed her in this race. The praise is from comments Obama made during Stevens\u2019s first House campaign, in 2018. (Stevens had worked on his presidential task force to rescue the auto industry during the Great Recession.)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _10sa9omi itxwjq1 itxwjq0 pn04iq1\">El-Sayed\u2019s supporters have argued that this is an attempt to mislead Michigan voters into thinking Stevens has Obama\u2019s backing. \u201cIt is disgusting that AIPAC \u2014 which spent tens of millions attacking Obama \u2014 is now spending like crazy to lie and suggest he endorsed Haley Stevens,\u201d Ben Rhodes, a former Obama White House official who supports El-Sayed, <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/brhodes\/status\/2078500722862375092\">posted on X<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _10sa9omi itxwjq1 itxwjq0 pn04iq1\">Others suspect that Obama does in fact tacitly support Stevens, and that\u2019s why he\u2019s letting the ad stand without clarifying things. (El-Sayed thought Obama was too \u201ccentrist\u201d and \u201cmiddle of the road,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vox.com\/policy-and-politics\/2017\/10\/27\/16550322\/michigan-governor-el-sayed\">he told Vox in 2017<\/a>.) And yet again, people are fighting over 2016: Some Stevens supporters point out that Sanders <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2020\/03\/07\/politics\/sanders-obama-kfile\">used footage of Obama praising him<\/a> in a 2020 primary ad despite the senator\u2019s own criticism of the former president.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p><h2 class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup\">Israel\/Gaza, AIPAC, antisemitism, money in politics, Hasan Piker, etc\u2026<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--block-placement _13j8zv41 _13j8zv40 duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<div style=\"position:relative\">\n<div class=\"_10sa9omj\">\n<div class=\"\">\n<div style=\"background-image:none\" class=\"duet--media--content-warning _1wmfnm10\">\n<div class=\"duet--article--image-gallery-image _1hhpe710\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.499694\" id=\"dngyOmltYWdlOjQ5NjI2Ng==\"><a class=\"_1hhpe711\" href=\"https:\/\/platform.vox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2176134164.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0,0,100,100\" data-pswp-height=\"3266\" data-pswp-width=\"4898\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"><img alt=\"A woman holds a large Palestinian flag in a shot that contrasts the flag with the skyline of downtown Detroit.\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"_1ssnpw50\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image\/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' %3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'\/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'\/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'\/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'\/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3C\/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mN8+R8AAtcB6oaHtZcAAAAASUVORK5CYII='\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot;)\" sizes=\"(max-width: 639px) 100vw, (max-width: 1023px) 50vw, 700px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/platform.vox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2176134164.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&amp;w=256 256w, https:\/\/platform.vox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2176134164.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&amp;w=376 376w, https:\/\/platform.vox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2176134164.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&amp;w=384 384w, https:\/\/platform.vox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2176134164.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&amp;w=415 415w, https:\/\/platform.vox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2176134164.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&amp;w=480 480w, https:\/\/platform.vox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2176134164.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&amp;w=540 540w, https:\/\/platform.vox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2176134164.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&amp;w=640 640w, https:\/\/platform.vox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2176134164.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&amp;w=750 750w, https:\/\/platform.vox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2176134164.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&amp;w=828 828w, https:\/\/platform.vox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2176134164.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&amp;w=1080 1080w, https:\/\/platform.vox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2176134164.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&amp;w=1200 1200w, https:\/\/platform.vox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2176134164.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&amp;w=1440 1440w, https:\/\/platform.vox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2176134164.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&amp;w=1920 1920w, https:\/\/platform.vox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2176134164.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&amp;w=2048 2048w, https:\/\/platform.vox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2176134164.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&amp;w=2400 2400w\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.vox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2176134164.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&amp;w=2400\"\/><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><figcaption class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup pn04iq2 _1dh7zmha\">A pro-Palestine protest in Detroit in October 2024.<\/figcaption><cite class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup pn04iq2 _1dh7zmh5\">Adam J. Dewey\/Anadolu via Getty Images<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _10sa9omi itxwjq1 itxwjq0 pn04iq1\">Of course, the issue that has come up repeatedly in tense Democratic primaries this cycle \u2014 Israel \u2014 is present in this race in a major way.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _10sa9omi itxwjq1 itxwjq0 pn04iq1\">Many on the left argue that the war in Gaza contributed to former Vice President Kamala Harris\u2019s defeat by disillusioning some of her potential supporters and dissuading them from turning out. The evidence that this phenomenon occurred in significant numbers due to Gaza specifically is thin. But it arguably may have been a factor in Michigan, where 2 percent of the population is Muslim and Trump <a href=\"https:\/\/www.semafor.com\/article\/09\/24\/2024\/a-f-you-endorsement-how-trump-won-over-a-key-muslim-mayor-in-michigan\">worked hard to court disaffected voters<\/a> with vague promises to end the war.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _10sa9omi itxwjq1 itxwjq0 pn04iq1\">Here, Stevens is an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/07\/16\/us\/politics\/haley-stevens-michigan-senate-israel-aipac.html\">unapologetically<\/a> pro-Israel candidate who wants to continue US military aid to the country and does not believe Israel committed genocide in Gaza. (She said <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kcra.com\/article\/aipac-michigan-senate-primary-stevens-el-sayed\/73179115\">during a Hanukkah event once<\/a> that \u201cIsrael comes to me in my dreams.\u201d) El-Sayed, in contrast, has been <a href=\"https:\/\/michiganadvance.com\/2025\/11\/19\/michigan-democrats-push-to-label-war-on-gaza-a-genocide-as-party-moves-closer-to-their-position\/\">sharply critical of Israel<\/a> throughout this race.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _10sa9omi itxwjq1 itxwjq0 pn04iq1\">The center-left group Third Way has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thirdway.org\/letter\/third-way-calls-on-dr-abdul-el-sayed-to-say-if-he-aligns-with-hasan-pikers-anti-american-and-antisemitic-views?utm_source=chatgpt.com\">spent months<\/a> attacking El-Sayed for campaigning with left-wing streamer Hasan Piker, arguing that comments of Piker\u2019s \u2014 that \u201cAmerica deserved 9\/11,\u201d and that a certain sect of Israeli Orthodox Jews was \u201cinbred\u201d \u2014 are un-American and antisemitic. (Piker <a href=\"https:\/\/wdet.org\/2026\/04\/08\/influencer-hasan-piker-gives-michigan-senate-race-some-heat\/\">has said<\/a> he calls lots of different groups he dislikes inbred.)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _10sa9omi itxwjq1 itxwjq0 pn04iq1\">Meanwhile, Stevens has been the beneficiary of that nearly $30 million in AIPAC-linked spending \u2014 a topic she generally <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/aipac-michigan-senate-stevens-elsayed-588bb869eb557643950bf68d6a0d7a10\">tries to avoid discussing<\/a>. The ads in question don\u2019t talk about Israel at all and instead <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/aipac-michigan-senate-stevens-elsayed-588bb869eb557643950bf68d6a0d7a10\">praise Stevens<\/a> on other issues. \u201cIt is just a clear indication of where the base of the party is right now that AIPAC has to continually do this spending through their allied outside groups,\u201d Dani Negrete of Indivisible, a progressive group backing El-Sayed, told me.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p><h2 class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup\">Electability and the question of: who can\u2019t win?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _10sa9omi itxwjq1 itxwjq0 pn04iq1\">After a decade of factional squabbling, the left and the mainstream factions have each honed their talking points for why, when a Democrat loses the general election, it\u2019s the other faction\u2019s fault.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _10sa9omi itxwjq1 itxwjq0 pn04iq1\">To the establishment, left candidates are risky bets: They\u2019ve taken positions that may alienate swing voters and are less dependable than candidates with longer electoral pedigrees.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _10sa9omi itxwjq1 itxwjq0 pn04iq1\">In endorsing Stevens this month, Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) warned they needed someone who was <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/adamwren\/status\/2077028997028880494\">\u201cfully vetted.\u201d<\/a> El-Sayed\u2019s supporters viewed these and other remarks from Stevens supporters as baselessly linking their candidate to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vox.com\/politics\/487494\/graham-platner-janet-mills-suspends-campaign-maine\">Graham Platner,<\/a> who <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vox.com\/politics\/494565\/graham-platner-allegations-assault-withdrawing-dropping-out\">dropped out<\/a> of his race in Maine over sexual assault allegations that he denies. However, unlike Platner, who was plucked from obscurity, El-Sayed has been a political figure for nearly a decade and faced significant media scrutiny already.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _10sa9omi itxwjq1 itxwjq0 pn04iq1\">Another version of the critique is more about whether El-Sayed\u2019s policy positions \u2014 for instance, his past support for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2026\/07\/07\/politics\/kfile-abdul-el-sayed-michigan-senate-defund-police-fact-check\">defunding the police<\/a>, and his backing of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/news\/michigan-senator-race\">Medicare-for-all<\/a> \u2014 are too far left for this swing state in the general election.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _10sa9omi itxwjq1 itxwjq0 pn04iq1\">Meanwhile, the left\u2019s argument for why establishment candidates flop is that they fail to excite the base and stimulate turnout. Therefore, they claim, El-Sayed is the safer choice.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _10sa9omi itxwjq1 itxwjq0 pn04iq1\">Lately, this argument has focused on Israel and Gaza. Left commentators argue that the Biden administration\u2019s support of Israel and failure to stop what they call a genocide in Gaza was a major \u2014 perhaps the major \u2014 reason Harris lost in 2024, because part of the Democratic base was disillusioned and didn\u2019t turn out. So, some on the left have suggested, if Stevens is the nominee, Democrats are risking the seat by disillusioning the same voters.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _10sa9omi itxwjq1 itxwjq0 pn04iq1\">The mirror of this argument, from the establishment, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/politics\/articles\/james-carville-blames-bernie-sanders-220159598.html\">blames the left<\/a> for <em>causing<\/em> this disillusionment. By criticizing rival Democrats in harsh terms and casting them as pawns of special interests, they prime their voters to sit out the general election after their own candidates fail to win the nomination. \u201cBernie Sanders is the reason that Donald Trump is president,\u201d famed Democratic consultant James Carville <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/politics\/articles\/james-carville-blames-bernie-sanders-220159598.html\">said last week<\/a>, arguing this was because Sanders convinced his own supporters the Democratic Party was corrupt.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _10sa9omi itxwjq1 itxwjq0 pn04iq1\">This fight <a href=\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/michigan-government\/fact-check-el-sayed-stevens-trade-jabs-on-party-loyalty-kamala-harris\/\">has played out in miniature in Michigan<\/a>. Stevens has accused El-Sayed of undermining Democrats in 2024 by backing the \u201cUncommitted\u201d movement, which sought to protest Biden\u2019s Israel policy in the primaries. El-Sayed, conscious of this criticism, has gone out of his way to emphasize his early support for Harris in 2024, in contrast to others who sat out the race. But he\u2019s also warned that the wrong Senate candidate could recreate the conditions that led to her loss.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _10sa9omi itxwjq1 itxwjq0 pn04iq1\">Last week, a post from <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/adeebhafeez16\/status\/2077600177687343367\">one El-Sayed supporter<\/a> that he would not vote for Stevens in the general election went viral. \u201cThe Democratic Party needs to be anti-AIPAC, not pro-AIPAC, and it only happens if candidates like Haley Stevens don\u2019t win in general elections,\u201d Adeeb Hafeez posted on X.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _10sa9omi itxwjq1 itxwjq0 pn04iq1\">The next day \u2014 after critics argued this could lead to an even bigger conservative Supreme Court majority \u2014 Hafeez <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/adeebhafeez16\/status\/2077896435467473392\">walked it back<\/a> a bit. He posted <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/adeebhafeez16\/status\/2077896023016431651\">that he<\/a> \u201cmay hold my nose and end up voting for\u201d Stevens after all in the general if she advances \u2014 but that he\u2019d \u201cbe very uncomfortable in doing so.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _10sa9omi itxwjq1 itxwjq0 pn04iq1\">The exchange underscored the challenge for Democrats in coming together after the primary. No matter who wins, they\u2019ll carry the scars of not only this race, but election after election pitting left-wing candidates against moderates, each of which have left behind bruised feelings and mutual suspicion.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A decade\u2019s worth of grudges and feuds between the Democratic establishment and the insurgent left is coming to a head in one election this year: Michigan\u2019s Senate primary. Many long-simmering grudges between the establishment Democratic Party faction and a faction supporting Sen. Bernie Sanders have come to the fore in Michigan\u2019s Senate primary. Dynamics involving&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12816,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/platform.vox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2286094738.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C10.736356878928%2C100%2C78.527286242144&w=1200","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12815","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-political-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12815","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12815"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12815\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/12816"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12815"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12815"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12815"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}