Democratic Senate candidates Haley Stevens and Abdul El-Sayed debated ahead of the August 4 primary, focusing on a leaked audio recording and their respective priorities for Michigan.
Key facts
- •The primary election for the Michigan Senate seat is scheduled for August 4.
- •Abdul El-Sayed told donors he would support a 2028 primary challenge against Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman.
- •Haley Stevens accused El-Sayed of prioritizing national politics over Michigan policy.
- •The debate was moderated by Roop Raj of Fox 2 Detroit.
- •The primary race has been marked by accusations of racism, sexism, and disputes over outside spending.
Michigan Democratic Senate candidates Rep. Haley Stevens and Abdul El-Sayed met for their final public debate on Monday before the August 4 primary. The exchange featured a confrontation over a leaked audio recording in which El-Sayed referred to an 'ogre' while discussing a potential future primary challenge against Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman.
The Ogre Remark
During a recent Zoom call with donors, audio of which was published by POLITICO, El-Sayed stated he would back a primary challenge to Fetterman in 2028, saying, 'Ideally you put one ogre on a pike, and then everyone else gets the message.' During the debate, moderator Roop Raj asked El-Sayed if he regretted the comment. El-Sayed clarified he was referring to Fetterman, accusing the senator of abandoning his values. Stevens responded to the clarification by saying, 'Thank you for clarifying that you didn’t call me an ogre.'
Policy and Political Focus
Stevens utilized the debate to criticize El-Sayed’s focus, arguing that he is more interested in national politics than the needs of Michigan. She claimed El-Sayed told donors he would not focus on policy for his first two years in the Senate. Stevens characterized herself as a 'workhorse' for the state and suggested El-Sayed may be eyeing a future presidential run. El-Sayed attempted to redirect the conversation by blaming Stevens for AIPAC-funded advertisements that portrayed him as chauvinistic.
Timeline
- MondayPOLITICO published audio of El-Sayed's comments and the candidates held their final primary debate.
- August 4The Michigan primary election is scheduled to take place.
- 2028El-Sayed stated he would back a primary challenge against Senator John Fetterman.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by Politico.
