Opinion

DAVID MARCUS: Experts crowned El-Sayed — then Michigan voters turned his win into a near-disaster

Rep. Haley Stevens surged after endorsements from Gretchen Whitmer and James Clyburn but media covered a coronation

By David Marcus Fox News

Published August 5, 2026 1:24pm EDT

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Abdul El-Sayed defeats Haley Stevens in Michigan Democratic Senate primary

Progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed secures a narrow victory over establishment-backed Haley Stevens in the Michigan Democratic Senate primary. Anchor Bill Hemmer analyzes county-by-county results at the digital board before former RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel joins the discussion to evaluate the political stakes of this progressive shift for the general election in Michigan.

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Over the past week, prior to far-left candidate Abdul El-Sayed squeaking to a possible victory over Rep. Haley Stevens in Tuesday’s Democratic Senate primary, the contest was treated by almost everyone in the news media as over, with El-Sayed a shoo-in.

I had been in Michigan reporting on the race, and what I wrote was the exact opposite: It was clear to me the race was tightening, especially after the endorsement of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. So when I saw every subsequent poll giving El-Sayed double-digit leads, I was shocked and a bit nervous.

Maybe, for the first time, the ground had lied to me and the........

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