Voters and politicians across the country are watching to see if El-Sayed can earn the Democratic nomination to run for Senate in November's midterm elections. The two represent the divisions within the Democratic Party as it seeks to take back control of Congress. In Michigan - which voted for Democrat Joe Biden in 2020 but Trump four years later - the open Senate seat is a must-win for Democrats. At Saturday's rally, some in the crowd felt hopeful, as Ocasio-Cortez promised El-Sayed represented the "politics of the future". "This may not be the moment for progressives," said Colleen Houlihan, a 74-year-old from Ferndale, Michigan who is likely voting for Stevens.