Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive candidate in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Michigan, speaks during a primary election night event Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026, at the Majestic Theatre in Detroit. Gretchen Whitmer and outgoing Sen. Gary Peters, and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer. El-Sayed went from political wilderness to progressive breakthroughEl-Sayed was joined Wednesday by state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, a former opponent in the Senate primary, and Curtis Hertel, chair of the Michigan Democratic Party. After losing the 2018 Democratic primary for governor to Whitmer, El-Sayed retreated into the political wilderness. Stevens called El-Sayed early Wednesday to concede the race, with El-Sayed describing it as a “great conversation.”