El-Sayed, Stevens, Hold ‘Unity Rally’ as General Election Campaign Kicks Off in Michigan

Michigan Democrats are quickly uniting after one of the most divisive primary battles in the country, with all the party’s nominees for statewide offices expected to take part in a Friday evening rally at Detroit.On Thursday Congresswoman Haley Stevens, who was narrowly defeated in this week’s primary, shared a hug on stage with the man who beat her out for the party’s Senate nomination, Dr. Abdul El-Sayed.In one of the most heated primaries of the year, the congresswoman had accused Dr. El-Sayed of disparaging Jews while Dr. El-Sayed had said Ms. Stevens was essentially a puppet for corporate interests and the pro-Israel lobby. But at their unity rally on Thursday, Ms. Stevens said it was time for Michigan Democrats to leave their divisions in the past and get behind Dr. El-Sayed. She said beating the Republican nominee, Congressman Mike Rogers, must be their top priority. “Friends, I want to thank you for your support in this race. I’m so grateful for each and every one of you who stepped up to fight for a stronger Michigan,” she wrote in a post on X, sharing a photo of herself and Dr. El-Sayed hugging. “Now, it’s time to come together to make sure we beat Mike Rogers and keep Michigan blue. Let’s go win!”Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who endorsed Ms. Stevens and ran against Dr. El-Sayed in the 2018 gubernatorial race, echoed that sentiment. “A lot of the national chatter has been about chasing clicks, stoking division, spreading rumors,” Ms. Whitmer said. “They’re not talking about what these elections are actually about. They’re not talking about … the one thing that unites Michigan Democrats as we look towards November: Michigan.”“All of us are united in defeating MAGA Republicans in November who will make life harder and more expensive for every Michigander,” Ms. Whitmer told the crowd. Democrats are expected to project a similarly united front on Friday at Detroit. Dr. El-Sayed will be in attendance along with the nominee for governor, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, and the nominees for attorney general and secretary of state. The former United States transportation secretary, Pete Buttigieg — now a Michigan resident who is widely expected to run for president in 2028 — will also appear alongside other special guests. The speed at which the party has rallied to Dr. El-Sayed is fairly remarkable given how bitter the primary was. The entire establishment of the state party — Ms. Whitmer, the state’s attorney general, Senator Gary Peters, and a former senator, Debbie Stabenow — were among those who backed Ms. Stevens over Dr. El-Sayed. Mr. Rogers, meanwhile, seems delighted to be facing off against the progressive doctor backed by Senator Bernie Sanders and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Within hours of Dr. El-Sayed being declared the winner, Mr. Rogers and Senate Republicans began running ads tying Dr. El-Sayed to the most left-wing faction of his party, much of which had rallied to him in the lead-up to the primary. “I spent my life hunting terrorists. I never in a million years thought I’d hear the words, ‘America deserved 9/11,’ but here we are,” Mr. Rogers wrote on X, referencing Twitch streamer Hasan Piker who once said America deserved the September 11 attacks and who campaigned for Dr. El-Sayed during the primary. Mr. Piker has said he will rally with Dr. El-Sayed for the general election if he asks.

El-Sayed, Stevens, Hold ‘Unity Rally’ as General Election Campaign Kicks Off in Michigan

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