Michigan Senate Primary Too Close to Call As El-sayed Leads Stevens by 3 Points

Michigan's Democratic Senate primary remained too close to call early Wednesday, with progressive Abdul El-Sayed holding a narrow three-point lead over moderate Rep. The tight margin, a far cry from the double-digit advantage polls had predicted, has sparked finger-pointing within the party and raised questions about the strength of the progressive movement in a key battleground state. El-Sayed performed best in Michigan's wealthiest, most educated areas, while Stevens led in lower-income regions.

Elsewhere, progressive Sunrise Movement co-founder William Lawrence won Michigan's 7th District primary, though aided by a split moderate vote, and Democrat Donavan McKinney remained locked in a tight race with incumbent Rep. Shri Thanedar in the 13th District. In Missouri, progressive Cori Bush's comeback bid failed.

"Bottom line is if [El-Sayed] wins, the DSA brand beyond major urban areas is not popular, a national Democratic operative said. El-Sayed told supporters in Detroit, "I wish I could tell you that I was declaring victory right about now. Turns out it takes a long time to count some votes in Michigan.