The Democratic primary in Michigan's open Senate seat is heating up, with three candidates vying for the top spot. Mallory McMorrow, Abdul El-Sayed, and Haley Stevens represent different factions of the Democratic Party, and their campaigns are shaping up to be a test of the party's voters' approach to the general election.
McMorrow, a state senator, has been endorsed by Elizabeth Warren and has a reputation for being a policy technocrat. El-Sayed, a former head of Wayne County's health department, has been backed by Bernie Sanders and has a more radical platform, including universal healthcare and an end to military aid to Israel. Stevens, a congresswoman from the north Detroit suburbs, has been endorsed by Chuck Schumer and has a long list of endorsers, but her campaign has been quiet and she was booed at the state party convention last month.
The winner of the primary will be a crucial test of the party's voters' views on issues like Israel and the war in Iran. AIPAC, the pro-Israel lobby group, has been a major player in the primary, and its influence is unpredictable. The group has a lot of money, but its strategy has been criticized by some as "stupid."
The primary is also a test of whether the party's voters have changed their views on radical candidates. El-Sayed's events have been drawing big crowds, and some voters are expressing frustration with the party's establishment. However, the party's stalwarts fear that primary voters may risk the Senate on a far-left, unelectable candidate.
