Fiery Michigan Senate primary reaches final stretch: Takeaways from El-Sayed, Stevens debate - The Hill

What the report says

The Hill reported that Rep. Haley Stevens and former Wayne County health director Abdul El-Sayed met in a second one-on-one debate in Detroit as Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary entered its final week. The Aug. 4 contest will choose the party’s nominee for the seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Gary Peters. The debate, hosted by FOX 2, came the same day President Trump rallied near Detroit with former Rep. Mike Rogers, the likely Republican nominee.

The sharpest exchanges focused on Israel, the war in Gaza and outside spending. El-Sayed attacked Stevens over support from United Democracy Project, the AIPAC-linked super PAC that federal filings show has spent nearly $25 million in the race, while AdImpact put the figure at $30 million. He tied that spending to Stevens’s vote against a House amendment that would have cut $3.3 billion in aid to Israel. Stevens defended her position in favor of long-term peace and said no outside group controls her vote.

The candidates also traded claims about corporate influence and electability. El-Sayed accused Stevens of being too close to companies such as DTE Energy and Blue Cross Blue Shield, while Stevens said utility money was not funding her Senate campaign and argued she has a record of winning difficult races. The Hill also noted Stevens criticized spending by El-Sayed’s father-in-law in support of his campaign.

El-Sayed rejected Republican efforts to label him a socialist, saying he supports capitalism but opposes monopoly power. Stevens, pressed about the hostile tone of the race, criticized past El-Sayed remarks about Democratic figures and pushed back on online mockery of her voice and accent. The debate underscored divisions Democrats must navigate in a battleground state likely to be central to control of the Senate.