by J. Pharoah Doss
Dr. Abdul El-Sayed won the Michigan Democratic Senate primary over U.S. Representative Haley Stevens. This contest was a major battle between establishment Democrats represented by Stevens and Democratic Socialists represented by El-Sayed.
El-Sayed is not a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), but he attended their events and says he supports many of their policy objectives.
In June, DSA-backed candidates shocked the Democratic establishment by dominating the New York Democratic primary for state legislative seats and unseating a 15-term US representative in Colorado. Officials with the DSA stated that their next aim was to deploy organizers, volunteers, and resources to Michigan to help El-Sayed defeat Stevens.
After the DSA’s victories, left-wing media host Emma Vigeland told The Washington Free Beacon, “We’re seeing the culmination of 10 years of democratic socialism becoming more mainstream.”
Was Vigeland’s statement accurate, or was she spreading a falsehood for the media to report as if it were a fact? A recent Economist/YouGov poll found that 29 percent of Americans would vote for a democratic socialist, 45 percent would not, and 26 percent were undecided. The study also found that 32 percent of Americans like socialism, 39 percent oppose it, and 29 percent are undecided.
These figures do not support Vigeland’s claim. That explains why El-Sayed doesn’t identify as a DSA member.
A week before the election, El-Sayed appeared on Roland Martin’s show. Martin remarked that the current poll placed him 15 points ahead of Stevens, but he was curious about El-Sayed’s specific message to African Americans to get their vote.
El-Sayed said, “I’ve been showing up for the community. Since I started in public service, I have rebuilt Detroit’s health department after it was shut down during the city’s bankruptcy and state takeover. I have taken on some of the biggest corporate polluters in our state and ensured that every school, day care, and Head Start program was tested for lead in the water following the Flint water crisis. I’ve shown up as Wayne County Health Director to do things like put air quality monitors all over Wayne County, provide free health insurance for new small businesses, and eliminate upward of 700 million dollars in medical debt over the next several years. I understand what it means to show up and work alongside and behind the key leaders in the community.”
Stevens, on the other hand, expressed her commitment to meeting people where they are. She stated she will protect and expand voting rights. She supported strong oversight of law enforcement, and she highlighted her MI Hope Agenda, which was a policy platform tailored to Black Michiganders. It focused on 1) equitable federal investment. 2) economic empowerment and access. 3) Safer communities. 4) Health and family stability. 5) Education, innovation, and STEM workforce. 6) Water and infrastructure justice. 7) Lower housing costs.
Stevens had a platform specifically for African Americans, while El-Sayed wanted extra credit for showing up. It turned out that El-Sayed’s 15-point lead over Stevens was a massive overestimate. El-Sayed beat Stevens 48.5 to 47.5. Following El-Sayed’s single-point victory, Harry Enten, CNN’s Chief Data Analyst, broke down who voted for El-Sayed and who did not.
It’s worth noting that El-Sayed’s campaign insisted he was the candidate for working families and the working class.
Enten pointed out that Democrats have been losing working-class and non-college-educated voters; despite El-Sayed’s populist campaign, he was unable to connect with these voters.
El-Sayed won 0 of the 15 counties with the fewest college graduates, but he did win 13 of the top 15 with the most. That means he did poorly in the areas with the most working-class and African American voters. Enten pointed out that the majority of El-Sayed votes came from college towns and affluent neighborhoods.
Amazingly, senior Democrats around the country praised El-Sayed, describing him as a champion for working families and the working class.
The numbers don’t support this claim, but to win the general election, senior Democrats must promote this falsehood so the media will report it as fact.