Former Michigan health official Abdul El-Sayed is now projected to win the state's Democratic Senate primary, defeating Rep. Haley Stevens in a hard-fought contest in the Great Lakes State.

El-Sayed, 41, whose campaign declared victory early Wednesday morning, acknowledged the intensity of the primary and stressed the need for party unity. "There's a lot of healing to do after a hard-fought primary like this," he said on "CBS Mornings."

He added, "We've got to bring the party together, and I know both she and I are committed to doing that." El-Sayed noted that he and Stevens had not yet spoken but expressed optimism about uniting the Democratic base.

Looking ahead to the November general election, El-Sayed said, "We've only got 13 weeks to beat a guy who has no business being in the U.S. Senate, and so I'm looking forward to that conversation."

The general election will pit El-Sayed against Mike Rogers, who ran unopposed in the Republican primary after narrowly losing to Sen. Elissa Slotkin in the 2024 race for Michigan's other Senate seat.

El-Sayed also emphasized inclusivity within the Democratic movement, stating, "We welcome anybody and everybody who understands that we need a government of the people, by the people, and for the people."

He expressed gratitude for the campaign, saying, "I'm grateful for the hard-fought race that we had, and the things that united us, and the things that unify us are so much bigger than any of the things that divided us."

Sources