Michigan Democratic primary tests party split over Israel

Democrats in Michigan vote on August 4 in a Senate primary that has become a test of the party's divide over Israel, electability and the direction of national Democratic politics.

The main contest pits Abdul El-Sayed, a former Wayne County health director backed by Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, against Haley Stevens, a four-term congresswoman from the Detroit suburbs supported by Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

The winner will face former Republican congressman Mike Rogers in November for the seat being vacated by retiring Democratic Senator Gary Peters. Democrats must defend Michigan and gain four Republican-held seats to control the Senate.

El-Sayed has campaigned as a left-wing challenger to party leaders, corporations and pro-Israel donors. Stevens has focused on experience, manufacturing and what she describes as electability.

The sharpest split has been over US support for Israel. Stevens has defended continued military backing for Israel and rejected accusations that Israel committed genocide in Gaza. El-Sayed has called for an end to unconditional US aid, criticised the influence of AIPAC and said Israel should not exist specifically as a Jewish state.

AIPAC spending and outside advertising totaling $90 million have made the race another test of the pro-Israel lobby's role in Democratic primaries, in a state with a large Arab American population and strong anger over the Gaza war.

The candidates have also traded personal attacks. El-Sayed called Stevens "the least capable candidate in America," while Stevens accused him of blaming his problems on Jewish Americans. Congresswoman Debbie Dingell, who has stayed neutral, warned that the campaign's "brutality" and "ugliness" could make it harder for Democrats to unite afterward.

A related Democratic House primary in Detroit's 13th district also reflects the party's anti-establishment pressure. Representative Shri Thanedar faces state lawmaker Donavan McKinney, who is backed by Sanders, Justice Democrats and several members of the Congressional Black Caucus.