El-Sayed, 41, offered something different. He pushed for taxing billionaires at 7% of their wealth, passing Medicare for All, and enforcing antitrust laws to stop corporations from colluding to raise prices. At one moment, he called out the state’s largest health insurer, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, which happened to be a debate -sponsor. “Let’s play a game. If you’re on this stage and you’ve never taken a check from Blue Cross Blue Shield, raise your hand,” El-Sayed urged. He alone put his hand in the air, to laughs and cheers.
When he jumped into the Senate contest in April 2025, many in Michigan expected El-Sayed to be a footnote in the race. In 2018, he ran for governor on a similarly progressive platform and was trounced in the Democratic primary by 22 points. Instead, El-Sayed is leading narrowly in most polls ahead of the Aug. 4 primary. His surprising strength helped push McMorrow from the race. By tapping into anti-establishment frustrations that have only deepened since Donald Trump’s return to office, he has won the endorsement of the United Auto Workers, Senator Bernie Sanders, and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
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