Democrats running for Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat spent much of Tuesday night’s debate discussing their places within the political ecosystem, rather than specific policies.
The debate in a race that could help determine which party controls the U.S. Senate in November was hosted by WOOD-TV in Grand Rapids.
Congresswoman Haley Stevens (D-MI mt11) and former Wayne County Health Director Dr. Abdul El-Sayed are both seeking their party’s nomination in the August 4 primary election.
Stevens pitched herself as a “workhorse” who has the knowledge and track record to show she’d be effective should she win the seat. At least five times throughout the night, Stevens mentioned she has the “receipts” from her work in Congress to prove she would be a workhorse.
“I’ve got the receipts, I have passed big pieces of legislation, I passed my first bill to secure STEM grants for our K-12 schools in my first year in Congress. I am ready to hit the ground running for our schools, for our educators, and to stand up to the corruption and the abuse of power that we see coming down from Donald Trump,” Stevens said in response to a question about the direction of the Democratic party.
After the event, she told reporters helping pass the CHIPS and Science Act was among the items she was most proud of from her seven years in Congress so far.
For his part, El-Sayed frequently criticized Stevens and the money outside groups have spent supporting her campaign. The research group AdImpact says Stevens has had over $34 million spent on her behalf so far.
At least five times, El-Sayed referenced corporate money in some way.
“You’ve probably seen ad after ad after ad. Not one of those ads was brought you to by the Congresswoman’s campaign. All of them brought to you by corporate PACs and AIPAC trying to buy a politician who’s going to do their bidding instead of yours,” El-Sayed said from the stage.
Stevens rejected that any supporter could buy her and accused El-Sayed of seeking celebrity rather than being ready to get to work.
National conversations have often framed this race as an indicator for the future of the Democratic Party: an outsider pushing a progressive agenda versus and establishment-backed candidate with a moderate message.
Despite the national attention, both campaigns rejected that this was about anything more than the best choice for the people of Michigan. Stevens pointed to her “brand.”
“Standing up for small businesses, standing up for manufacturers,” Stevens told reporters. “This is about continuing the legacy of effectiveness and dedication to people when they need it.”
El-Sayed has resisted labels like “progressive” and denied being a Democratic socialist, instead framing his positions as people-focused.
“I think it’s a moment for getting politics that actually work for all of us. Getting money out, putting people in, and standing up against the corrupting system of our politics,” El-Sayed said after the debate.
Policy questions that came up during the debate also at time bled into cultural fights. For example, a couple questions focused on the U.S. role in Gaza and war with Iran.
Both candidates used their answers to criticize Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but from different angles.
Stevens argued Netanyahu was not interested in long-term goals, which should be the country’s main objective. El-Sayed accused Netanyahu of getting the U.S. involved in foreign conflicts and argued taxpayer dollars should no longer fund Israel’s campaigns in Gaza, Iran, and southern Lebanon.
On the topic of immigration enforcement, Stevens accused Immigration and Customs Enforcement of not keeping Americans safe and said the agency needs more accountability and reform. El-Sayed argued ICE should be abolished.
For AI and data centers, El-Sayed pushed a recent policy agenda he laid out that involves public ownership in AI companies. Stevens argued there need to be safeguards so Michiganders benefit, not suffer from it. But she didn’t want Michigan to miss out from any innovations.
Some points of agreement, however, came with topics like making childcare more affordable, increasing what billionaires pay in taxes, and shoring up social security.
Whichever candidate comes out of next month’s primary will face a challenger in former Republican Congressman Mike Rogers.
Non-commercial, fact based reporting is made possible by your financial support. Make your donation to WEMU today to keep your community NPR station thriving.
Like 89.1 WEMU on Facebook and follow us on X (Twitter)
Contact WEMU News at 734.487.3363 or email us at studio@wemu.org
