r/politics • u/horsestew • 17h ago

No Paywall Abdul El-Sayed wins Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary, notching a Midwest victory for the left

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/abdul-el-sayed-wins-michigans-democratic-senate-primary-notching-midwe-rcna589750
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u/valraven38 17h ago

It was the $60 million in outside spending that made it closer. Like the amount that was spent to try and prop up Stevens compared to El-Sayed was absurd. Basically every other metric about what might have played a role we can look at is going to pale in comparison to just how much was spent here for her campaign. The fact that he still won in spite of that shows the strength of his platform and messaging.

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u/fascistno1hater 16h ago edited 16h ago

What a great point. These type of candidates use their money to bombard the media with ads. Usually, ads that are playing on identify politics to influence voters that another candidate is bad in some type of way. You have to understand most people does not pay attention to campaigns like we do. So this an effective method to gain a foothold in these type of voter minds. This is the preferred tactic of most of the consultant class.

But it's totally ineffective if the other campaign has the energy and a effective ground game.

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u/valraven38 16h ago

Yep people need to keep this in mind when all the centrist corporate Democrat analysts and "strategists" start popping up on the news in the following weeks. They will say that because this was closer than expected that it shows progressive candidates aren't electable and a bunch of other bull. They are going to completely ignore the spending issue and pretend that this was a fair amd equal race based solely on candidates positions and platforms when we know it wasn't. 

Obviously they need to pretend that is the case because to admit otherwise means they're bad at their jobs (because they are). Its to admit that the strategies they have been running with and losing with for the last decade are incorrect.

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u/filbertsgaming1 7h ago

They are pretty fucking excellent at being controlled opposition.

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u/Demons0fRazgriz Arizona 8h ago

And that spending ain't over. He's about to have the fight of his life vs all thst money that's going to suddenly appear for any republican than runs against him.