Andrew Stiles of the Washington Free Beacon dissects a problem for Michigan’s Democratic US Senate candidate.
The Michigan Senate primary exposed an inconvenient rift in the Democratic coalition. Abdul El-Sayed, the Israel-obsessed anti-capitalist candidate, narrowly defeated the establishment choice, Haley Stevens, by racking up huge margins among college-educated white voters. Most black and working-class voters preferred Stevens—notwithstanding El-Sayed’s shady financial arrangement with a prominent black pastor who endorsed him days before the election.
As much as Democrats would like to patch things up after a bitterly contested race, there’s reason to believe the unpleasantness could fester regardless of how the midterms play out. Republican nominee Mike Rogers is already working to win over disaffected black, working-class, and Jewish voters heading into the general election.
Meanwhile, El-Sayed’s efforts to rebuild the coalition may prove complicated given the company he keeps. One of the first videos Republicans put out after the election was a compilation of El-Sayed surrogate Hasan Piker disparaging black people on his Twitch livestream.
“Any other black folk want to engage in radical activist language in this fucking chat? Suck my fucking cock,” Piker said in 2025. He was responding to a commenter who criticized his assessment of black voting behavior and pointed out that he was far more interested in the Gaza conflict while ignoring the ongoing slaughter of black civilians in Sudan.
Last month, Piker lashed out at Rep. Jim Clyburn (D., S.C.), one of the party’s most prominent and respected black leaders. He’s not someone whom an ambitious Democrat or activist would typically choose to antagonize. Piker wasn’t pleased when the DNC chose South Carolina to host the first primary of the 2028 election. Why not? Because the state’s predominately black electorate has historically favored moderate candidates over left-wing firebrands.
“I also think an 88 year old man (he will be that age by 2028) should almost single handedly decide the early front runner in the dem primaries,” Piker sneered sarcastically.
