Rep. Haley Stevens and former Wayne County health director Abdul El-Sayed clashed over Israel aid and spending in Michigan’s first one-on-one Democratic Senate debate on Tuesday night, marking a sharp divide between the moderate and progressive wings of the party as the August 4 primary approaches.
The debate, hosted by WOOD-TV8 in Grand Rapids, came after state Sen. Mallory McMorrow suspended her campaign over the weekend, leaving Stevens and El-Sayed as the two leading Democratic candidates vying for retiring Sen. Gary Peters’s seat. The contest has emerged as one of the most watched Democratic primaries nationally, with control of the Senate potentially hinging on Michigan.
El-Sayed, an epidemiologist and physician, launched sharp attacks on Stevens over her support for Israel. He called Israel a “rogue state” and asserted that the United States should “stop funding the Israeli military unilateral blank checks,” according to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. He tied U.S. foreign policy directly to AIPAC’s influence, saying “our foreign policy has been handed to us by the likes of the state of Israel and AIPAC, who has made sure that both Democrats and Republicans are doing their bidding.”
Stevens, a four-term House representative, responded by defending her record and attacking El-Sayed’s positions. She emphasized her support for a two-state solution and rejected suggestions that she was beholden to outside interests. “No one owns my vote and no one owns my policies,” Stevens said, according to The Hill. “Anyone who’s contributing to my Senate campaign is doing so because of my proven record of fighting for Michigan.”
The Israel question has dominated the Michigan primary, reflecting deep divisions within the Democratic Party. El-Sayed accused Stevens of receiving more than $10 million in support from AIPAC’s super PAC, the United Democracy Project. “If Congresswoman Stevens makes it, or Mike Rogers wins, either way, Israel will win,” El-Sayed said during the debate, according to The Hill. “AIPAC is perfectly fine with either of my two opponents because they know that they will have a comfortable, reliable vote in the U.S. Senate.”
Stevens, notably, took aim at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu despite receiving substantial AIPAC backing. She called Netanyahu “a danger to Jews in America and around the world” and said he “has not made us safer, has not brought us closer to peace,” according to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. She also stated she supported “aid into Gaza,” positioning herself as critical of Israel’s current leadership while maintaining support for the country’s existence.
El-Sayed’s campaign has gained momentum in recent weeks, with polls showing him leading Stevens as the primary approaches. He is backed by high-profile progressives including Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Stevens, by contrast, has secured endorsements from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, former Sen. Debbie Stabenow, and former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, according to The Hill.
Beyond Israel, the candidates sparred over campaign finance and El-Sayed’s professional record. Stevens pressed El-Sayed to release his financial disclosures, noting that he had filed for an extension. She also challenged his claim that he had erased $700 million in medical debt while serving as Wayne County health director, citing reporting that the actual figure was significantly lower—around $60 million, according to Bridge Michigan.
The winner of the August 4 primary will face former Rep. Mike Rogers, the presumptive Republican nominee, in a general election that Cook Political Report rates as a toss-up. The race underscores how Israel policy has become a central dividing line in Democratic primaries this cycle, particularly in states with large Arab and Jewish populations.
Sources
- Jewish Telegraphic Agency — El-Sayed’s statements calling Israel a “rogue state,” Stevens’s criticism of Netanyahu, and the $10 million AIPAC support figure
- The Hill — Debate details, candidate backgrounds, endorsements, Stevens’s “no one owns my vote” statement, El-Sayed’s claims about AIPAC and Rogers, and the primary date
- Bridge Michigan — Medical debt claim verification and El-Sayed’s campaign overstating the figure
