Abdul El-Sayed’s campaign says it has raised a record amount of money and secured high-profile liberal endorsements from figures including Jane Fonda and Bruce Springsteen as the Michigan Senate race enters its final stretch.
The left-wing former public health official has become a central figure in the midterm elections after his primary rival, Haley Stevens, switched her support Sunday to Republican candidate Mike Rogers.
Stevens has since issued a series of statements attacking El-Sayed and deepened divisions within the Democratic Party. In response, some of the party’s most prominent donors and supporters have rallied behind the nominee.
The Abdul for Senate campaign reported raising $2.4 million on Sunday, when Stevens attended a church event with Rogers and endorsed him. It was the campaign’s strongest fundraising day by a wide margin.
More than 65,000 donors contributed to El-Sayed’s campaign, giving an average of roughly $36 each. The total marked his best fundraising day since winning the Democratic primary in August.
“This record-breaking grassroots fundraising haul is a testament to the excitement that Abdul’s movement has inspired in the hearts of Michiganders—and a rejection of the status quo politics that’s left Michigan behind for far too long,” campaign spokesperson Cole Wozniak said.
El-Sayed also received a major celebrity endorsement following Stevens’ defection, with rock star Springsteen publicly declaring his support.
“Dr. El-Sayed is a fighter for our American Constitution, he’s a fighter for our American Democracy, and he’s a fighter against the corrupt, lawless, and anti-American leadership currently in the White House. That’s why I’m in his corner 100 percent,” Springsteen wrote on social media.
Abdul El-Sayed’s (pictured) campaign says it has set a fundraising record and won prominent liberal endorsements from figures including Jane Fonda and Bruce Springsteen as the race nears its conclusion
The left-wing former public health official has become a central figure in the midterm elections after primary rival Haley Stevens (pictured) switched her support Sunday to Republican candidate Mike Rogers
Springsteen, one of the Democratic Party’s most visible advocates, has a long history of endorsing candidates across the party.
Fonda also announced her support through her environmental political action committee, the Jane Fonda Climate PAC, while taking a swipe at Stevens.
“Unlike some people today, we are focused on taking back the Senate. Jane is proud to stand with @abdulelsayed! Let’s get money out of politics, put money back in your pocket, and pass Medicare for All,” she wrote.
Hillary Clinton, once the Democratic Party’s standard-bearer, also voiced support for El-Sayed during several interviews on Monday.
Speaking to CNN, Clinton said she was puzzled by Stevens’ decision and suggested it could ultimately benefit El-Sayed.
“I have no idea what her thinking was. If it has any impact, I think it will end up helping Abdul,” she said.
Clinton drew on her own experience of bitter primary contests against Barack Obama in 2008 and Bernie Sanders in 2016.
“Everybody who runs for office, who doesn’t make it is going to feel disappointed, maybe hurt, even a little angry. But you got to put that behind you and get together in order to beat what is a huge danger to our future. And that’s what should have happened here.”
El-Sayed received a high-profile boost after Stevens’ defection when rock star Bruce Springsteen (pictured) publicly endorsed him
Jane Fonda (pictured) announced her endorsement through the Jane Fonda Climate PAC, while also criticizing Stevens
Our News Outlet has contacted the El-Sayed campaign for comment on the latest endorsements.
Stevens’ dramatic reversal has triggered anger throughout the Democratic Party. Senior lawmakers have condemned her decision, members of her staff have resigned and President Donald Trump has celebrated the move.
Fellow Michigan Democrat Debbie Dingell said Stevens had assured her Saturday night that she would not endorse Rogers.
The next morning, however, Stevens appeared with the Republican candidate at Detroit’s Perfecting Church and abandoned plans to campaign alongside El-Sayed.
Asked by Anderson Cooper late Sunday what had changed overnight, Stevens said: “I woke up this morning clear-eyed, fresh and focused on what was in my heart and that’s that.”
As the CNN interview grew more confrontational, Stevens accused the host of being upset with her.
“You’re not really answering any of my questions, so it’s somewhat frustrating,” Cooper replied.
In a lengthy post on X on Monday night, Stevens defended her decision, accused fellow Democrats of intolerance, criticized El-Sayed and strongly denied that her fiancé had influenced her choice.
Hillary Clinton, who was the party’s standard-bearer a decade ago, also backed El-Sayed during several interviews on Monday
The statement, titled “The Decisions We Make,” followed a damaging CNN interview Sunday night in which Cooper repeatedly pressed Stevens to explain her sudden change of position.
Republicans welcomed the spectacle. President Donald Trump called Stevens a “Highly Respected Democrat” and said he hoped she might eventually join the Republican Party.
Democrats, however, reacted sharply.
Michigan Democratic Party chairman Curtis Hertel accused Stevens of abandoning her principles. Dingell described the CNN exchange as “one of the most painful interviews I have watched.”
Stevens’ longtime chief of staff also resigned, saying: “We are shocked and heartbroken.”
Despite the backlash, Stevens concluded Monday’s statement by saying she wanted to help rebuild the same party whose Senate nominee she had just abandoned.
“There is healing to be done in Michigan, in our party, and in our country,” she wrote.
“We can build a stronger, more welcoming, more courageous Democratic Party. And I plan to help lead that effort.”
Republican candidate Mike Rogers (pictured), 63, has sought to link El-Sayed to the Muslim Brotherhood
El-Sayed, 42, the Democratic nominee who could become America’s first Muslim senator, has emerged as a frequent target for Republicans.
President Trump has attacked him repeatedly, at one point calling him a “jihadist,” while Rogers, 63, has attempted to connect him to the Muslim Brotherhood.
El-Sayed, a former public health official, has disavowed the organization and denied any ties to it. He has also faced criticism over his links to controversial Twitch streamer Hasan Piker.
The contest had been classified as a toss-up by the influential Cook Report, which said no state was causing Democrats more “heartburn” than Michigan.
Late Monday, however, the site changed its rating to “Lean D” as part of a forecast predicting that Democrats would gain between three and six Senate seats.
