Time Magazine is reporting that Abdul El-Sayed, a former public-health director and podcaster, is unexpectedly leading in most polls for Michigan's Democratic Senate primary. Many observers had anticipated El-Sayed would be a minor candidate, given his previous unsuccessful gubernatorial primary bid in 2018 on a similar progressive platform. The magazine said El-Sayed's current campaign is founded on the belief that voters are seeking what party leaders consider unelectable in 2026. El-Sayed told Time that "the establishment doesn’t quite understand how unpopular it is." The primary election is scheduled for Aug. 4.
