Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez made an endorsement Thursday for a crucial U.S. Senate race that could tip the balance of power in the chamber, her first major primary endorsement against a House colleague this year.
The New York Democrat backed progressive Abdul El-Sayed for Michigan’s open Senate seat. He is running against Rep. Haley Stevens, as well as state Sen. Mallory McMorrow.
The trio of candidates are set to face off in a hotly contested Aug. 4 primary. Polling suggests the identity of the Democratic challenger will be vital in the general election, a tight race crucial to determining which party gains a Senate majority, according to Decision Desk.
Ocasio-Cortez told The New York Times that she wanted to choose the candidate best suited for the current political climate, which has seen a spate of wins for the progressive movement in recent weeks.
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“Despite our ideological differences and whatever disagreements there are in the party, every single one of us sees this moment as existential,” Ocasio-Cortez said in an interview with the Times. “And I think many people are willing to put aside differences in order to give us the best chance at winning. And I think that Abdul gives us that right now.”
Ocasio-Cortez highlighted El-Sayed’s strength in digital communications, noting that the skillset has become a “core competency, just like any other.”
The three-way race to succeed retiring Sen. Gary Peters has intensified anxiety among establishment Democrats as El-Sayed continues to grow his base of support. Some backers of Stevens, including Lon Johnson, a former chair of the Michigan Democratic Party, have argued that El-Sayed will not win against the likely Republican nominee, former Rep. Mike Rogers.
But as El-Sayed has continued to lead opponents in polls, his campaign argues the former public health official is the “best candidate to both energize the base and bring in voters that Dems lost in 2024.”
El-Sayed wrote on X that he was “deeply honored” to receive Ocasio-Cortez’s endorsement, adding, “Onward to victory.”
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