Chicago – August 09, 2026
Abdul El-Sayed, Michigan’s Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate, said Sunday that he spoke with former President Barack Obama as Democrats work to rebuild unity after a divisive primary campaign.
El-Sayed described Friday’s conversation as “warm and inspiring,” saying he valued Obama’s advice and hoped the former president would campaign with him before November’s midterm election. An Obama spokesperson confirmed the call. El-Sayed also noted Obama’s record of winning Michigan in the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections.
The discussion followed El-Sayed’s narrow victory over moderate Representative Haley Stevens in a primary that exposed sharp divisions within the party over foreign policy, campaign spending and the direction of the Democratic movement. Stevens and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who had supported her, have pledged to help defeat Republican nominee Mike Rogers.
At a Detroit rally, Michigan Democrats sought to project a united front. El-Sayed acknowledged that the primary highlighted real disagreements but said the party’s shared goals outweighed its internal differences.
The November contest could help determine control of the Senate, making party unity especially important in the closely watched battleground state.
