Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., repeatedly called Abdul El-Sayed the “celebrity” candidate in the Michigan Senate race during Monday’s Senate Democratic debate, arguing that El-Sayed’s podcast, books and political activism pale in comparison to her time in Congress.
The race between Stevens and El-Sayed has become a microcosm of the battle over the Democratic Party’s future. On Aug. 4, Democratic voters will decide whether to back Stevens, who has the support of the Democratic establishment, or El-Sayed, a socialist-supported challenger who has called for abolishing ICE and is strongly critical of the United States’ support for Israel.
In her opening remarks, Stevens rattled off her qualifications as the Democratic Party’s best chance of winning the Senate race, pointing to flipping her seat in 2018, being named Michigan’s most effective Democratic lawmaker by the Center for Effective Lawmaking in 2025 and being endorsed by Democratic Michigan Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
“My only focus is you,” Stevens said. “Abdul is running for celebrity. Republicans are propping up his campaign, and Mike Rogers, just the other day said in a secret phone call that he made it easier for him to win, that he’s the one he wants to run against.”
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Stevens was referring to a phone conversation Republican candidate Mike Rogers had with supporters last month in which he said his campaign would be in “good shape” if El-Sayed were the nominee.
“Look, this isn’t about the D.C. or New York influencer crowd,” Stevens said. “This is about putting Michigan first.”
Later in the debate, Stevens said she is standing up to Trump’s “abuses of powers,” while taking a dig at Abdul by saying she’s doing so without “shouting into a bullhorn, not getting in front of the first camera I see, but doing the hard work.”
“Look, my opponent here, Abdul, he is such a talented guy,” Stevens said, referring to his three books and his podcast America Dissected. “He’s had all this attention, but the deal is, we don’t need a celebrity candidate. We don’t need a celebrity.”
Stevens then pointed to her six years in the House of Representatives, saying she has been committed to “hard, unglamorous work.”
“That’s going to stand up to this junk that is wreaking havoc and causing chaos right before our very eyes,” Stevens said.
Stevens suggested that Abdul’s Senate campaign is just another “rung on the ladder” for him, pointing to his failed 2018 gubernatorial bid.
“It didn’t work out, so he started the podcast, he wrote the books, and now he’s running for Senate, and he’s already bought the website for president,” Stevens said.
In response, El-Sayed accused Stevens of “cowardice” over her past votes to increase ICE funding, saying the agency should be completely abolished.
“So yeah, I’m going to take the bullhorn and I’m going to say that I think we need to abolish ICE because I am not afraid of what they’re going to say about me,” he said.
He also suggested that Stevens’ focus on his public health podcast was a distraction from the issues that matter most to voters, such as affordability.
“Congresswoman, if you enjoy podcasts about public health, I welcome you to take a listen. You seem very concerned about that,” El-Sayed said. “I’m more concerned about the fact that people can’t pay for their gas, they can’t pay for their groceries.”
The open Senate race in Michigan has garnered national attention, with outside groups spending more than $52 million on the race through mid-July, most of it in support of Stevens, according to an OpenSecrets analysis of FEC reports.
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El-Sayed, who is backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vt., has painted Stevens as the candidate of large super PACs such as AIPAC, while saying he has not received a single dollar from corporate interests or super PACs. Before running for Congress, El-Sayed served as Wayne County director of Health and Human Services.
Meanwhile, the Republican Party has deemed Michigan to be one of best pickup opportunities in its effort to maintain control of the Senate.
Fox News Digital reached out to El-Sayed and Stevens’ campaigns for comment.