At a fundraiser for Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said his victory could “break open the entire political calculus” in the country. Former congressman Mike Rogers is the Republican candidate in the race.
According to audio of the event obtained by ABC News, Ocasio-Cortez said an El-Sayed victory would show that a progressive candidate could succeed beyond traditionally liberal areas. The fundraiser took place on Monday night.
El-Sayed is a Muslim doctor and the Democratic Senate candidate. If elected, he would become the first Muslim senator. Donald Trump won Michigan with 50% of the vote in the 2024 presidential election.
Ocasio-Cortez urged supporters to pursue victories beyond one race. She said the movement would organise voters in underrepresented communities across the South and work to elect congressional candidate Justin Pearson in Tennessee and Senate candidate Angie Nixon in Florida.
She said the effort aimed to expand the electoral map and secure health care for every American. The Michigan race could help determine control of the Senate. Ocasio-Cortez, who has travelled around the country and New York State in recent months, is also considering her political future and possible bids for higher office in 2028.