Michigan Democrats Poised to Nominate Another Socialist for Senate

Clear Facts

• Abdul El-Sayed, backed by Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, is running for U.S. Senate in Michigan’s Democratic primary
• Despite earning income that places him in the top 1%, El-Sayed campaigns against high earners and advocates for government-controlled healthcare
• El-Sayed champions the anti-business regulatory philosophy of former Biden FTC Chair Lina Khan, threatening Michigan jobs and American innovation

The socialist takeover of the Democratic Party is reaching Michigan. Abdul El-Sayed, a candidate backed by self-described socialists Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, could win the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate next month in one of America’s most critical battleground states.

While El-Sayed may attempt to distance himself from the socialist label, his policy platform tells a different story. He recently campaigned alongside Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez in Michigan and has explicitly linked his candidacy to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, another self-described democratic socialist. His campaign even ran advertisements declaring: “Zohran won. Abdul is next.”

Like Bernie Sanders before him, El-Sayed embodies the hypocrisy inherent in modern socialism. He demonizes high earners while his 2025 income placed him squarely in the top 1% of Americans. He advocates for “Medicare for All” and attacks employer health plans, yet his wife reportedly operates a medical practice that appears not to accept Medicare or any insurance at all.

But the real danger lies in the radical economic agenda El-Sayed wants to bring to Washington. A centerpiece of his campaign is his attack on “corporate oligopoly” and his demand for what he calls a “muscular” Federal Trade Commission. This language comes straight from the playbook of Lina Khan, who chaired the FTC under President Biden and turned the once-bipartisan agency into a weapon against American business.

Under Khan’s leadership, sweeping federal investigations and punitive lawsuits became routine, creating uncertainty for entrepreneurs and job creators nationwide. Her tenure was marked by hostility toward enterprise, job losses, and internal mismanagement. By echoing Khan’s rhetoric, El-Sayed signals his intention to treat business success as inherently suspicious and to weaponize federal power against companies that compete and win in the marketplace.

This philosophy is already manifesting in concrete legislative proposals. The American Innovation and Choice Online Act, which failed in previous Congresses, has been revived this summer. The bill establishes financial thresholds above which technology companies face punitive, European-style regulations. Under this framework, federal regulators would gain sweeping authority to target and penalize American companies simply for being successful innovators.

If elected, El-Sayed won’t just support this regulatory overreach — he will champion its expansion. Michigan’s job creators and critical industries would find themselves directly in the crosshairs of his anti-growth agenda.

Some conservatives may be tempted to welcome the rise of open socialists in Democratic primaries, viewing it as an easy path to victory in general elections. This is shortsighted. In challenging midterm environments, anything can happen. Victory requires more than labeling opponents as extremists.

As Ronald Reagan understood, we must put forward bold colors, not pale pastels. We must articulate clearly how and why free markets create opportunities, especially for younger Americans who are anxious about their economic future. History demonstrates that innovation creates jobs and opportunities. But that cannot happen if we surrender economic leadership to China out of fear, or if we allow people like Mamdani, Khan, and El-Sayed to replace optimism with fear.

The path forward requires a clear, affirmative vision for economic growth: cutting burdensome regulations that stifle investment and hurt startups, defending free-market competition, and ensuring American enterprise remains the envy of the world. The alternative — socialism disguised as progressivism — offers only stagnation, government control, and the punishment of success.

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