Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has tepidly endorsed Michigan Senate candidate Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, who narrowly won Tuesday’s Democrat primary and has expressed his support for new leadership.
The left-wing Muslim firebrand somehow managed to survive an onslaught of outside money in the expensive race against Rep. Haley Stevens, eking out a razor-thin one-point victory in the latest blow to the Democrat establishment.
During the campaign, El-Sayed took a number of shots at the embattled Democrat Senate leader, who quietly backed his opponent, and according to The New York Times, he was working behind the scenes to rally donors behind her.
“I think she has the best chance to win,” the New York City Democrat told Punchbowl News in June.
Well, she didn’t win, and now Chuck is having to choke down a nice-sized helping of crow.
JUST IN: Chuck Schumer endorses Abdul El-Sayed for Michigan Senate, calls Mike Rogers a “rubber stamp for Donald Trump pic.twitter.com/abPrV928pw
— InteractivePolls (@IAPolls2022) August 5, 2026
In a joint statement, Schumer and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) Chair Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) said that they are looking “forward to working with Abdul and Democrats across Michigan to win this seat in November.”
Democrats’ hopes of regaining control of the Senate could hinge on winning in Michigan, where the establishment now must fall in behind a man whose policy prescriptions are anathema to the party establishment, including Medicare for all, abolishing ICE and cutting off funding for Israel. El-Sayed has also hit the campaign trail with controversial streamer Hasan Piker, an increasingly influential voice with the party base.
And, he supports MS-13 fanboy Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), who he said would be an “amazing majority leader” as Schumer’s replacement.
“Look, at the end of the day, the current minority leader has given all of us ample reason to question whether or not he would be our best bet heading into a cycle where we might have the majority, and I think there’s absolutely room for change,” El-Sayed told the New York Post last weekend before his primary victory.
“Chris Van Hollen would be perfect,” he added.
“Democrats are united by a common purpose: putting a check on Donald Trump by defeating his Republican enablers and taking back the Senate. We look forward to working with Abdul and Democrats across Michigan to win this seat in November,” Schumer and Gillibrand said in the DSCC statement, calling GOP candidate Mike Rogers a “rubber stamp” for President Donald J. Trump.
“Mike Rogers is a rubber stamp for Donald Trump, backing the same reckless agenda that has driven up costs for working families, imposed chaotic tariffs that have hurt Michigan’s auto industry, and put special interests ahead of the people of Michigan. Michigan voters already rejected Rogers after he walked through Washington’s revolving door to enrich himself. They’ll reject him again in November and send Abdul El-Sayed to the United States Senate,” the statement read.
Asked for a word to describe Schumer by The New York Times, El-Sayed said that the minority leader was “pragmatic.”
“Schumer just wants to win,” an unnamed Democrat operative told the New York Post. “This isn’t his ideal candidate, but it’s probably enough to win the race this cycle in his mind. And El-Sayed needs the support to win. So they’ll make it work.”
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