Bernie Sanders claims some Democrats may want their own Senate nominee to lose

**WASHINGTON — Vermont Senator [name omitted] has opened a fresh rift within Michigan’s Democratic Party, suggesting that a handful of party donors and elected officials are less than fully committed to the state’s would‑be Senate nominee, Abdul El‑Said. In an interview with Politico Playbook, the senator said those donors view progressive candidates such as El‑Said as a challenge not only to wealthy political interests but also to the party’s stance on foreign policy, particularly its support for the Netanyahu government in Israel.

The comments come as Michigan Democrats are gearing up for a tight Senate primary. Earlier this week, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer threw her weight behind a more centrist contender, Representative Haley Stevens, signaling a split in the party’s establishment wing. Whitmer’s endorsement was framed as a push for a candidate who can appeal to a broader electorate and help the party gain the Senate majority.

A former Biden White House official and Democratic strategist, Yemisi Egbewole, pushed back against the notion that El‑Said’s opponents are within the party’s donor class. In remarks to Fox News Digital, Egbewole stressed that the Democratic Party’s priority is to secure a majority in the Senate and that El‑Said, as the primary winner, must now unite the party’s base. She noted that El‑Said has already apologized for comments made after a March terrorist attack on a Michigan synagogue and has not campaigned alongside the progressive streamer Hasan Piker.

The Republican National Committee’s communications director, Natalie Baldassarre, rejected the defense offered by the Vermont senator. In a statement, Baldassarre called El‑Said’s record and associations problematic, arguing that the nominee’s past statements and ties to controversial figures make him unsuitable for the Senate. The RNC’s critique focused on El‑Said’s handling of the synagogue attack and his connections to progressive media personalities.

Stevens, who narrowly lost the primary, said she condemns the remarks made by Piker but remains committed to supporting El‑Said’s candidacy. She emphasized that the party must coalesce around the nominee to face the Republican challenger, Mike Rogers, in the general election.

El‑Said has tried to shift the conversation away from the controversy surrounding Piker, insisting that the race should be about Michigan’s economic concerns. At the state party convention, reporters pressed him about his past association with Piker, but El‑Said maintained that the focus should remain on affordability, health care access, and the impact of federal policies on Michigan residents. He also apologized for his phrasing following the synagogue attack, saying his intent was not to diminish the victims’ suffering.

Public opinion surveys show a competitive landscape. An August poll conducted by Fox News found Rogers leading El‑Said 51 percent to 47 percent, a difference that falls within the survey’s margin of error. The same poll indicated that 91 percent of Democrats support El‑Said, while 96 percent of Republicans back Rogers.

Sanders, who endorsed El‑Said during the primary, urged the nominee to keep the campaign centered on economic issues rather than the ongoing controversy. He warned that allowing the debate to revolve around cultural flashpoints would distract voters from what he called the core concerns of working families in Michigan.

The widening divide between progressive and centrist Democrats in Michigan is set to intensify as both parties prepare for the general election later this year.