DETROIT, Mich. — Abdul El-Sayed entered the final days before Michigan’s Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate with supporters pointing to favorable polling while condemning what they described as racially charged attacks from rival candidate U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens and expanding a statewide voter outreach effort.
Progressive advocacy organization Our Revolution announced that its grassroots volunteers completed approximately 270,000 voter contacts across Michigan in support of El-Sayed’s campaign ahead of Tuesday’s Democratic primary.
The voter-contact operation marks a final field push by the group to mobilize working-class voters in the face of what it described as racially charged campaign attacks from Stevens.
Born out of Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign, Our Revolution is the nation’s largest progressive grassroots organization. The group’s field initiative in Michigan represents part of a multi-year strategy designed to build political power for working-class voters.
El-Sayed has centered his campaign on a progressive platform for Michigan voters by directly challenging corporate interests in favor of comprehensive social, racial and economic reform.
According to a press release from Our Revolution, recent public polling shows El-Sayed holding a significant lead over Stevens in the Democratic primary contest.
The organization attributed that lead to El-Sayed’s commitment to sustained, community-driven organizing and direct voter engagement rather than relying on corporate political action committee, or PAC, contributions.
As Tuesday’s primary approaches, Our Revolution stated that volunteers are entering the final stretch of their intensive fieldwork, having already completed more than 270,000 phone calls, peer-to-peer text messages and emails to maximize voter turnout across key demographic hubs in Michigan.
In the press release, the grassroots organization emphasized that its efforts have yielded promising results, expressing confidence that the dynamics of the primary have become increasingly stark because of escalating opposition tactics launched by the Stevens campaign.
Joseph Geevarghese, executive director of Our Revolution, addressed Stevens’ rhetoric directly, stating that “when campaigns shift their focus from candidate platforms and working-class issues to delivering personal attacks, it usually signals that they know the ground is shifting beneath them.”
Geevarghese further criticized Stevens’ campaign tactics, describing them as abandoning substantive voter issues and contrasting that approach with grassroots organizing. He emphasized that Our Revolution remains focused on “talking to voters, organizing neighbors and turning out every supporter we can find.”
With a strong lead in the polls and Stevens’ combative comments, El-Sayed’s supporters argue the race reflects a broader shift toward progressive candidates fueled by grassroots organizing.
The press release framed grassroots mobilization in Michigan as not merely an isolated event but one chapter in a much larger national effort capable of confronting corporate power and influence.
Previous progressive electoral victories in states including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Colorado and California were cited in the release as evidence that long-term investment in local community leadership produces tangible results beyond individual election cycles.
Geevarghese pointed to Michigan as an opportunity to continue advancing systemic change across the country. He said political momentum is earned through “years of organizing, building local leadership, investing in communities and refusing to disappear between election cycles.”
Collaborating with working-class champions such as El-Sayed, who advocates for health care equity, economic justice and democratic reform, enables that national trajectory to continue.
The press release also referred to a broader progressive coalition appearing on ballots across Michigan this year, including Donovan McKinney, Will Lawrence and Francesca Hong. It stated that their shared platforms, centered on working-class representation and community advocacy, could advance that long-term vision.
Geevarghese concluded the statement by asserting that sustained field organizing “builds a pipeline of progressive leadership” that will energize Michigan through Election Day, solidifying the state as “the next chapter in a growing national story” of building lasting power for underserved communities.
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