Ocasio-Cortez endorses Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan Senate race

(CNN) — New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez gave her coveted endorsement Thursday to Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive Senate candidate in Michigan who party leaders have worried might be too left-leaning to win in the swing state.

“After watching this campaign unfold for well over a year, it has become clear that Abdul El-Sayed is the strongest candidate to keep this seat in November,” Ocasio-Cortez said in a statement. “He is building a winning coalition by putting forward an agenda that speaks directly to working people.”

Ocasio-Cortez, who has raised speculation about a possible 2028 presidential run, has been selective with her endorsements this primary season, compared with Sen. Bernie Sanders, a leader of the party’s left-flank, who has embraced several progressive candidates. Ocasio-Cortez notably withheld support for her former chief of staff Saikat Chakrabarti, who lost his bid to represent California in the US House last month. Ocasio-Cortez also didn’t rally behind the two Zohran Mamdani-backed democratic socialists who won in New York last week.

The state’s primary election is scheduled for August 4. Ocasio-Cortez previously endorsed El-Sayed when he ran for governor in 2018.

El-Sayed said he is “deeply honored” by Ocasio-Cortez’s endorsement.

“Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez has changed the trajectory of American politics and inspired a generation to believe that government really can work for working people,” El-Sayed said in the statement. “She has spent her career taking on the powerful on behalf of everyday people, and she has shown all of us what courageous, smart, values-driven leadership looks like.”

The Michigan Democratic Senate primary is one of the most closely watched races this cycle as the party looks to win back a majority in Congress and keep the seat in a state won by President Donald Trump in 2024. Along with El-Sayed, the contest includes centrist Rep. Haley Stevens, who has the backing of several establishment Democrats, and liberal state senator Mallory McMorrow, who snagged an endorsement from Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has said he believes Stevens has the “best chance” to win in the swing state, as some Democrats in Washington worry El-Sayed could lose in November if he advances in the primary.

But El-Sayed is building momentum throughout the party, earning an endorsement from Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen.

Support for Israel has become a major flashpoint in the race. Michigan has sizable Arab American and Jewish voter blocs in and around Detroit.

El-Sayed has called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a “war criminal” and has referred to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza after Hamas’ October 7 attacks as a “genocide.”

McMorrow first notably characterized the Israeli military action in Gaza as a “genocide” when pressed on the issue at a campaign event last fall, though she told voters that the definition of the conflict matters less than reaching a “solution.” She has also said she believes “war crimes were committed” and made clear she would not seek the support of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

On the other hand, Stevens has the backing of AIPAC and has said she disagrees with Israel’s campaign in Gaza being characterized as a genocide.

The Democratic party has been contending with the rise of progressive candidates, who have secured high-profile wins and even defeated some incumbents. Some establishment Democrats have been quick to dismiss those wins as limited to liberal pockets of the country and not reflective of the broader Democratic base.

Following progressive victories in his home state of New York last week, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told CNN, “I think that what happens in a handful of primaries, in one of the bluest cities in the country, is not in any way indicative of what needs to happen in November, where we need to reelect every single front line member, common sense Democrats authentically committed to making life better for the American people, opposing these extreme Republicans who have been nothing but a reckless rubber stamp for Donald Trump’s agenda.”

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CNN’s Manu Raju, Alison Main and Arlette Saenz contributed to this report.