Narrow primary victory sends him into November contest with Mike Rogers

Abdul El-Sayed’s one-percentage-point victory over Rep. Haley Stevens puts his support for Medicare for All into the November Senate contest. El-Sayed had the backing of Sen. Bernie Sanders, while Stevens was supported by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Former GOP Rep. Mike Rogers will be El-Sayed’s Republican opponent. Rogers released a video seeking support from Michigan Democrats and independents who felt alienated by El-Sayed’s vision for the state and country.

El-Sayed addressed the healthcare proposal Sunday in an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” He said Medicare for All could provide coverage that does not depend on employment, while acknowledging that the plan would most likely involve higher taxes.

“We don’t have to live like this. We have an opportunity to guarantee cradle-to-grave healthcare,” El-Sayed said.

When asked whether people earning less than $1 million a year would accept higher taxes, El-Sayed said voters could be more willing to pay if they received healthcare through a different system. He also said family premiums can cost thousands of dollars a month.

“I think a lot of us would be a lot more interested in that kind of system if we knew our healthcare would be free at the point of care,” El-Sayed said. “We’d be paying for healthcare in a different way.”

El-Sayed’s campaign platform also included single-payer healthcare, ending aid to Israel, abolishing the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency and removing money from politics. He said he does not identify as a Democratic Socialist and considers himself pro-capitalism.

Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., called El-Sayed’s views “extreme.” Banks said that if El-Sayed were elected in November, “he would make Bernie Sanders look squishy.”

Medicare for All was a central proposal in Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign. The plan has not gained serious traction on Capitol Hill. The plan has been estimated to increase federal healthcare subsidies by between $1.5 trillion and $3 trillion a year by 2030.

The existing Medicare program was created in the 1960s and primarily covers seniors. More than 70 million Americans receive benefits through the program, which is partially funded by payroll taxes.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week” that Democrats were unifying around candidates such as El-Sayed.

“I think that this really is a moment, not just in Michigan, but across the country, where the party is unifying,” Ocasio-Cortez said.

El-Sayed has also faced criticism over his continued engagement with online commentator Hasan Piker. Piker previously said America “deserved 9/11” and later walked back those comments. El-Sayed denounced the remarks but said he wanted to continue speaking with Piker’s audience so listeners could understand there was “a pathway into our politics.”