Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed’s plans to rally in the state this week with controversial livestreamer Hasan Piker are roiling the Democratic primary, with other candidates blasting the decision to invite him on the campaign trail.
El-Sayed, the former Wayne County health director backed by progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), was the runner-up to Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) in the 2018 Democratic gubernatorial primary.
He’s earned significant progressive backing, but his decision to invite Piker to rally with him on Tuesday at the University of Michigan and Michigan State University has raised the hackles of his Democratic rivals while upping concerns for his party that if he wins the primary, he could make it easier for Republicans to take back the seat.
Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.), one of El Sayed’s opponents, told Jewish Insider that Piker is “the exact opposite of someone I’d be campaigning with.”