Bernie Sanders on Abdul El-Sayed's Huge Win, DSA and AI

When Senator Bernie Sanders calls a primary victory "the most extraordinary" he can recall in modern American politics, he's not speaking casually. The candidate in question is Abdul El-Sayed, who won his Michigan primary against an incumbent Democrat while being outspent nine to one — roughly $70 million in outside money, including $30 million from AIPAC, arrayed against him. "Have you ever heard of a candidate in a major race getting outspent nine to one, taking on the entire establishment, and winning?" Sanders asked. "I cannot recall somebody having done that."

What the Michigan Results Actually Show

The close margin — El-Sayed won by about one point — prompted a predictable question about Democratic voters' preferences. Sanders reframed it: "If it was a fair fight financially, and there was no spending difference, how many points would he have won by? Ten? Twenty? Maybe." He pointed to record-breaking turnout in the Michigan Democratic primary as evidence that El-Sayed's campaign brought in voters who had previously checked out of politics, especially young people.