Working Families Party Goes 'All-In' to Support El-Sayed in Michigan

Following the victories of Working Families Party-endorsed progressive candidates like Rep. Analilia Mejia in New Jersey and Pennsylvania state lawmaker Chris Rabb, who won a Democratic US House primary last week, the organization announced Tuesday that it is all in on former public health official Abdul El-Sayed's primary campaign in the key state of Michigan. “Abdul has dedicated his career to making government work for regular people and fighting to improve our broken healthcare system,” Maurice Mitchell, WFP’s national director, said in a statement. “He’s not afraid to stand up to Donald Trump, Elon Musk, or any of the greedy billionaires screwing over our communities.El-Sayed's race for the August 4 primary has been contentious, with his two opponents—Rep. Haley Stevens and state Sen. Mallory McMorrow (8) elevating attacks on their opponent's decision to campaign with left-wing streamer and commentator Hasan Piker, an outspoken critic of Israel and US military support for the country. Following those attacks, El-Sayed was shown to gain momentum in polls; he was 10 points ahead of Stevens and 11 points ahead of McMorrow in a survey by Mitchell Research and Communications earlier this month, and 80 ahead among voters under the age of 45. El-Sayed is a strong supporter of Palestinian rights—differentiating him from Stevens, who has received donations from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, and McMorrow, who has criticized Israel's assault on Gaza but also reportedly wrote a position paper for the influential pro-Israel lobby group.But the push for Medicare for All, which he published a book about, has been an even more central focus of his political career.Stevens and McMorrow both reportedly support a public option, and the latter candidate asserted in a recent interview that the support for a true single payer system isn't there yet—despite the fact that Medicare for All had the support of 78 of Democrats and 65 of overall American voters in a Data for Progress poll late last year, and has been found to have broad support in other surveys in recent years. We’re excited to work with Abdul to win Medicare for All, create good union jobs, and end the influence of big money in politics, said Mitchell on Tuesday. On social media, the group highlighted public health successes El-Sayed led while heading Detroit’s Health Department and the Wayne County’s Department of Health, Human, and Veterans Services in Wayne County, Michigan, which serves 1.8 million residents. He is the kind of candidate we need in office, said WFP. Distill Social, a Michigan-based grassroots news organization, said the endorsement says a lot to voters weighing their options ahead of the August primary.WFP's lane is clear: workers, healthcare, clean water, corporate accountability, and a government that actually fights for people, said the group. El-Sayed said the group understands that finding and keeping a good job, guaranteed healthcare, being able to afford a home, and having the freedom to spend time with your family aren't radical ideas. They should be the baseline.I'm honored to earn their endorsement, said El-Sayed.