Report: Whitmer, healthcare donors working to block Abdul El‑Sayed

politicsJul 25, 202636633

Lever News reports Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer is aligning with healthcare donors to oppose Abdul El-Sayed’s Medicare-for-All campaign, helping underwrite efforts to beat his progressive bid. Whitmer made a late endorsement of Rep. Haley Stevens ahead of Michigan’s August 4 Democratic primary. The Lever piece says Whitmer is working with health-insurance-aligned donors who view El-Sayed’s Medicare-for-All agenda as a threat. Sample reporting and posts note Whitmer’s family ties to the insurance industry, including a claim that her father formerly led one of the state’s largest health insurers and that donors from that company have fueled her political career. Polling published July 25 in USA Today showed Stevens holding about a seven-point lead over El-Sayed before Whitmer’s endorsement. The immediate consequence is a consolidation of establishment support behind Stevens going into the August 4 primary, a boost that Lever and other outlets portray as a key obstacle to El-Sayed’s path to the nomination.

Digital Warrior - Combat Disinfo

@digitalwarrior.bsky.social

1/ My prediction: AIPAC continues to spend millions in Michigan to stop Abdul El-Sayed, who wants to quit funding Israel's war crimes & make the wealthy pay their fair share. But watch. If he wins anyway, they stay and fight. If Stevens wins, they vanish. #DV1 #ProudBlue #Voices4Victory #USDemocracy

944h ago

Digital Warrior - Combat Disinfo22

2/ Why am I sure? Look at 2024. Same Michigan contest, same Republican Mike Rogers, a coin-flip decided by under 20,000 votes for a Slotkin win. Pull the federal spending record and AIPAC’s super PAC is nowhere in it. Both finalists were fine with its donors. projects.propublica.org/itemizer/rac...

Lu 💙10

AIPAC is still fighting Mamdani in NY!

Simon Rosenberg

@simonwdc.bsky.social

From the newsletter: - Maine picks a Senate nominee today - Whitmer endorses Stevens in Michigan - The DNC sets Its Early primary calendar - New ads in NC, WI - Trump is a misogynistic pig and we need to beat his ass this November👇 www.hopiumchronicles.com/p/maine-pick...

9410h ago

James Baum1

A lot of important information for everyone to be aware of!

Leonard Pierce

@leonardpierce.bsky.social

Gretchen Whitmer endorsing Stevens over El-Sayed really puts the lie to all the excuses of the Democratic Party establishment. It’s not the general, it’s the primary. Stevens has run a deeply racist, corrupt smear campaign against Sayed. Stevens isn’t popular; El-Sayed almost always polls better.

9222h ago

Nathan Tankus

@nathantankus.bsky.social

"So the idea necessarily that Abdul El-Sayed is unelectable- completely false. Because the bottom line is this: Israel as an issue is not the cudgel that I think that a lot of republicans believe they can use to beat Abdul El-Sayed"- Harry Enten www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pi-2...

795h ago

Nathan Tankus11

End of quote: "or these other anti-Israel candidate, or at least candidates that wanting to reduce military aid to Israel, candidates"

compliancedivision.bsky.social1

He is as effective a communicator as we have in the pro-democracy movement right now. I like him more every time I hear him talk.

Pumpactionmusket 1

And also anti-Republican sentiment is at an all time high.

Big Worker1

The political and media elite is getting whiplash from how fast support for Israel has become a voter repelling black mark on the record of any candidate after so many decades of it being completely normalized

Quoting this

DaftPodunk5

Abdul is an extremely normal guy and people like him pretty much as soon as they meet him. Haley keeps running these bonkers ads making him out to be snidely whiplash and he just is fundamentally not that guy It makes her look bitter and desperate.

Aiun Gives You Wings2

I appreciate the thumbnail person highlighting the bit at 3:29 where Harry says "Joe Biden" in a weird voice while making an exaggerated kicking motion; what the fuck was that

Forward Blue

@forwardblue.bsky.social

Abdul El-Sayed is the *ONLY* Democrat who can defeat MAGA Mike Rogers in November. AOC, Bernie, and hundreds of local leaders are all in. Will you please chip in a few bucks to his campaign in these final days to help him reach every last voter? 🗳️ secure.actblue.com/donate/2026...

356h ago

David Darmofal

@daviddarmofal.bsky.social

El-Sayed is so obsessed with (((AIPAC))) that he’s now making up stuff about a poll being sponsored by them. politifact.com/factchecks/2...

224h ago

Paul Eric

@pauleric70.bsky.social

Abdul El-Sayed: “What does AIPAC want? We saw that last week. They want a vote that is gonna send your tax dollars, $3.3B of them, somewhere else to a genocidal foreign government rather than to invest that money here in your schools and your infrastructure”

211h ago

Charles Keener

@charleskeener.bsky.social

Governor Whitmer is officially a MAGA A vote for Stevens is a vote for Israel A vote for Rogers is a vote for Trump A vote for Abdul is a vote for the people. Abdul is the right choice for Michigan.

162h ago

digger69-51.bsky.social1

whitmer the witch! Sold out to trump. Vote for Abdul! Don’t need Michigan to turn red do we?

Michigan Jill

@whitchmi.bsky.social

Sad that HStevens lets her owners transform simple opinion & fair criticism into "disparaging to women" implying sexism on her behalf. Gretchen Whitmer & Michelle Obama are strong women who can dish it & take it. Stevens demeans & weakens more women with her faux outrage. Criticism isn't illegal.

107h ago

thorny, proud Bleeter

@ithinkiplaygames.bsky.social

i really hope that the people who spend all day on here whining about DSA and Abdul El-Sayed and Troy Jackson *are* getting paid for it, because frankly the idea that they're doing it of their own recognizance is much sadder

163h ago

Korey

@korey4tomorrow.bsky.social

Just wrapping up knocking doors for @abdulelsayed.bsky.social and @donavanmckinney.bsky.social here in Taylor, Michigan! We need representation that focuses on the needs of Michiganders, healthcare for all, safe and accessible food, housing, good paying jobs, and saying no to corporate interests!

Korey with Donavan McKinney and Abdul El-Sayed lit

147h ago

violet

@violetvillanelle.bsky.social

Gretchen Whitmer endorsing Haley Stevens is both predictable and embarrassing. She's selling out MI on her way out. Anyways vote for Abdul El-Sayed! 💖 He's had my support since he ran for governor against Gretchen Whitmer years ago. I voted for him then and I'm voting for him now. ✨

1212h ago

Terry

@setmycompassnorh.bsky.social

He unfortunately can’t for multiple reasons. However he’s right on the money. The real problem is we can’t even get the democrats to do the right thing. Gretchen Whitmer just endorsed pro genocide “I dream of Israel” Haley Stevens.

1223h ago

Donavan McKinney MI-13 by August 4

@kelssinho.bsky.social

It's important to note. Abdul El-Sayed never spoke Arabic or used Arabic music. So this is just pure Islamophobia from Angie Smith who is a Farmington school board member and has endorsed Haley Stevens. I need to hear the condemnation from Haley's mouth and I haven't yet which speaks volumes.

115h ago

Thomas Long

@rayosunlong.bsky.social

Well… I’m calling it now. Abdul El-Sayed will win the Michigan primary. www.nbcnews.com/politics/202...

109h ago

2 sources

open.substack.comCould Whitmer's endorsement boost Stevens in Michigan's Senate race?levernews.comWhitmer’s War Against Medicare For All

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Report: Whitmer, healthcare donors working to block Abdul El‑Sayed

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