CNN and Netanyahu Boost Haley Stevens in Michigan Dem Senate Debate
Michigan's Democratic Senate primary is a dead heat between Haley Stevens and Abdul El-Sayed, and a well-timed Netanyahu attack handed Stevens a lift — bad for El-Sayed's momentum.
- The two are essentially tied, split between older voters backing Stevens and young activists backing El-Sayed.
- El-Sayed hit Stevens over $40 million in outside money, most from the pro-Israel group AIPAC, and over her corporate donations.
- Hours before the debate, Netanyahu trashed Stevens on CNN, letting her cast herself as an Israel critic standing up to a bully — a suspiciously convenient setup.
- Stevens is attacking El-Sayed for not releasing his tax returns and for his rich real-estate wife, and painting him as a "sexist podcast bro."
- Whoever wins the primary is favored to beat Republican Mike Rogers, since Michigan leans Democratic in a Trump-backlash year.
Outlook: Expect a close, nasty finish, with AIPAC-funded ads giving Stevens a spending edge into the primary.