{"id":2631885,"date":"2026-07-19T05:28:02","date_gmt":"2026-07-19T09:28:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bernie-barnstorms-michigan-with-kingmaker-credibility-at-stake\/"},"modified":"2026-07-19T05:33:22","modified_gmt":"2026-07-19T09:33:22","slug":"bernie-barnstorms-michigan-with-kingmaker-credibility-at-stake","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bernie-barnstorms-michigan-with-kingmaker-credibility-at-stake\/","title":{"rendered":"Bernie barnstorms Michigan with kingmaker credibility at stake"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fbernie-barnstorms-michigan-with-kingmaker-credibility-at-stake%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2631885&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Senator Bernie Sanders is actively supporting Abdul el Sayed in Michigan\u2019s Senate race, framing it as a key battle against corporate influence and the billionaire class. Sanders has endorsed el Sayed early in his campaign, participated in rallies, and helped elevate his profile amid intense outside spending that has challenged el Sayed\u2019s frontrunner status. The race has become a focal point of intra-party ideological struggle, with Sanders advocating for progressive candidates and criticizing establishment figures like Rep. Haley Stevens, who is backed by party leaders. While Sanders\u2019s aggressive campaigning has drawn large crowds and demonstrated his prominence on the left, it has also sparked criticism and internal party tensions.The contest highlights broader questions about electoral viability and the future direction of the Democratic Party amid a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/major-media-project-trump-winner-of-iowa-caucuses\/\" title=\"Trump declared winner of Iowa caucuses in major media project\">closely watched primary season<\/a> in Michigan.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>DETROIT \u2013 <\/strong>Sen. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/bernie-sanders\/\">Bernie Sanders<\/a> (I-VT) is pulling out all the stops for Abdul el Sayed as <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/michigan\/\">Michigan\u2019s<\/a> Senate race becomes another referendum on his progressive brand of politics.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sanders, the octogenarian socialist who has played kingmaker in a series of Democratic primaries <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/2026-election\/\">this cycle<\/a>, has lent his name and full-throated endorsement to el Sayed, cutting a commercial for him earlier this month and headlining a trio of rallies \u2013 the first of which began in Detroit on Saturday night.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4654625\/bernie-sanders-barnstorms-michigan-kingmaker-credibility\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Bernie Sanders barnstorms Michigan with kingmaker credibility at stake<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4654634\/voters-favor-democratic-candidates-just-three-points-poll\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Registered voters favor Democratic House candidates by just three percentage points: Poll<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4654515\/ralph-norman-announce-run-senate\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Ralph Norman announces run for Lindsey Graham\u2019s Senate seat<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Speaking to a packed opera house, Sanders joined Rep. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/alexandria-ocasio-cortez\/\">Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez<\/a> (D-NY) in framing the race as a pitched fight against the \u201cbillionaire class\u201d and politicians he says are bought and paid for. The pair will travel to Lansing and Grand Rapids on Sunday as part of their \u201cPeople vs. the Powerful\u201d tour.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe oligarchs are getting nervous,\u201d Sanders told rally goers on Saturday, linking el Sayed\u2019s campaign to progressive victories in New York last month. \u201cThey should be getting nervous.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cDespite all of the money that the oligarchs are throwing into this election, we\u2019re going to win here in Michigan,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The event comes at a critical moment in Michigan politics. El Sayed is facing a deluge of outside spending that has erased his status as <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/interactive\/polls\/michigan-us-senate-election-polls-2026.html\">front-runner<\/a> and underscored establishment opposition to his candidacy. He will face Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI), a more traditional Democrat, in the Aug. 4 primary.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-VT., addresses the crowd during a campaign rally for Michigan Democratic U.S. Senate primary candidate Abdul El-Sayed, Saturday, July 18, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo\/Jose Juarez)<\/p>\n<p>&#8221; data-large-file=&#8221;https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2026\/07\/localimages\/AP26199802579528-e1784428687376.jpg?w=696&#8243; &#8220;https:><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-VT., addresses the crowd during a campaign rally for Michigan Democratic U.S. Senate primary candidate Abdul El-Sayed, Saturday, July 18, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo\/Jose Juarez)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Sanders, the barnstorm through Michigan follows the sudden fall of Graham Platner, his endorsed candidate in Maine, and a mix of failure and success in House primaries.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sanders, who twice ran for president on a populist platform, is still the indisputed leader of the political Left, and event attendees called his appearance a big draw.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One street vendor outside the Detroit event joked that Sanders\u2019s following was so large he\u2019s \u201clike Ron Paul on steroids,\u201d citing the Bernie logo shirts that he said sell particularly well at political events.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sanders is nonetheless arriving in Michigan with national Democrats more determined than ever to steer the party in a more pragmatic direction, effectively making the state ground zero for a proxy fight over progressive politics.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), his Senate colleague, dropped all appearances of neutrality in June and endorsed Stevens. Downballot, Sanders is splitting with party leadership in multiple House races.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sanders campaigned on Saturday for state Rep. Donavan McKinney, a progressive vying to unseat Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-MI). On Sunday, Sanders will rally for William Lawrence, a Lansing-area candidate running against two establishment-favored Democrats.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ocasio-Cortez is often referred to as a successor to Sanders, 84, and her shock 2018 victory against a member of House leadership made her an instant heavyweight in progressive circles.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThey have a lot of energy, and we like what they stand for,\u201d said Karen Debgupta, a retiree from Clinton Township who came to see Ocasio-Cortez for the first time in person.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Labor leader Shawn Fain introduced Ocasio-Cortez to the crowd as a \u201cbada** fighter for the working class.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-26\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-5\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Still, Ocasio-Cortez has been <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4635327\/aoc-michigan-senate-primary-schumer-new-york\/\">far more cautious than Sanders<\/a> in doling out endorsements this cycle and has gone to greater lengths to avoid friction with her colleagues in the House. In Michigan, she only waded into el Sayed\u2019s Senate race this month.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By contrast, Sanders endorsed el Sayed <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/news\/abdul-el-sayed\">hours after he launched<\/a> his Senate campaign last April, and Saturday marked his second appearance this year for el Sayed in Detroit.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That aggressive strategy has made Sanders a natural target. At a press event in Farmington, Stevens questioned whether he was genuinely interested in Michigan voters\u2019 concerns, emphasizing her work on the auto bailouts under former President Barack Obama.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI don\u2019t remember seeing him here,\u201d Stevens said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sanders has also attracted greater attention when his endorsed candidates lose. He faced <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4643042\/democrats-fume-bernie-sanders-graham-platner-maine-senate-race\/\">pockets of Democratic backlash<\/a> after Platner, faced with accusations of sexual assault that he denies, dropped out of the Maine Senate race a week ago.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sanders eventually urged Platner to leave the race, but stuck by him through repeated scandals that raised fears he was risking a swing state pivotal to Democrats\u2019 chances of retaking the Senate majority next year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Similar complaints are being raised in Michigan. Lawrence, the Lansing candidate, came under fire from the Congressional Black Caucus this month for <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4654022\/haley-stevens-michigan-abdul-el-sayed-william-lawrence-cbc\/\">unearthed comments<\/a> accusing black leaders of undermining the \u201cwhite Left\u201d \u2013 remarks that Lawrence says have been taken out of context.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ocasio-Cortez downplayed the idea that el Sayed\u2019s race should be viewed through the lens of national party infighting, telling reporters after the Detroit event that \u201cprimary elections aren\u2019t referendums on the party.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThey are referendums on that community,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd so, I think that we can\u2019t extrapolate from any one race about this.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Still, rally speakers did little to hide the fact that the Senate race had been nationalized and at times fanned that intraparty struggle. At one point, el Sayed accused Schumer of \u201cdoling out corporate money\u201d to candidates who would do his \u201cbidding,\u201d a dig at Stevens.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Michigan is just one state where Sanders\u2019s presence looms large. He is poised to miss a vote in Washington on Monday to campaign for Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, a progressive running for Senate in Minnesota.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But the fact that Michigan is a battleground currently represented by two Democrats in the Senate, a foothold they must keep to maintain a path to the majority, has exacerbated tensions with the political establishment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It has also revived questions about what makes a candidate electable.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhat is electable in 2026?\u201d el Sayed said after the Detroit event, standing alongside Ocasio-Cortez. \u201cElectability doesn\u2019t need a $50 million crutch. Electability is about actually having a message that people want to vote for that\u2019s affirmative, that isn\u2019t cynical, and that\u2019s what we\u2019re trying to build.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4647060\/cornyn-midterm-convention-snub-paxton-texas\/\"><strong>CORNYN HINTS AT SKIPPING MIDTERM CONVENTION AFTER LOSS TO PAXTON: \u2018MAY HAVE A CONFLICT\u2019<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Stevens, first elected to the House in 2018, stressed the competitive races she\u2019s won over the years when asked about el Sayed\u2019s argument.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe one difference that I can just share, that I maintain as a candidate in this race, is that I won,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sanders backs el Sayed in Michigan Senate race<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2651,"featured_media":2631886,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP26199802579528-e1784428687376.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[32175,35865,37975,32504],"class_list":["post-2631885","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-bernie-sanders","tag-election-campaign","tag-michigan-politics","tag-political-strategy"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP26199802579528-e1784428687376.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2631885","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2651"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2631885"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2631885\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2631889,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2631885\/revisions\/2631889"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2631886"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2631885"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2631885"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2631885"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}