MI-SEN: Abdul El-Sayed is using the same advisers as Graham Platner.

[RandySF]

Meanwhile in Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive who is endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), has opened up a lead in the polls over Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.), who is backed by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and viewed by party leaders in Washington as the better candidate in a general election.

Platner’s collapse in Maine could steer progressive donors to funnel their money to El-Sayed, who now emerges as the most prominent Senate candidate aligned with the democratic socialist movement.

El-Sayed has used the same political strategy firm, Fight Agency, as Platner and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D).

El-Sayed, a former public health director, says he is running against both parties and called for Platner to drop out of the Maine Senate race after his opponent, Stevens, criticized him for not doing so.



https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5961901-democrats-senate-control-threatened/

[Boo1]

1. El-Sayed, a former public health director, says he is running against both parties

A line straight out of Katz playbook.

Anybody that uses Fight Agency needs to lose their primary now.

[Renew Deal]

5. Why should they lose their primary?

[Boo1]

6. So that a real Democrat can win the seat

Fuck Fight Agency

[Renew Deal]

13. Wasn't Platner a Democrat?

[aocommunalpunch]

17. They worked hand in hand with Mamdani

Guessing he’s not a real Democrat?

[Boo1]

38. Dont see how somebody

Can say they are a Democrat if they are running against the Democratic party.

[Bettie]

16. There is a segment that really wants

all Progressives excised from our party.

[betsuni]

23. The segment that really wants to be excised from the party are running against the party.

Self-excising.

[mr715]

20. I like El-Sayed

Have you listened to him?

Are you opposed to progressive politicians?

[Demsrule86]

46. Schumer Et AL orchestrated an opening of the government instead of holding the line using

Senators who were retiring mostly...this allow the ACA support to be ended.
Personally, I want expect better from my party. I will and always have voted Democratic in an election...but primaries exist to get the best that we can...folks who will work for us.

[Boo1]

47. You thought they

Should just keep the government shut down forever?

Thats absurd and not remotely realistic.

[Emile]

2. In 2020, he was selected to serve on President Biden's

Unity Task Force for Healthcare, helping craft policies that are lowering prescription drug prices today.

He's a good democrat, let's not start smearing him too!

[B.See]

32. EXACTLY. Here we go again...

same kind of... stuff... some tried to pull on Mamdani. Anyone beginning to smell a pattern?

[Emile]

37. Its like they all have their marching orders to attack progressive candidates. So obvious

[MorbidButterflyTat]

41. "They" huh?

"El-Sayed....says he is running against both parties..."

[B.See]

43. I don't know if it's so much as a

"they" as much as a "some" or that it's "marching orders" as much as, what, I don't know.

(I'm working on a conclusion and the jury's still out.)

But as I said here, whether progressive or not, there are Democratic candidates who seem to be able to generate excitement, (hope?) and inspire a following in ways that some others fail to do.

And the latter had better figure out why.

[Nanjeanne]

3. He's a good candidate with a platform resonating with Michigan. Hope he wins!

[SocialDemocrat61]

4. He endorsed Kamala Harris in 24

[Boo1]

7. And now he says hes running against

The Democratic party and working with Morris Katz.

Red flags

[SocialDemocrat61]

8. As long as he doesn't have

a Nazi tatoo. LOL

[Cha]

22. Yeah, does he expect any Democratic

Votes since he's "running against them"?

Do these Dem bashers know it's not just about them but about the Midterms, too?!!

Because, as we all know, if we don't win the Midterms, nothing changes, only gets exponentially worse.

[MorbidButterflyTat]

42. I'm sure since he's running against the Democrats he hasn't been accepting any dirty Dem money

Or using any dirty Democratic apparatus.

Third party BS.

[Cha]

48. Good points! Why does that sound so

familiar?

TY

[aocommunalpunch]

9. Already voted for him.

Going to see him in a few days, too. Go, Abdul!

[Raftergirl]

10. He will lose in the general.

You can kiss the independents goodbye.

November is going to be a disaster for the Democrats. Won’t even need the Republicans to eff around with the election.

[Quiet Em]

11. If Platner does not withdraw by Monday, it will have a negative impact on El-Sayed

especially if El-Sayed was hesitant at first to call on Platner to drop out. Fairly, or unfairly, they will be tied together.

Telling Platner to drop out after credible accusations of rape was a no brainer. There should have been no hesistation to do so.

That said, I don't have anything against El-Sayed but he should look into getting better advisors.

[leftstreet]

12. Were the advisors the sexual predators?

I don't get the connection

[aocommunalpunch]

14. Not as far as I can find.

Just a thinly-veiled smear of El-Sayed. It’s four paragraphs from an article on Platner. They just added it in the middle of the article. Maybe Mamdani should be investigated since Fight Agency made ads for him, too? Bollocks.

[Boo1]

54. We bow know that

Fight Agency, specifically Katz was threatening women who wanted to come forward with information. Part of a consultants job is to make sure the candidates they recruit and push dont have those types of skeletons that will come out. Katz knew about problematic issue with Platner and women, and then threatened other women himself to hide it.

Continuing to use his agency after that is fair game to criticize and look into more.

[MichMan]

51. Advisor Morris Katz authored a puberty book for children and wanted to include a picture of his own penis in it.

Saw this in another post

The publisher wouldn't allow it, but instead of letting it go, Katz had to include a footnote stating as such.

"Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Puberty—and Shouldn't Be Googling: For Curious Boys" (published by Downtown Bookworks/Simon & Schuster was co-authored by Morris Katz and Amelia Pinney).

On page 17, a footnote written by Katz explicitly states:"At first, we were going to use images of my penis to get this point across but the publisher said it was inappropriate so here we are, with some fruit and animal metaphors."

https://democraticunderground.com/100221359810#post9

[Polybius]

15. Here's the real question: Can he beat Rogers in November?

Primary date is August 4th.

[aocommunalpunch]

18. His own words

El-Sayed predicts that he will defeat Rogers by 7 points in November. “It’s gonna be embarrassing for them when I wipe the floor with their candidate,” El-Sayed tells me. The confidence is striking given the warnings from many within his own party. But to El-Sayed, Rogers represents a familiar archetype. “If you had to draw a caricature of the average politician from the late ’90s, it would be Mike Rogers,” he says. “There’s nothing new about him or his ideas.”

[mr715]

19. Ooof now that is an answer with some big genitals.

[Polybius]

21. I'd be willing to bet the farm that he doesn't win by +7

Like near zero chance.

[Emile]

29. Why are you doing this?

[Polybius]

30. Doing what?

I never said that he wouldn't win. I just said there's near zero chance that he wins by 7.

[Emile]

36. Then answer your own poll, and let us know your true feelings.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100221366062

[Polybius]

49. Did that a while ago

I think it's possible that he can win, but a lot has to go right and if he does, it'll be a squeaker.

[Polybius]

50. So what's your take?

Do you think he will win by at least 7 points?

[Emile]

52. 7.19

[fujiyamasan]

24. I think he could

It would be close though.

Rogers didn’t lose by much, but he should have had some Trump coattails. Trump’s popularity has plummeted in the state, so that helps El-Syed.

It also depends if he keeps the focus on affordability/inflation and not about Israel. If they successfully paint him as a Hamas sympathizer, he loses.

[Polybius]

27. Thanks for the reply

I just created a poll. Please vote in it if you don't mind.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100221366062

[RandySF]

28. John James came close in 2018 and 2020.

[MichMan]

34. Now running for Governor

[RandySF]

35. Right.

But this seat is no lock.

[LeftInTX]

39. Yeah, I don't think there are as many Muslims in Michigan as there are painted to be!

Yes, they will turn out for El-Sayed, but that doesn't mean they will make or break the election.

[EdmondDantes_]

25. As others noted, they also worked with Mamdani

And Dan Osbourne who improved by 10 points over the previous challenger in Nebraska.

I don't like El-Sayed campaigning with Hasan Piker, but El-Sayed has an impressive resume and one red flag in Piker isn't the same as all the red flags with Platner. I don't need politicians to have my ideal positions on everything because I don't even always agree with myself and can change my mind.

Dumping them now would create a lot of chaos and while the advisors should have done a deeper vetting, they didn't have the tattoo, or the Reddit posts, or rape allegations, etc.

[LeftInTX]

40. El-Sayed needs to win the primary first. There would be no reason to dump him afterward.

El-Sayed is more well-known and more credible than Platner. He wasn't plucked from obscurity.

[pinkstarburst]

26. I like what he stands for

But "I'm running against both parties" doesn't seem like something that needed to be said. But I like his policies. I hope we can get that seat.

[Janbdwl72]

31. I am just hoping the stronger candidate who can insure victory in November emerges as the primary winner.

It is vital that Democrats keep this seat, so I hope the voters in Michigan choose wisely.

Leaving it up to them!

[Ilikepurple]

33. Not blaming you, but I'm trying to find the exact quote.

I’m not doubting he said it, but can only seem to find a Time article where they say he’s doing just that. I would think if he made such a quotable remark, it’d be easier to find evidence of it. I’m not from Michigan and know little about the candidates. It’s no secret that he’s running on being against the political establishment in both parties as they are to him, but that’s not quite the same thing. I’m hoping someone who has been following this primary closer will enlighten me as to context.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

44. I am NOT surprised by this

[LexVegas]

45. Sanders judgement is suspect. nt

[Cirsium]

53. Guilt by association?

"They have at points worked to elect more traditional candidates, including former President Joe Biden."

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/01/27/fight-agency-consultants-democrats-00200636

[A_Woman_from_MI]

55. Cool that Abdul doesn't have all that same bullshit baggage though, isnt it?

Happy I get to vote in Michigan, and not Maine