Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) publicly endorsed Abdul El-Sayed in the Michigan Senate race on Thursday, expressing support for the Democratic candidate seeking to replace retiring Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.). In a social media post, Smith described El-Sayed as a "fighter" and stated her endorsement of him as the next United States Senator for Michigan. The post included a video featuring Smith, though the specific content of the clip was not detailed in the source. El-Sayed, a former public health director under President Biden, is currently running against Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) for the Senate seat. His campaign has drawn scrutiny due to his association with political commentator Hasan Piker and former Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner. A Michigan Democrat, Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-Mich.), has expressed concerns over these connections, particularly regarding Piker’s controversial remarks about September 11, 2001. In an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper on Wednesday, Scholten criticized El-Sayed for choosing to campaign alongside Piker, despite Piker’s later apology for his comments. Scholten argued that El-Sayed could have disavowed Piker’s views, which she deemed unacceptable for a Democratic candidate. She emphasized that she would not endorse anyone associated with such rhetoric, stating that she would never stand beside someone who had made such statements. Piker, a left-wing political commentator known for his work on Twitch, issued an apology in 2019 for his remarks, acknowledging they were "inappropriate." During an interview with fellow commentator Cenk Uygur, Piker admitted he should have used more precise language. However, Scholten noted that El-Sayed did not take steps to distance himself from Piker’s views, describing the situation as a "gotcha game." Scholten further highlighted El-Sayed’s connection to Platner, a former Maine Senate candidate who withdrew from the race after allegations of sexual misconduct emerged. While El-Sayed and Platner did not campaign together, they both sent out fundraising emails through the same platform, according to reports from Semafor on social media platform X. Platner had previously been set to challenge Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) in the Senate race before dropping out amid the misconduct allegations. Scholten’s criticisms extend beyond individual associations, suggesting that supporting candidates with such ties risks alienating key voter groups within the Democratic base. She warned that embracing such rhetoric could lead to a loss of trust among voters, especially younger men and military personnel. “I don’t need $20 million to study why young men stopped voting for the Democratic Party,” she said, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a clear ideological stance. Scholten has already endorsed Stevens, another Democratic contender in the race, in April 2025. Her continued criticism of El-Sayed underscores growing internal divisions within the Democratic Party ahead of the November election. As the race intensifies, the debate over the role of political commentators and former candidates in shaping the party’s image will likely remain a focal point for both supporters and critics alike.
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