Abdul El-Sayed and Andy Levin
Abdul El-Sayed and Andy Levin
Former Democratic Congressman Andy Levin, son of former Congressman Sander Levin, has endorsed Democrat Abdul El-Sayed for U.S. Senate.
"The startling moment we’re living through proves we need one thing above all in our leaders in Washington – moral courage and clarity,” Levin said in a statement. “Know who you are. Know what you stand for. Know who you’re fighting for. And actually fight for them — brilliantly, creatively, relentlessly. That’s Abdul.”
Levin lost the 2022 primary in the 11th Congressional District to Congresswoman Haley Stevens, who is also running as a Democrat for the U.S. Senate against El-Sayed, who has been a vocal critic of Israel.
In the 2022 race, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), a powerful pro-Israel lobbying group, and its supporters poured millions of dollars into Stevens' campaign, portraying her as an unwavering supporter of Israel. Levin was seen as aligned with J Street, a Washington-based group whose stated mission is to promote peace between Israel and the Palestinians, but which has often been critical of Israeli policy.
Some Jewish voters criticized Levin at the time for describing Israel as an apartheid state. Levin is Jewish, Stevens is not.
El-Sayed issued a statement regarding Levin's endorsement:
“Andy Levin has spent his career fighting for the dignity and power of workers, and I am honored to have his endorsement. Andy and I know that Democrats can only win by fighting for Michiganders most basic rights: the right to join a union, to get healthcare without breaking the bank, to breathe clean air and drink clean water, and to build a dignified life. That’s what this campaign is about and that’s why I’m so proud to have Andy by my side.”
On Monday, Levin and El-Sayed published an opinion piece in the Detroit News saying:
The federal government might be open again, but it still isn’t working for working people. After 43 days of shutdown, Washington politicians struck a deal that protected the powerful and left the rest of us behind.
Too many Democrats refused to hold the line — they forgot what they were fighting for. Now, President Donald Trump and his allies in Congress are set to gut healthcare access for tens of millions of people, leaving them facing soaring premiums and higher out-of-pocket costs.
