Stevens to El-Sayed: ‘Thank you for clarifying that you didn’t call me an ogre’

Michigan Democratic Senate candidates, Rep. Haley Stevens and Abdul El-Sayed, concluded their primary debate on Monday with a shared consensus that Stevens is not an ogre. However, Stevens used El-Sayed's recent comments about the national impact of his potential victory to criticize him for focusing too narrowly on broader politics rather than addressing Michigan's specific needs.

Stevens highlighted El-Sayed's assertion that he would not be able to achieve much in his first two years in the Senate and would instead concentrate on national politics. El-Sayed, during a Zoom call with donors, stated that he would back a primary challenge to Democratic Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman in 2028. The comment was interpreted as referring to Stevens by some Democrats, who condemned his choice of words.

During the debate, when Fox 2 Detroit moderator Roop Raj asked El-Sayed if he regretted using the term "ogre," he clarified that he was actually referring to Senator John Fetterman, who he claimed had abandoned his initial values and was currently working against his own interests. El-Sayed also attempted to shift the focus of the debate by accusing Stevens of contributing to the increasingly hostile atmosphere in the race.

However, Stevens seized the opportunity to attack El-Sayed for having ambitions beyond Michigan's interests. Towards the end of the debate, Stevens suggested that El-Sayed might be contemplating a future presidential run and offered him a lighthearted apology, stating, "Thank you for clarifying that you didn't call me an ogre."