El-Sayed courts Jewish Democrats but won't dump Piker
Michigan Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed spent the weekend trying to make amends with the state's Jewish Democrats. But he showed there are limits to how far he's willing to go. The big one: Hasan Piker. Why it matters: El-Sayed's appearance before the state party's Jewish caucus was an important early test of whether he can pivot from a primary candidate who electrified the party's progressive…
Michigan Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed engaged with the state's Jewish Democrats over the weekend, but he drew the line at disavowing Hasan Piker, the controversial left-wing streamer. El-Sayed's appearance before the state party's Jewish caucus was seen as a crucial test for his ability to transition from a primary candidate that appealed to progressives to a general-election nominee who could win over moderate voters.
El-Sayed had previously apologized for his remarks after a March attack on a Detroit synagogue, but he stood firm in refusing to repudiate Piker, dismissing the calls as a "gotcha" game. Despite El-Sayed's efforts to distance himself from Piker, the general election could be influenced by the streamer's inflammatory remarks, which have been widely condemned as antisemitic.
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