Gavin Newsom Confirms Meeting With Abdul El-Sayed During Michigan Swing
California Gov. Gavin Newsom confirmed Sunday that he plans to meet with Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed as he campaigns with Democrats in the critical battleground state, further aligning himself with the progressive candidate following his primary victory.
Newsom traveled to Michigan for a multi-day political swing designed to boost Democratic candidates ahead of November’s midterm elections. His schedule includes campaigning with state legislative candidates, meeting with Democratic leaders and activists, and helping the party organize in a state expected to play a major role in determining control of Congress.
The California governor’s visit was planned before El-Sayed defeated Rep. Haley Stevens in the Democratic Senate primary. Newsom quickly endorsed El-Sayed once he was declared the winner and subsequently reached out to the newly minted nominee.
Newsom has now confirmed that he intends to sit down with El-Sayed during the trip. The meeting puts additional attention on Newsom’s willingness to embrace a candidate who ran to the left of the Democratic establishment and defeated the preferred candidate of Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer.
El-Sayed’s victory has fueled an internal Democratic debate over whether progressive candidates can outperform establishment-backed alternatives in major battleground races. His campaign received support from prominent figures on the party’s left, while Stevens entered the primary with Schumer’s backing and significant establishment support.
Newsom has previously dismissed concerns about progressive and democratic socialist candidates winning Democratic primaries, arguing that ideological disagreements inside the party can be healthy. His decision to meet with El-Sayed indicates that he is prepared to help the nominee despite differences between his own political brand and El-Sayed’s more progressive agenda.
The trip also comes as Newsom continues building a national political profile ahead of the 2028 presidential election. His political operation has raised money for Democratic causes around the country, including approximately $160,000 for Michigan, while Newsom has increasingly traveled outside California to campaign for Democrats.
El-Sayed will face Republican Mike Rogers in November in a contest expected to be one of the country’s most consequential Senate races. Republicans have already begun highlighting El-Sayed’s progressive positions and political associations as they seek to flip the open Michigan seat.
Newsom’s meeting with El-Sayed gives the Democratic nominee another nationally prominent ally while putting the California governor closer to one of the party’s most closely watched ideological battles. With Michigan shaping up as a major midterm battleground, both men now have an interest in turning El-Sayed’s primary upset into a Democratic victory in November.