Two Michigan Democrats are locked in a tight battle to earn the nomination in a crucial Senate seat that will be pivotal to the party's chances of retaking the upper chamber in November's midterms.<\/p>\n
After a bruising and sometimes bitter campaign, left-wing insurgent Abdul El-Sayed is slightly ahead of the establishment-backed congresswoman, Haley Stevens, with more than 90% of the votes counted.<\/p>\n
The primary has underlined divisions over the party's future, with former public health official El-Sayed channelling grassroots frustration with Washington politics and US ties to Israel.<\/p>\n
The outcome of this vote could shape the party's direction well beyond Michigan ahead of November's midterm elections.<\/p>\n
The open Senate seat is almost a must-win for Democrats if they want to take control of Congress's upper chamber and try to thwart Trump's agenda.<\/p>\n
The seat is currently held by a retiring Democrat and the last time a Republican was elected to this Senate seat was in 1994.<\/p>\n
But in presidential elections it is one of the crucial swing states – Michigan voted for Democrat Joe Biden in 2020 but Trump in 2024.<\/p>\n
Whoever wins the primary will compete against Trump ally Mike Rogers in the midterms on 3 November.<\/p>\n
Both Stevens and El-Sayed have been laying out starkly different visions for Michigan and for the country.<\/p>\n
El-Sayed, 41, the son of Egyptian immigrants, would be the first Muslim senator in the US, if elected.<\/p>\n
He's been endorsed by leading left-wing politicians such as Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and New York City congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.<\/p>\n
El-Sayed has campaigned on issues such as Medicare for All, taxing billionaires, and abolishing US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).<\/p>\n
Polling from the last year suggests healthcare costs remain among the top issues for voters this year, alongside the rising cost of petrol, groceries and housing.<\/p>\n
El-Sayed previously told the BBC that if the Democratic Party had more concerns for everyday people "they'd be fighting on the same policies I'm fighting for".<\/p>\n
Young supporters in Detroit hold a sign in support of El-Sayed<\/p>\n