Abdul El-Sayed has won Michigan’s Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in a victory for the party’s progressive wing in a battleground state. El-Sayed narrowly defeated U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens and will face Republican Mike Rogers in November. The seat is pivotal to Democrats’ chances of flipping the Senate. El-Sayed will face the challenge of uniting a divided Democratic base after a bruising primary. El-Sayed, a former health official, campaigned on “Medicare for All,” halting military aid to Israel and campaign finance reform. He had support from progressive leaders including Sen. Bernie Sanders and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
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Two Republican senators who threatened to block acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s bid to lead the Justice Department say they will vote to advance his nomination. The announcement Monday ends an impasse over plans to create a fund to compensate allies of President Donald Trump. The statement from Republican Sen. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis came after Blanche issued an order late Sunday formally rescinding the $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” to compensate people who believe they were unfairly prosecuted by the Justice Department. Cornyn and Tillis had said they would not support Blanche’s nomination without written confirmation that the fund is dead.
Key senators have unveiled a short-term spending bill to avoid a government shutdown during the middle of campaign season. The bill unveiled Sunday would keep federal agencies funded past the midterm elections, through Dec. 11. The Senate is likely to vote on the measure before leaving Washington at the end of the week for its traditional August recess. Many lawmakers want to spend the coming weeks shoring up their reelection prospects rather than working in the nation’s capital. By extending government funding now, lawmakers can use the ensuing months to work out their differences on funding for the full year.
The stage is in battleground Pennsylvania. The stakes are control of the House. And the main event Sunday will be political rallies to mark 100 days until the midterm elections. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries will unveil the party’s Fighting for an Affordable America agenda as he works to focus voter attention and build momentum ahead of November. In Pennsylvania’s 7th District, Jeffries and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidate, are rallying support for Bob Brooks. Down the road, Brooks’ rival, freshman GOP Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, is launching his own 100-day out event. It's the symbolic start of the campaigns that will determine control of Congress in November.