Bernie Sanders

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed will be joined by two big names in progressive politics at three Michigan events this month.

His campaign announced Wednesday morning he would host rallies in Detroit, Lansing and Grand Rapids with U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vermont, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York.

The events, part of a “The People vs. The Powerful” tour, will be held on Saturday, July 18, and Sunday, July 19.

According to the campaign, the trio will stop at the Detroit Opera House, 1526 Broadway St., on July 18, with doors opening at 12:30 p.m. for the 3 p.m. event.

Sanders previously campaigned for El-Sayed at a Detroit event held in May.

On Sunday, a rally will be held at the Lansing Convention Center, 333 E. Michigan Ave., with doors open at 9:30 a.m. and the event starting at noon.

Also on Sunday afternoon, El-Sayed will campaign at the DeVos Performance Hall, 303 Monroe Ave NW, with doors opening at 4:30 p.m. for the 7 p.m. event.

His last Grand Rapids stop was on Thursday, June 25, when El-Sayed visited Fountain Street Church for a rally.

The latest event announcement comes less than a day after a heated July 7 debate between El-Sayed, a former public health official, and his opponent, U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Birmingham.

El-Sayed repeatedly criticized Stevens for taking corporate PAC dollars, while Stevens in turn called him out for not yet filing personal financial disclosures.

The two are now going head-to-head to win Michiganders’ votes in an extremely competitive Democratic primary that could help determine who controls the U.S. Senate. The race is one of several being watched nationally.

The seat is currently occupied by Sen. Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Township, who is not seeking reelection.

The Cook Political Report, an analysis of elections and political trends, has described the “toss-up” Senate seat as among the nation’s most competitive, also highlighting the growing schism in the Democratic party between the establishment and progressives.

“As the Democratic establishment wrings its hands over progressives’ recent ascendance, the Michigan Senate primary in August will be perhaps the most consequential test of the movement’s strength,” a Cook Political Report analysis reads, “and one happening not in a safe Democratic area, but in a critical swing state.”

The winner of the Tuesday, Aug. 4 primary will likely run against Republican frontrunner and former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, a President Donald Trump-endorsed candidate who boasts hefty fundraising hauls.

Stevens has been supported by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, and former Gov. Jennifer Granholm, and this week has picked up endorsements from more high-level state officials such as Attorney General Dana Nessel, following a third Democratic candidate’s exit from the race.

State Sen. Mallory McMorrow, D-Royal Oak, suspended her campaign at the end of the holiday weekend without making a formal endorsement.

At the same time, El-Sayed has secured support from progressive politicians such as Ocasio-Cortez, also picking up a major endorsement from the United Auto Workers.