Stevens and El-Sayed Debate Corporate Donations and Personal Wealth in Michigan Senate Primary

Haley Stevens and Abdul El-Sayed debated corporate donations and political influence during their July 7 contest for the Democratic U.S. Senate nomination in Michigan. The hour-long event at Riverside Park in Grand Rapids opened with a question on inflation before shifting to money in politics.

Stevens said she is the only candidate in the race who is not a millionaire. She described herself as a workhorse rather than a celebrity and said voters seeking an effective leader should support her. El-Sayed replied that personal wealth is not the central issue.

He said the real question is whether candidates bow to billionaires and argued that Stevens has benefited from outside corporate and foreign-aligned interests, including pro-Israel groups. El-Sayed added that he has never accepted corporate money. He said voters who want politicians to pursue different priorities, such as expanded domestic spending, should back him.

The debate occurred less than a month before the August 4 primary. Former Rep. Gary Peters is not seeking re-election, and state Sen. Mallory McMorrow withdrew from the race days earlier.