Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Endorses Dr. Abdul El-Sayed for U.S. Senate

MICHIGAN – Today, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14) endorsed Dr. Abdul El-Sayed in one of the country’s most closely watched Democratic primaries, four weeks out from the August 4th primary. Rep. Ocasio-Cortez’s endorsement marks one of the most significant national endorsements in the race to date just as voters are beginning to receive absentee ballots.

As one of the most influential voices in the Democratic Party, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez joins a formidable coalition backing Abdul including U.S. Senators Bernie Sanders and Chris Van Hollen, the UAW, National Nurses United, the Working Families Party, Indivisible, and Reps. Rashida Tlaib, Pramila Jayapal, Summer Lee, Delia Ramirez, and Ro Khanna.

“After watching this campaign unfold for well over a year, it has become clear that Abdul El-Sayed is the strongest candidate to keep this seat in November,” said Rep. Ocasio-Cortez. “He is building a winning coalition by putting forward an agenda that speaks directly to working people. He is not afraid to take on the greed making life unaffordable across Michigan because he’s never taken a dime in corporate donations. When he gets to Washington, he will work to get big money out of politics and to guarantee healthcare as a human right to all Americans. I am proud to endorse Abdul El-Sayed to be Michigan’s next senator.”

This announcement comes eight years, to the exact date, from the day Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez endorsed Abdul for governor in 2018, and lands as a defining moment in the race. While AIPAC and corporate Super PACs have already spent more than $30 million to defeat Abdul, his campaign has continued to gain ground, building a massive grassroots organizing operation and leading recent public polling despite the unprecedented flood of outside spending against him. 

Rep. Ocasio-Cortez’s endorsement of Abdul is her first endorsement in a competitive Senate primary this cycle.

“Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez has changed the trajectory of American politics and inspired a generation to believe that government really can work for working people,” said Abdul. “She has spent her career taking on the powerful on behalf of everyday people, and she has shown all of us what courageous, smart, values-driven leadership looks like. I am deeply honored to earn her endorsement for US Senate. Together, we’re proving that even in the face of unprecedented outside spending, a movement powered by the people can still win.” 

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