Episode

Dems’ Far-Left Michigan Mandani Wins. Why El-Sayed Will Struggle With Independents.

Podcast: Independent Americans with Paul Rieckhoff
Published: Aug 6, 2026
Duration seconds: 1202
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Summary

Michigan is not Manhattan. That's the through-line of this one. The Democratic primary in Michigan handed the U.S. Senate nomination to Abdul El-Sayed, a far-left progressive in a state where roughly 17% of voters are independent and Mike Rogers is waiting on the Republican side. Paul Rieckhoff calls it what it is: another gift from a rigged two-party primary system to the MAGA machine, and one more reason the Democrats will not save you. The Bernie-vs-Schumer civil war is nominating candidates who can't galvanize independents or win general elections — and it's happening on the biggest stages in the country.